The prayer over, Mr. Broad rose and said that he was there that night
to discharge a most painful duty--one which, if he had taken counsel
with flesh and blood, he would most gladly have avoided. But he was
a humble servant of their common Lord and Master. It behoved him to
cease not to warn every one night and day; to remember that the Holy
Ghost had made him an overseer to feed the church of God which He had
purchased with His precious blood. He had done nothing in this
matter without constant recurrence to the footstool of grace, and he
had also consulted with some of his dear brethren in Christ whom he
saw near him. They would have observed that Brother Allen and his
family had for some time absented themselves from the means of grace.
He should have said nothing upon this point if they had joined any
other Christian community. If even they had attended the Established
Church, he would have been silent, for he was free to confess that in
other religious bodies besides their own God had faithful servants
who held fast to the fundamental doctrines of His book. But it was
notorious, alas! that his dear brother had gone NOWHERE! In the face
of the apostolic command not to forsake the assembling of themselves
together, what could they do but suspect that his dear brother's
belief had been undermined--sapped, he would say? But to that point
he would return presently.
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