Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry
Lee coming a century later had opportunity to learn from Darby's mistakes with Mueller & Newton. Nothing was learned since history was clearly repeated.
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I suppose we need to ask whether these were actually "mistakes."
In the mid 1840's, there were clearly several of the Brethren whose maturity and fruitfulness became most evident. Darby, of course. The scholarly B.W. Newton was the primary minister in Plymouth, by far the largest Brethren assembly, and the reason the entire movement became known as the "Plymouth Brethren." George Mueller, one of the elders in Bristol, and founder of the orphanages. A. N. Groves who was perhaps the original of the Brethren, but who soon left England for mission work in Iraq and India. Robert Chapman in Barnstable, later called the "apostle of love."
Darby considered Newton his chief rival for movement leadership. After Newton was tragically widowed, Darby spent a couple years destroying his work, his church in Plymouth, and his reputation. Muller later crossed Darby by refusing to be subjected to his demands. The Brethren became forever divided, but Darby emerged the undisputed leader.
Perhaps it was not a "mistake," but the plan all along.