Page:Neatby - A history of the Plymouth Brethren.djvu/103

Rh The second is to attempt to re-build; this is the sin of Dissenters, or at least of those amongst them who seek a “pure” communion. These alternatives are the Scylla and Charybdis of Christendom, and between them Darby offered to trace the “dim and perilous way”.

His new plan was bound in the nature of things to start as a modified Congregationalism, for Congregationalism is the only possible tertium quid; yet “independency” was regarded as a capital fault, and the federation of the new meetings must needs follow. On the whole it is not to be wondered at that Darby was freely reproached with inconsistency. In condemning every existing conception, he had in fact excluded all the possible alternatives. There was nothing essentially new for him to try. On the other hand, he would not use the real differentia of his system (that is, liberty of ministry in conjunction with the observance of the communion) as his watchword, because he was determined to base himself on nothing less than a true view of the Church. Indeed it is remarkable that, in giving practical directions as to what “the children of God have to do in the present circumstances of the Church,” he actually says nothing about liberty of ministry—so resolved is he that it shall not constitute his foundation. Under these circumstances it is not strange that he often took refuge in very vague generalities.

His followers were not likely to be fastidious about the amount of logical coherence in his scheme. Hoping much from a new effort after unity and simplicity made under such brilliant auspices and associated with so powerful a ministry,—and feeling above all things the immense fascination of the man who called upon them