found to prevail, such as that baptism
is the actual death of the old man by drowning, and that it is a
covenant with the believer into which God enters; that it is a sin to
break bread with unbaptized believers or with members of the state
church; and that the bread and the cup used in the Lord's Supper not
only mean but are the very body and blood of the Lord, etc.

A more serious and dangerous doctrine which it was needful to confront
and confute was what Mr. Muller calls that "awful error," spread almost
universally among believers in that land, that at last "all will be
saved," not-sinful men only, but "even the devils themselves."

Calmly and courteously, but firmly and courageously, these and kindred
errors were met with the plain witness of the Word. Refutation of false
teaching aroused a spirit of bitterness in opposers of the truth, and,
as is too often the case, faithful testimony was the occasion of
acrimony; but the Lord stood by His servant and so strengthened him that
he was kept both faithful and peaceful.

One grave practical lack which Mr. Muller sought to remedy was ignorance
of those deeper truths of the Word, which relate to the power and
presence of the Holy Spirit of God in the church, and to the ministry of
saints, one to another, as fellow members in the body of Christ, and as
those to whom that same Spirit divides severally, as He will, spiritual
gifts for service. As a natural result of being untaught in these
important practical matters, believers' meetings had proved rather
opportunities for unprofitable talk than godly edifying which is in
faith. The only hope of meeting such errors and supplying such lack lay
in faithful scripture teaching, and he undertook for a time to act as
the sole teacher in these gatherings, that the word of God might have
free course and be glorified. Afterward, when there seemed to be among
the brethren some proper apprehension of vital spiritual truths, with
his usual consistency and humility he resumed his place as simply a
brother among fellow believers, all of whom had liberty to teach as the
Spirit might lead and guide. There was, however, no shrinking from any
duty or responsibility laid upon him by larger, clearer acquaintance
with truth, or more complete experience of its power. When called by the
voice of his brethren to expound the Word in public assemblies, he
gladly embraced all opportunities for further instruction out of Holy
Scripture and of witne