Quote:
Originally Posted by Elden1971
Nee and Lee got the majority of their teachings from the "exclusives" and except for the ground of locality and a few minor points I largely agree with the exclusives.
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It's doubtful that Nee came up with the ground of locality on his own.
If you ever read about the heart-breaking, shameful excommunication of old Dr. Cronin while Darby was on his deathbed, and you will understand the operation of "one city, one table, one assembly" under the administration of the zealous Exclusives. Then Darby, the great defender of the faith, sheepishly agreed with the expulsion of Cronin, with a "must be God's will" sort of statement. Cronin, by the way, was meeting with the Brethren before Darby came even along.
This Darby death-bed division showed how the operation of "one city, one table, one assembly" took on a life of its own that not even Darby could control. After Dr. Cronin, the next one to be taken to the gallows was Wm. Kelly himself. The exclusive leader to emerge from the ashes of war was JB Stoney himself, and with Kelly effectively expelled, his leadership was secure.
It became more than evident, with an aging Darby no longer able to maintain command over his followers, that the London band of
early-Blendeds were able to use many of Darby's own extra-biblical teachings to eliminate one-by-one any potential rival, whether it be the kindest, most-loving elderly Doctor Cronin or the brilliant William Kelly, Darby's greatest follower. Thus Darby died knowing that his closest ally Kelly was now his enemy due to the same exclusive principles established in full when Darby expelled Newton, Muller, and the rest of the "Open" brothers.
This is how exclusive systems were able to use the teaching of "
one city, one table, one assembly." And that is why I have often said that
distorted oneness is perhaps the most pernicious of Christian vices.