BROOKLYN, N.Y., DECEMBER 23RD, 1935

BROOKLYN, N.Y., DECEMBER 23RD, 1935

Mr. Alfred J. Gardiner.

Beloved Brother, — Your letter of the 7th instant was received a few days ago, and greatly interests my wife and myself. It is good of you to give me so much information, every item of which is of value as entering into the Lord’s interests.

I follow particularly all your remarks as to special meetings during the holiday season, now almost begun. You certainly have taken on an onerous list of services, and you may be assured that we shall remember you both as in Ireland and in Scotland. The need is indeed great and I am thankful you are enabled of the Lord to undertake so much. He will surely sustain you as carrying on a service undertaken in a sacrificial way.

I note your encouragement as to London from the administrative side, and also as to the Park Street meetings. What you say as to the latter is confirmed by Mr. Roberts who is now with us. I trust the Lord will continue to help the dear brethren in the very fruitful subject which they are considering.

Mr. Roberts arrived on Saturday, and we have had a very good week-end with him. He leaves us tonight for the West, followed by the sympathy and prayers of his brethren here.

I hope to attend meetings here on Wednesday, and then go on to Chicago for meetings covering three days My wife is also going to Chicago. We hope to call at Detroit, Hamilton and Rochester on our return journey. In North America there is peace generally amongst the dear brethren, and a measure of prosperity, for which we thank God.

I regret to note that you could not write anything encouraging ^[p. 22] of Newcastle. What has come to light for some, and will I believe come to light for the brethren generally, is that the difficulty has to be solved in Newcastle. If there are any ‘approved’ there in the midst of the general breakdown, the Lord will be with them, and will use them. It is for Israel’s priests to discern if there are such and to stand by them at least morally, for the enemy will do all in his power to discredit them. The addresses to the assemblies in Revelation show that the principle of recovery is through overcomers. When the state of a meeting becomes such that all in it seem involved, or that the approved are not manifested, brethren in meetings near-by and generally are bound to protect themselves from contamination arising from such conditions, and love in the meeting nearest will not fail to manifest itself in wise gracious watchfulness and care generally, but as soon as there is any evidence of overcoming in the place affected, this must be recognised as morally the point of recovery. The Lord is in charge, as it were and the pursuit of righteousness, faith, love and peace in the saints generally will require that His rights, and the moral rights of His people in the city in question, must be observed. Under these circumstances it is manifestly wrong for a nearby meeting to assume an administrative control. The overcomer or overcomers in the city in question have morally the same status as meetings elsewhere.

The moral side of the matter is what is so important, and I believe it has not had its full place with those who, as outside Newcastle, have had to do directly with it.

You will be aware that besides those meeting at Wesley Street, a group of brethren are now meeting in another place called Pilgrim Street. These have written recently to New York arraigning me for unwarrantedly convening a meeting in Newcastle some three and a half years ago, and of inviting brethren from other meetings to attend it. The truth is that I had been invited to Newcastle for special meetings at that time and before reaching Newcastle Mr. T——— had suggested that I should meet the brethren in relation to the then great sorrow that was current amongst them. Before agreeing I wrote to Mr. T———l, who was then very prominent and active as you will know, at Newcastle, and he did not agree with the suggestion but wished me to meet the brethren at his house in regard of a nearby meeting that had recently been formed. I did not accede to Mr. T———l’s wish, feeling that the local conditions ^[p. 23] at Newcastle did not admit of such a meeting as he proposed, and so the matter was left until I reached Newcastle. On my arrival there I found conditions so bad that I called up Mr. T———l on the phone and told him that I would like to see the brethren after the address in keeping with Mr. T———’s suggestion, as I did not wish to leave Newcastle without placing my exercises briefly on their consciences. Mr. T———l agreed and arranged for the meeting. Others who attended the meeting, such as Messrs. N——— , T——— t and C——— were there as having been present at the fellowship meetings, and as far as I remember all were happy about their presence. So much for their charge that I convened a meeting of brothers on my own account. Two months later Messrs. Davidson, Biggs and Malpas went to Newcastle by arrangement with the contending brothers, W——— and M——— , and their investigation of the books disclosed that W——— had made serious false charges against M——— . From that time to this the question of good and evil has been in conflict in Newcastle, and I have not a doubt that those meeting at Wesley Street have been and are on the side of the good.

My wife and I very much appreciate your wish to have us visit you and Mrs. Gardiner and your family again. In view of the shortness of our stay in England it may be well to leave this matter, and there will be opportunity of communicating with you later. With our united love to you both, and your family, and to all the brethren in London, I am,

Affectionately yours in Him,
James Taylor.