THINGS IN THE ANGLO-BETHANIAN JERUSALEM.

Dear Brother:

            I am glad I can address you as such, in hope of a reunion in the general assembly of the saints, if not before. I cannot feel sufficiently thankful to you for your honest endeavours to enlighten us in the truly glorious things of the Spirit of God. I can say in sincerity with your other correspondent from this country, ‘you hold a place in our hearts none else can ever occupy.’ Thankful am I you ever came to England to proclaim ‘the Gospel of the Kingdom.’ It has not, nor will it be in vain. I delight to meditate on the glorious things spoken of Zion in the word, and to give myself wholly to them.

            Many have read Elpis Israel, but by not studying it with the scripture references, and watching passing events, they often mistake your meaning. I am satisfied, however, it is the right exposition of the prophetic word in relation to the nations of the Latter Days. The Heralds are most interesting indeed. We devour them here with great avidity, and generally at one meal. Permit me to thank you for the ‘Synopsis of the Kingdom,’ and your replies to queries respecting the ‘Restoration of Sacrifices,’ &c., in the previous volume. ‘Study the word,’ was your parting advice to me on leaving England. Yes, dear sir, the word is worth studying. I have found it so. The king, rulers, subjects, territory, throne, and service of the kingdom, are topics of the deepest interest; and the testimony of God abounds concerning them.

            I hope the liberality of the friends of truth and independence will enable you to carry on the war through the Herald. It is, as you say, pastime to hew Agag in pieces; and it ought to be done. It is an honour to bear the burden and heat of the battle; but it is an honour which the soldiers of the faith should be careful to see shared by them all, and not monopolised by one. If they be poor in houses and lands, they must be rich in faith, bearing fruit unto eternal life. But there are scarcely any of them so poor, but they can contribute something to sustain the advocacy of that truth through which alone they can inherit the kingdom of God. It is a good work, and affords them an opportunity of proving, in helping to sustain it, what they would do if the Lord himself were present and in need of their support as in the days of old.

            Since you left here we have had some changes, as you know. The word, I think, has purged out nearly all the old leaven, and made us a new lump. Some have been made partakers of God’s promise in Christ by the gospel. We number from twenty to thirty; and meet every Lord’s day to read, and to endeavour to understand, and explain the scriptures. It has been proved to a great extent among us, that the truth can only dwell with those of an honest and good heart.

            Madame Bethany’s daughter in this place has some trouble. A division has taken place at Barker Gate. About thirty off the members refused to submit to Mr. Wallis’ tyranny. Some time since, a coloured evangelist came over from America (Wonder if his name was Geary?) with anti-slavery ideas. He found an opponent in James Wallis, which resulted in a division; the split-offs declaring they would not fellowship slave owners. So much for peace and union in “this reformation.”

            I perceive you have noticed Alexander the Great’s attack upon you. Really he is scarcely worth noticing. It is sickening to read his libels, they are so mean and contemptible. He does not attack Elpis Israel in a fair and legitimate way, because he feels he cannot. There are some writers who copy after him in the British Millennial Harbinger. The editor of the periodical has got the titbit about David’s throne and the ‘big head’ in his pages, as a matter of course. Any slander against Dr. Thomas, or the Hope of Israel, is most acceptable to this gentleman. Like his patron in America, he can denounce us as materialists, teaching soul-withering speculations; but, sir, he cannot reason. He declares that the Hope of Israel is all a humbug. He was very hot when he said this. But ‘let God be true, and every man a liar,’ says the apostle; and his sons and daughters may yet live to say, ‘Surely our fathers inherited lies.’ Mr. W. can find abundance of room for all sorts of vain speculation on Demonology, the Devil a fallen angel, Coronation of Christ in heaven, and so-forth; but for any soberminded exposition off the divine testimony, he has no place. These are subjects on which Mr. Campbell’s imagination runs riot. Had he not better write a few essays on the sayings as well as the acts of the Apostles. The Bethanists might then learn something beneficial. Philip preached the things of the kingdom; let Alexander tell his disciples what these are.

            But I must conclude in offering you my best wishes; and in expressing the hope, that it may be our happiness to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of God.

WILLIAM OWEN.

Nottingham, England, May 1852.

            I am quite in the dark in regard to the onslaughts in the British Millennial Harbinger upon Elpis Israel and myself. I have not seen a number of the periodical since I left England. It is characteristic of the Knights of the Wooden Sword, that they flourish their weapon most stoutly when they imagine the enemy is out of sight! This is signally the case with the Knight-Commander, and Knight-Lieutenant of the Order. We like a little relaxation occasionally from more serious work; so that if we could only catch a glimpse of them now and then, when they were most valiantly hacking and hewing, and thrusting, the air; or doing the wonderful against windmills and flocks of sheep—we might just step in and, by way of recreation, run them off the field. Our knightly braves are desperate cowards when they see double-edged steel glancing in heaven’s light. They have no armour that will stand it. Cloud-caps are their head gear; filthy rags their breasting; a flimsy gauze-stretching their shield; and a worm-eaten sap-stick their weapon for a fight! Surely poor fellows were never in worse plight for combat with the truth. They know it, and feel keenly what they know. Hence they take care never to let us see what they say or do. Some of our friends, however, might just send us word when they are in plukken by transmitting their manifests; and we would do them the honour of a cut up for the simples, by way of illustrating the impregnability of our position, and the foolhardiness of those who after them would venture an attack.

EDITOR.