As soon as Messrs. T. and J. Gardenner returned from inquiring into the affair at Kingham, and had reported the testimony of the boys and others to the people at Banbury, it was concluded to write to Church at Birmingham, and inform him of the result of their inquiries, and to let him know they disowned him as their Minister, desiring him at the same time not to return to Banbury on any account. The letter he sent in answer to theirs was made up of concessions and apologies, self-criminations and excuses, half confessions, evasive retractions of those confessions, and evidently showed his mind while writing it to be much agitated. Some of his own words are: “I have done foolishly—I have acted most imprudently; O! how I have wounded the dear cause of God at Banbury:—O! it breaks my very heart to think how I have given the enemies of the blessed Gospel cause to blaspheme on my account:—O! how I have abused the kindness of the best of friends:—O! if it be possible, don’t let the cause be known of my being absent from Banbury: you may say I am gone on a journey, and you will speak the truth; but, oh! my dear friends, I must return to you again; I cannot think of parting with you; do say that I may return; I must, indeed I must, or I shall die with grief.” Elsewhere he says, “the boys tell a _simple plain story_, and you do _right to believe them_ in what they say; and I own that I have been too imprudent, _but I am not conscious of having done the actual crime_; if any thing of that nature has been of which they speak, it must have been without my knowledge, when I was asleep, and supposing I was in my own bed with my wife; but I know of no criminal intention or act, except in this way.” The letter runs all in this strain, with frequent petitions to be permitted to return, and almost insisting on that being granted. To this he had an answer sent from the principals of the congregation, in which, after treating the subject in a suitable manner, they tell him:—“You must not by any means or on any account whatever think of returning to Banbury, for we assure you that such is the abhorrence in which the crime you are accused of, is held by the people in Banbury, that were you to presume to come, neither your person nor the Meeting would be in safety.”