Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
Concerning the "heresy" of Newton at Plymouth being justified, I have to disagree. Newton's writings, taken as they are, are well within the boundaries of orthodoxy. It was Darby's misreading, adding in excessive doses of his own dramatic hyperbole, which incited unnecessary alarm within the Plymouth saints.
Elden1971, are you aware of the following events?
During Darby's lengthy stay in Plymouth, due to the sheer weight of his own character, slowly many of the leading brothers in that church were turned against Newton in favor of Darby, Wigram and the exclusives. Nearly two decades later, by 1866, some of these learned men of God, primarily William H. Dorman, began to study in-depth the teachings of Darby concerning the humanity of Jesus our Savior under the "federal headship of Adam." Their exhaustive study of Darby's teachings convinced them that his teaching in substance was identical to Newton's in Plymouth back in the 1840's.
With W.H. Dorman, were other renowned Brethren formerly of Plymouth, namely Captain Percy Hall, Joseph Stancomb, and Thomas Newberry (The Englishman's Bible.) Since Darby and his supporters on Park Ave. in London refused to entertain the notion, nor even consider their research, these brothers could no longer bear the hypocrisy, and parted ways with Darby.
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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.