The Church of Jesus Christ at London
To the Church of Jesus Christ sojourning at Dundee
Dearly beloved Brethren
Your affectionate & faithful letter to us dated the 31st ulto2 relating to what you justly termed a grievous error which has crept in amongst us, was read to us on Sabbath day last3, along with the scriptures on which your judgement on the subject had been founded; and we feel called upon after a careful examination of those Scriptures, & as we hope a sober examination of ourselves how we have been holding them, cordially to acknowledge that we have indeed been grievously in error in supposing that there were any Scriptures in the Old or New Testament which in any way countenanced the light manner in which we have held the Commandment to all believers in Jesus Christ, to abstain from blood & from things strangled4, with the evident reference that commandment has to the blood of the one great atonement, without the shedding of which there could have been no remission of sins.
The toleration which many have allowed themselves in eating what is called game, which they thought had been shot & afterwards purified or freed from the blood, must have originated & been continued by a want of the divine fear, or as you say a trembling at the Word of God, and an ignorance of that Word by which we must be judged at the last days; for we now quite agree with you in considering those Scriptures which were thought to sanction this toleration, viz the Romans 14 ch.1 to 4 verses5 & 1 Timothy 4 ch 46 verse do not at all apply to the prohibition to eat of blood or things strangled, which commandment remains of the same force & application to all believers as it ever did. What can we then say or do under this conviction of the want of the Divine Fear, and ignorance of the Divine word of him who said, if you love me keep my commandments7 but cast ourselves entirely upon his mercy and say with the leper of Old unclean, unclean8, if the Lord thou wilt thou canst make us clean, and abundantly pardon us; for the blood of Jesus Christ (which we have great reason to fear we have counted as a Common thing) is still able to cleanse us from all sin.
Hoping dear Brethren you will forgive the trouble we have occasioned you for his sake by whose Obedience alone many are made righteous, and who can have compassion on the ignorant and those out of the way, and lead the blind by a way that they have not known - This letter has been read & approved of by the church who heartily concur in, expressing their love & thankfulness to you for your faithfulness & goodly jealously on their behalf and it is signed in their name this 7th day of November 1854 by the Elders Deacons & Brethren subjoined
Thomas Boosey
Stephen Leighton
Benjm Vincent
George Whitelaw
John Leighton Deacon
Thomas Barker
Alexander Macomie
Edward Reid
William Vincent
M. Faraday
D.W. Martin
Robt Sims9