s servants to labour among them so long
as, and in such way as might be His will, and under no bondage of fixed
rules; they desired pew-rents to be done away with, and voluntary
offerings substituted, etc.

There was already, however, a strong conviction that a new start was in
some respects indispensable if the existing church-life was to be
thoroughly modelled on a scriptural pattern. These brethren determined
to stamp upon the church certain important features such as these:
Apostolic simplicity of worship, evangelical teaching, evangelistic
work, separation from the world, systematic giving, and dependence on
prayer. They desired to give great prominence to the simple testimony of
the Word, to support every department of the work by free-will
offerings, to recognize the Holy Spirit as the one presiding and
governing Power in all church assemblies, and to secure liberty for all
believers in the exercise of spiritual gifts as distributed by that
Spirit to all members of the Body of Christ for service. They believed
it scriptural to break bread every Lord's day, and to baptize by
immersion; and, although this latter has not for many years been a term
of communion or of fellowship, believers have always been carefully
taught that this is the duty of all disciples.

It has been already seen that in August, 1832, seven persons in all,
including these two pastors, met at Bethesda Chapel to unite in
fellowship, without any formal basis or bond except that of loyalty to
the Word and Spirit of God. This step was taken in order to start anew,
without the hindrance of customs already prevailing, which were felt to
be unscriptural and yet were difficult to abolish without discordant
feeling; and, from that date on, Bethesda Chapel has been the home of an
assembly of believers who have sought steadfastly to hold fast the New
Testament basis of church-life.

Such blessed results are largely due to these beloved colleagues in
labour who never withheld their testimony, but were intrepidly
courageous and conscientiously faithful in witnessing against whatever
they deemed opposed to the Word. Love ruled, but was not confounded with
laxity in matters of right and wrong; and, as they saw more clearly what
was taught in the Word, they sought to be wholly obedient to the Lord's
teaching and leading, and to mould and model every matter, however
minute, in every department of duty, private or public, according to the
expressed will of Go