2. Spreading Of The Brethren Assemblies
1. Start of Small Informal Gatherings
2. Benjamin Wills Newton
3. Newton and Darby Labor Together in Plymouth
4. George Mueller and Henry Craik

A. Start of Small Informal Gatherings

The Lord was stirring simultaneously within many believers

What the Lord gained in Dublin began to find expression elsewhere. One brother said, “The movement thus grew, for there were many of [the same] mind; and many elsewhere about that time, knowing apparently little of what was going on in Dublin, gathered on the same ground.” [17]

The Lord was stirring simultaneously within many believers, causing them to see the same matters and to discover the same truths in the Scriptures. Neatby comments on these early events:

Brethrenism was indeed formed out of a variety of little meetings of a more or less similar character, and these must be accepted as its ultimate elements; but Brethrenism, as we know it, is a synthesis, and the synthesis has a history; and I do not believe that its history can be truly told without locating its original force in Dublin.... [18]

What was in Dublin began to spread and many similar, small, informal gatherings took root.

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B. Benjamin Wills Newton

Benjamin Wills Newton is another important person in the history of the Brethren. Newton was born of Quaker parents. He studied at Oxford where he first met Darby. Newton lived in Plymouth, England. It was there that the first meeting of the Brethren was raised up in England. Eventually, its numbers increased to about a thousand. Lang records this concerning those meetings:

It was moreover quite a common thing to see the clerical dress at their largest meeting in London....In those days they were too Christlike, wise, and loving, not to say too gentlemanly, to speak sarcastically about a clergyman's dress, and not a few of that order joined the meetings and [eventually] divested themselves of the dress. [19]

Newton described the church life of those earliest years in Plymouth as days of heaven upon earth.

The following testimony of those wonderful days in Plymouth is given by an eyewitness:

I breathed what appeared to me the pure element of love; I was in the enjoyment of the liberty of home; I was enlightened by its teachings, cheered by its joys, comforted by its hallowed fellowship, strengthened by godly companionship, and encouraged by those who were over me in the Lord. Those were delightful times, so sweet for their simplicity. The fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) were in evidence. Whatever undercurrents were at work they threw nothing to the surface. But it was too fair a scene for Satan to contemplate, and he must by some means mar its beauties and desolate its loveliness. [20]

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Another recalls the church life in Plymouth in those early days:

Through the great mercy of our God, I was converted to Him in early youth in Plymouth, my native town, soon after which I was led to see the blessed truth of the personal coming again of our Lord from Heaven to take His church to Himself and personally reign over the millennial earth. And [I] was brought into fellowship with those, who I learnt, assembled upon principles taught in the Word of God, where no sectarian wall of division was acknowledged, and where there was the liberty of the Spirit of God, to minister the truths of Scripture by those who were gifted by Him for that purpose. At that time all was happiness and peace, unruffled by personal questions, undisturbed by jealousies or ambitions. The distinctions between rich and poor were lessened by holy, loving fellowship and unity which characterized their intercourse. Their social gatherings, where rich and poor were alike the welcomed guests, were for the study of the Word, and religious converse. The homes of the wealthy were plainly furnished, presenting an air of unworldliness and making them more homely for their poorer brethren and sisters. Their dress was plain, their habits simple, and their walk distinguished by separation from the world. The meetings of the assembly were calm, peaceful, hallowed; their singing soft, slow, and thoughtful; their worship evinced the nearness of their communion with the Lord their prayers were earnest for an increased knowledge of God, and for the spread of His truth. Their teaching showed their deep searching of the Scriptures under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whilst the exercise of the varied ministry, under the power of the Spirit, testified to the blessedness of the teaching of God's Word on each important subject. It was into this scene I was privileged to enter in the year 1843. At that time the church had grown to a large number. It began in a small house in King Street, Plymouth, and soon grew in numbers, and finally settled in Ebrington Street where there was accommodation of 1,000 in fellowship, and about 400 others. This was a large plain building, erected according to their own plans, without a gallery. The large table was placed in the center, as the most prominent object, around which were ranged the seats on a gentle rise from the floor, so that everyone could look upon it. There were no pews, but plain and comfortable benches. The acoustic properties of the spacious hall were, however, very deficient, so that those who spoke, unless possessed of very strong voices, were compelled to stand at the table, and even Mr. Darby on returning from the continent, had a desk placed upon it, that he might be the better heard. [21]

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A brother who participated in the church life in Plymouth describes the ministry of B. W. Newton:

Mr. Newton, who in King Street [the earlier location] could only at first speak with diffidence to a small number for a few minutes, could afterwards hold, for two hours at a time, the interested attention of a mixed audience of from 1,200 to 1,400 persons from the sects around. He was the principal teacher of the church. His leading subjects were prophetic, yet by no means confined to these, for he had a large grasp of Scripture, and seemed deeply acquainted with every part of that mighty volume of truth. He always dealt with high subjects, momentous to the mind, and sacred to the heart. His delivery was calm, orderly, lucid, captivating, such as became a great scholar, one deeply taught in the Word, and anxious to lead others on in the knowledge of that which he had himself learned from its close study. [22]

Ironside, in his book, A Historical Sketch of the Brethren Movement, says this about Newton:

Mr. Newton was a voluminous writer, as was Mr. Darby; but the works of the former are of a much more finished character than those of the latter, though there is a great depth of spirituality about the writings of Mr. Darby that few have attained to. His friends have described Mr. Newton as a polished, scholarly speaker, gentlemanly in his bearing, and most gracious in his demeanor. On the other hand, his opponents dwell on his irritation if crossed, and his unyielding and relentless pressing of his own views in opposition to those of other gifted brethren....The late venerable man of God, Mr. Henry Varley, well known as an evangelist and Bible teacher in Europe, America and Australia, said to me on one occasion: “If I were asked to name the godliest man I have ever known, I should unhesitatingly say, Benjamin Wills Newton.” He described him as tall and of patriarchal bearing, with the calm of heaven on his brow, and the law of kindness on his lips. His intimate associates loved him devotedly and listened with rapt attention to his expositions. [23]

C. Newton and Darby Labor Together in Plymouth

In the beginning Newton and Darby labored together in Plymouth, though Newton was primarily responsible for the meetings. Newton began the meetings in Plymouth and was the leading one for fifteen years. Darby frequently went to London to hold meetings and to have conferences dealing with prophetic matters. Many from the city as well as the surrounding areas were attracted to those meetings. G. V. Wigram particularly enjoyed coming to Darby's meetings. Wigram, a very wealthy person, eventually joined the Brethren and was responsible for publishing The Englishman's Greek Concordance and The Englishman's Hebrew Concordance, two useful tools for Bible study. Clergy from the area also were attracted to these meetings.

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D. George Mueller and Henry Craik

In the early 1800's, George Mueller and Henry Craik began meeting together in Bristol. Mueller was very much influenced by Groves, especially by his booklet Christian Devotedness, and eventually married Groves' sister. The more Mueller and Craik looked into the Word of God, the more they were impressed with certain principles. They saw clearly that God's work must be supported by His people, and that they should not take from the Gentiles, as III John 7 states. Consequently once a week, especially after the Lord's table meeting, they would take up an offering. They felt convinced from I Corinthians 16:2 that it is proper to lay in store on the first day of the week. They also saw, contrary to the teachings developing in the established church, that God's Word was fully, completely, and plenarily inspired. They saw that man has been ruined, that he is totally unable to save himself, and that he therefore needs a Savior. They also saw the importance of depending upon the Spirit for His leading in their individual daily life and in their corporate life. This principle was especially applied in their meetings. They believed that the ministry should not be in the hands of one individual ordained by the church. Rather, many men should take part in the ministry of the Word for the edification of all. They realized that when Christ ascended on high He gave not one but many gifts to the Church. They also were concerned about those who should be received into fellowship with them. “We ought to receive all whom Christ has received irrespective of the measure of grace or knowledge which they may have attained unto.”

—James Reetzke

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