My Dear brother:-

My letter to Mr.- though private, concerns us all. There is a principle at work which puts external unity before righteousness-uses unity to hinder righteousness. Now to me righteousness goes first. I find that in Rom. 2::let grace be what it may in Sovereign goodness, it never sets aside righteousness. . . . The course of –, I was convinced, was wicked; I was so convinced from the beginning; and it was not a mere mistaken act, but a course pursued, and I could not own them. The question goes far deeper than local claims;-whether Christian profession, and so called unity (to which in its place I hold thoroughly as ever, as plain scriptural truth) is to go before righteousness-God's claim to fidelity to Him. … I do not think that any church-theory, however true and blessed when walking in the spirit, can go before practical righteousness.

Such is the substance of my letter as to principles-what I have gone on all along.

Affectionately yours in the Lord,

April 20th, 1881.Letters of J. N. D. Vol. in., page 184.