BROOKLYN, N.Y., FEBRUARY 14TH, 1936

BROOKLYN, N.Y., FEBRUARY 14TH, 1936

Mr. W. Hastie.

My Dear Brother, — I am in receipt of your letter of the 29th ult., which interests me. But it is not easy to answer definitely as to the matter you mention, for other circumstances ^[p. 26] may enter into it, such as can only be rightly known to those in the locality. You say ‘almost equi-distance’. Almost implies that one of the meetings is actually nearer to you than the other. This fact in itself may be the settlement of the matter, but then something else may balance it in favour of the other meeting.

Scripture owns districts, addressing assemblies in them, such as Galatia and Asia, but never to detract from the status of each assembly in them. Several assemblies are owned in each of the above districts, but Scripture recognises only one assembly in a city or municipality.

I gather that you reside in the district — not the one in which the town is — but you are in the suburbs of the town and that you have been breaking bread there; and perhaps your employment is in the town. These things being so, and your residence as near — or almost as near — the meeting in the town, I should say you should continue to attend the meeting there. In all probability means of access to the meeting in the town afford you more convenience than the means of access to the meeting in the district.

God looks to us to use the wisdom He has given us in determining such matters as you write about; if we do we recognise that the time required to reach a point has to be regarded as correlative with the distance; the time taken to reach a point determines the distance in view of the circumstances.

With love in Christ, I am,

Affectionately in Him,
James Taylor.