From the "Letters of J. N. Darby," (last edition) during the years 1840-1880*
*For the sake of brevity and clearness as to the General Principles, only extracts from some of the letters will be found in the following pages. For J. N. D.’s suggestions as to special cases, the "Letters" themselves should be referred to. The volumes can be obtained from Loizeaux Brothers, 19 West 21st Street, New York.*
Vol. I., p. 42-1840.
It is my joy and my privilege to find myself in the midst of brethren who know one another in Christ, and to rejoice in the blessedness of brotherly communion in all the weakness in which it may be found at present; but I could not recognize an assembly that does not receive all the children of God, because I know that Christ receives them.
I see the church in ruins:I follow my conscience according to the light that I have received from the word, but I desire to bear with the weakness or lack of light that I may find in other Christians, and do all that I can to unite those who love the Lord….
I would rather remain alone, and isolated, a position, I admit, not at all desirable, than to restrict the limits of the church of Christ to some brethren, even though they may be more correct in their thoughts than others, and to enfeeble the action of the Spirit of God in uniting the Lord's sheep scattered by our wretchedness and by our sins.
Vol. I., p. 451-1864.
The unity of Christ's body being the ground assumed, all Christians have, in principle, a title to be there, the Lord's name being maintained as to doctrine and discipline. If you insist on a certain standard of intelligence beyond Christ, before receiving them, you prove that you are not intelligent, and you abandon your own (namely, God's) principle.
Vol. II., pp. 13, 14-1869.
The assembly always received true Christians:three broke bread in this way the last Lord's Day I was in London. There cannot be too much care as to holiness and truth:the Spirit is the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of truth. But ignorance of ecclesiastical truth is not a ground of excommunication, where the conscience and the walk is undefiled….
Remember you are acting as representing the whole church of God, and if you depart from a right path as to the principle of meeting, separating yourselves from it is to be a local sect on your own principles. In all that concerns faithfulness, God is my witness I seek no looseness:but Satan is busy to lead us one side or the other, to destroy the largeness of the unity of the body, or to make it mere looseness in practice and doctrine; we must not fall into one in avoiding the other. Reception of all true saints is what gives its force to the exclusion of those walking loosely. If I exclude all who walk godly as well, who do not follow with us, it loses its force, for those who are godly are shut out too. There is no membership of brethren. Membership of an assembly is unknown to Scripture. It is members of Christ's body.
If people must be all of you, it is practically membership of your body. The Lord keep us from it; that is simply dissenting ground.
I should, if I came to–, require clear evidence what ground you are meeting on.
Vol. II., pp. 130, 131-1870.
There is no difference between breaking bread as a Christian and fellowship, though some may not always be there; because the only fellowship or membership is of the body of Christ, and if a person breaks bread and is thus recognized as a member of the body of Christ, he is subject to all the discipline of the house. I may not enforce constant attendance with us only, because he may come with the desire to show unity of spirit, and yet think that his ways are more orderly conscientiously. If his heart be pure .(2 Tim. 2:22) I have no reason to exclude him:but if anything in his path require he should be excluded, he is liable to it like anyone else. But I know no fellowship other than of membership of the body of Christ. Being met, the question is, has he done anything which involves disciplinary exclusion?
Only I believe Brethren alone walk in consistency with the fellowship of saints in the unity of the body; but I know no particular corporation as that body-not even Brethren-nay, these least of all. This would deny themselves. Though they have this, that they meet on the principles of that unity, but for that reason must own all its members, on the one hand, and maintain its discipline on the other.
Vol. II., p. 420-1875.
When persons break bread, they are in the only fellowship I know -owned members of the body of Christ. The moment you make another full fellowship, you make people members of your assembly, and the whole principle of meeting is falsified. The assembly has to be satisfied as to the persons, but as so receiving to break bread, is supposed to be satisfied on the testimony of the person introducing them, who is responsible to the assembly in this respect.
Vol. III., p. 543-1878.
I have never changed my views at all. The practice is more difficult because of the growing looseness in doctrines and practice of all around. But if an assembly refused a person known as a Christian and blameless because he was not of the assembly, I should not go. I own no membership but of Christ. An assembly composed as such of its members is at once a sect. But the person who brings another is responsible to the assembly.. .which is finally responsible, though it may trust the person who introduces another in the particular case.
Vol. III., p. 116-July 1st, 1880.
As regards division, I am as decided as possible.. .1 wrote that I would no more go with a party against evil than with the evil itself, and quoted Isaiah 8:12,13.
I knew before I left for France, but found it much more forward than I was aware of when I returned. I do not believe it is either faith or godliness. I am pretty well aware of the springs which have moved in it.
It would be still a question whether God was going to set aside the brethren:if He does, certainly I would not go with any party in it. I have long felt that this party that assumes to be the godly one is the one to be feared. They are tried with evil, I admit, but this is not faith… Suffice it to say, with no party action will I have anything to do save to reject it.
The above extracts of letters may be had in a 4-p. leaflet, 22 cent per doz., postpaid.