Faraday to William Buchanan   3 November 1850¹

R Institution | Sabbath Evening

Most dear & beloved friend

I am in deep distress and I write to you for my heart is full, not with any presumptuous hope, but that my tears may overflow for I know that you love me both in body & spirit and I may perhaps never write to you - more, bear with my anguish & do not refuse to sympathise a little with me by receiving this patiently though I be utterly unworthy[.] I may well fear that a deceived heart hath turned me aside² for where my only comfort ought to be there is my sore grief & trouble[.] I have read your words to my dear wife³ to whom I am a snare, I hope the father of mercies will have her in his keeping, through Christ Jesus our Lord. My great distress is, that the Apostle after say that we have the Spirit of Christ, then tells them, to⁴ deliver such an one to satan for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may be Saved in the day of the Lord Jesus⁵ doing this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when gathered together with his spirit by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and then says, sufficient to such a man is this punishment inflicted of many so that contrawise ye ought rather to forgive him & comfort him lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow and beseeches them to confirm their love toward him &c, least Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices⁶. Then my mind lingers here that the command or rather instruction to separate & to restore may be alike general; that as there is no case of a second restoration so there is not of a second separation, yet the church is surely right in separating whenever the signs which our Lord or the Apostles point out occur and therefore my mind is not fully persuaded from the scriptures that we should limit the continuation of the instruction i.e. the restoration. But well may I fear for myself and hear the precept lean not unto thine own understanding⁷. The Church is the body of Christ the pillar & ground of the truth⁸ and the Lord tells the brethren in Matt XVIII to hear the Church⁹[.] I have been refusing to hear & have in my heart & to the Elders been lightly esteeming the Church his body speaking of it in all presumption & pride & casting the fear of it away as if God was not in the midst of her & he who walketh amidst the Seven Golden candlesticks¹⁰. I fear to say what my thought[s] are least I be, as men, in deceit but I hope I could with free love to the brethren subject my thoughts to its voice as the voice of him who speaks by his body. Dear friend forgive me. Your love has drawn me out and I am very thankful for the tender words in your letter which has given me this courage. May the father of mercies put it into my heart next Wednesday¹¹ to speak according to his mercies which are in Christ Jesus without limitation, he can make reprobates willing in the day of his power[.]

Your afflicted | M. Faraday