mes since,
I have had abundant reason for praising the Lord that He put such an
honour upon me, in allowing me to speak well of His name in so public
a manner, I have never since, even for one minute, been allowed to
regret publishing the Narrative; and almost daily have I been more
and more confirmed in the conviction, that the giving such like
publications to the church, making known the Lord's dealings with me,
is one part of my service towards the saints.]

Aug. 17. Today two more children were received into the Infant
Orphan-House, which makes up our full number, 66 in the Girls' and
infant-Orphan-Houses.

Aug. 28. When brother Craik and I began to labour in Bristol, and
consequently some believers united with us in fellowship, assembling
together at Bethesda, we began meeting together on the basis of the
written Word only, without having any church rules whatever. From the
commencement it was understood, that, as the Lord should help us, we
would try everything by the word of God, and introduce and hold fast
that only which could be proved by Scripture. When we came to this
determination on Aug. 13, 1832, it was indeed in weakness, but it was
in uprightness of heart.--On account of this it was, that, as we
ourselves were not fully settled as to whether those only who had
been baptized after they had believed, or whether all who believed in
the Lord Jesus, irrespective of baptism, should be received into
fellowship nothing was determined about this point. We felt free to
break bread and be in communion with those who were not baptized, and
therefore could with a good conscience labour at Gideon, where the
greater part of the saints, at least at first, were unbaptized; but,
at the same time, we had a secret wish that none but believers who
were baptized might be united with us at Bethesda. Our reason for
this was, that we had witnessed in Devonshire much painful disunion,
resulting, as we thought, from baptized and unbaptized believers
being in fellowship. Without, then, making it a rule, that Bethesda
Church was to be one of close communion, we nevertheless took care
that those who applied for fellowship should be instructed about
baptism. For many months there occurred no difficulty, as none
applied for communion but such as had either been already baptized,
or wished to be, or who became convinced of the Scriptural character
of believers' baptism, after we had conversed with them; afterwards,
however, three si