[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Elden1971

About the year 1860 Mr. Stuart's attention was called to the position taken by those Christians commonly called "Plymouth Brethren" (though they have consistently rejected any such title), represented in Reading by a large "gathering," amidst which ministered the late Wm. Henry Dorman, a former Congregational minister, whose connection with the "brethren" dated from about the year 1840. In the years 1845-1848 Mr. Dorman figured as a trusted ally of the late John Nelson Darby in the formation of what has since been denominated the "Exclusive" section of brethren, the continued unhappy effect of which his eldest son, Mr. W. H. Dorman, of Stafford, endeavoured to some extent to remedy. Mr. Stuart became convinced, under the late Mr. Dorman's influence, of the untenable character of his own churchmanship, and without more ado took his place, as the expression was, in the Reading fellowship, which for years was identified especially with his own name.

During the years 1864-1866, Mr. Stuart's fidelity to "J. N. D. ," like that of others, was tested by Mr. Dorman's uncompromising opposition to Mr. Darby' s teaching with reference to a class of sufferings of our Lord, discriminated as "non-atoning," as derived from His association with Israel. This doctrine "W.H.D." put on the same plane as that of B. W. Newton, which brought about the split in 1848. The close acquaintance, however, of C. E. Stuart with the usage of Hebrew words which came into play for any Biblical scholar having to consider such a question, aided him in determining the direction of his own sympathies in the matter. He did not follow the example of his Reading associate, who then seceded from the Darby fellowship.

In this segment, taken from Pickering's collection, shows only that Stuart was loyal to Darby until death. Though he was a dear brother (they all were!) Brethren culture by this time demanded unwavering loyalties to the established leader. Contrary voices of reason could never, and would never, be accepted lest the MOTA mystique which surrounded Darby be shattered.

A word of explanation here. The teachings in question refer to whether or not Jesus as a man, born of a virgin, a true Israelite, come under the law, during his 30+ years on earth passed through "non-atoning" sufferings or not. In other words, did Jesus suffer as a normal man in Israel would have? Was He disciplined as a child, did he ever get hurt on the job, did He ever fall and get a boo-boo, was He ever bullied, etc.? Newton, in a few messages shared that Jesus lived a "normal" life, not unlike His peers. Except for glimpses of brilliance in the Temple at age 12, Jesus never stood out in Nazareth as a boy wonder.

Darby publicly crushed the recently widowed Newton for this teaching, destroying his reputation among the Brethren, ridiculing him to open shame, summarized by his statement, "Newton's Savior needs a Savior."
Newton provided tracts to reject what he never said, but Darby was never interested in just the truth. Darby needed his rival removed from the scene.

Fast forward to the 1860's, many notable scholars among the Brethren (and there were many!) such as Dorman gathered together the teachings of both Darby and Newton on this very topic for comparison. They concluded that Darby took Newton's teachings as his own after he condemned Newton for them! Stuart, as noted above, stood with Darby by citing some obscure Hebrew words to differentiate the teachings of the two.

When I first read this sad 20 year Brethren story spanning the original attacks on Newton until the final departures of many brothers influenced by Dorman et. al. was during the time leading up to the quarantine of Titus Chu. I was literally in the midst of tract wars, and a war of words. The more I studied both sides' views, the more I realized rhetoric without substance, that we were simply repeating Brethren history, and that their split like our own had nothing to do with teachings and practices, rather both ugly scenes from history were simply power struggles. Ambitious men fighting to be first in line.

Once I realized this, it all made so much sense, and I decided it was about time to leave.