had been somewhat early connected with the Brethren, among whom he enjoyed a high reputation for scholarship. But the disaffection soon spread to Darby’s personal adherents, and ultimately led in 1866 to a secession of considerable importance.
By a most extraordinary tour de force, Darby found himself arraigned on the charge of teaching the Newtonian heresy.[1] Naturally he fumed at it, but it is clear at the first glance that no grand jury could have refused to find a true bill. Darby had laid the weight of his indictment of Newton on the fact that Newton had placed Christ (as the expression went) under wrath from God not vicariously endured. That Darby had done the very same thing was now the assertion not only of clever men like Mr. Ryan, who might be considered unfriendly critics, but also of several of Darby’s most devoted adherents. Darby was naturally angry, and publicly declared that people who instituted a comparison between his system and Newton’s were either fools or knaves.
Unfortunately, this summary verdict is not borne out by an examination of the names of Darby’s opponents. Though it was long before they could prevail on themselves to move in the matter, the men who ultimately bore the brunt of the conflict were Percy Francis Hall and William Henry Dorman.
Hall had been for many years a lukewarm supporter of Brethrenism. But for Darby’s tracts, however, he would have “gone on” with his party “in sadness indeed, and with the oppressive conviction that” his “great theory of subjection to the Holy Spirit, as dwelling in
- ↑ In this chapter I do not reopen the question of what Mr. Newton had taught, but simply speak of him from the point of view that the disputants of 1865-6 occupied towards him.
