Updated comment on The Exclusive Brethren web site in July 2010

            I would say to start with that the fact that I restrain my language and don’t rant that this does not mean that I am not angry with the Exclusive Brethren. In fact, I doubt that there is anyone on the face of this planet who is more angry than I am. However, I believe that there is one person more angry than I am and that is the Lord Himself. Consider a report of the death of Jim Taylor on the Peebs.net web site. The report would hardly have been made up by a close relative. Such an one would be expected to put the best view that could be put on the death. The report reminds one of what happened when the apostle John saw Christ in judicial garb (Revelation 1:12-17).

            Why am I angry ? Many are angry because the Exclusives have cut them off and broken up their families and so am I. However, I am not only angry because of that, but because they have wrecked the testimony to assembly truth which was the reason for their existence. To some they have become a laughing stock for their forays into politics.- advising people to vote in a way that will get the party they want into power, but not voting themselves ! Further, they are not honest, for they call their halls Gospel Halls when outsiders are not encouraged to go and hear a gospel message in them. It looks as if they are trying to discourage people to go to halls that put Gospel Hall on their notice boards (so-called Open Brethren) and which encourage people to go into them to hear the gospel. Further, calling their halls ‘public’ when no one can get into them without first enquiring about the times of meetings is not honest. My house is not a public meeting hall as people can only legally enter with my approval.

            As a result of the antics of the Exclusives those formerly in fellowship with them have linked on with all sorts of churches, or none. Some seek to carry on as heretofore in small groups. However, those that now go to the so-called mainstream churches are effectively no further forward than the Reformation. They have justification by faith, but not much more. However, the Exclusives have gone back further and have a form of Romanism - a man (Pope) at the head and a kind of separation akin to monasticism without walls. For all practical purposes they imply that salvation is to be found in their church. Nothing else is recognised. Like Rome they have a successional leadership.

            However, I would suggest that the readers of this article have a look at the following articles on my other web site: www.gsimmonds.com.

Atmosphere

Spiritual Food

Influence

The Many and the Few

The Straight Way

I would point out there has been much ministry on the subject of ‘Atmosphere’ and ‘Influence’ if one cares to read it. Do not bury ones head in the sand because one may be afraid that evidence will show that one is going on with what is wrong. Be warned: “The way of the wicked doth he subvert” (Psalm 146:9). The note to subvert says: “Properly ‘make tortuous’.” Is our way all twists and turns ? If it is, we may well wonder if there is not something wrong with our course. (I only read the passage quoted this morning !)

            Note here that Mr Darby commenting on Romans 2:6-10 says: “It is one of the distinctive marks between heresy and any advance in true divine knowledge, that the latter always holds the moral foundation fast, the difference of right and wrong immovable and fixed, as it is in the divine nature and revealed in the word; the heretic slights or loses sight of it.” (Collected Writings Vol. 10 page 2)

            Before finishing one would draw my reader’s attention to a number of quotes from ministry given in days long gone. I do not attach the ideas of ‘infallible’ or ‘authoritative’ to such ministry, but I do regard it as largely profitable and more in accord with Scripture than much that is put out in Churches today. If one disagrees as to some things one has to allow that it may be ones own views that are wrong.

Making too much of a man (or men)

“The difficulty with the young is, that they see men as trees walking.” (See Mark 8:24)

“The feast of unleavened bread... is really the overthrow of Og, which is one of the greatest achievements in the history of God’s people; that is, it is the bringing down that big, inflated man.”

“It is in those who have relinquished all idea of importance after the flesh that the work of God is carried on. I believe the Lord would bring about reduction.”

“Jesse was brought round to the spiritual... it comes out in our meetings... where Christ becomes increasingly prominent amongst the saints” (Not some so-called great spiritual man).

“It is a very great encouragement in any locality where the Lord’s people are, to see Christ acquiring a greater place with them.”

“They are dangerous men, those tall men... (Philistines) We should see things in their right proportions. Do not esteem a brother too highly. Esteem him according to his measure... A Christian with eyes like this man is apt to become partisan.” (See Mark 8:24)

“Is there anyone who wants to be in the place of leadership ? Think of Gideon ! He was true to his day. His son Abimelech, also, came forward to rule, and slew his brethren to this end.” (Put them out of fellowship, so to speak - see 3 John 8-12)

“One who has a peace-offering... is not a scatterer, he is a gatherer of the people.”

“The point... is, that you do not claim to be a special servant or vessel... It is a model for all who would serve Christ to-day.” ( John 1:19-28)

“True ministry directs the saints to Christ and not to the minister... Ministry to the heart moves the saints. They heard John speak and followed Jesus.”

 “The ‘babe’ state among Christians is generally marked by undue recognition of gift or signal ability in others, which tends to partisanship.”

“Scarcely anything is more hateful to a spiritual man than that he should be regarded as the leader of a party.”

“For a brother to accept the fealty of others in any sense, or to aim at being a recognised leader, is a serious matter; it can only serve the enemy’s designs. It makes for division among the saints.”

“Generally,... a man is more likely to suffer from over appreciation than from under appreciation.”

“What we are warned against here is precisely the thing which has brought in the outward ruin, that is, the prominence given to the individual.” (1 Corinthians 14)

“The Lord has helped in these days in raising up ‘helps’ through the whole assembly instead of one in a given centre.”

“No one would seek to occupy Christians with themselves.”

“The enemy is always trying to substitute man’s influence for Christ’s, so that now the test is, “he that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me”. “

“Our safety lies in not having a place,. If you seek to be anything different from your brethren, you become a persecutor.” (Consider Diotrephes in John 3)

Making too much of Brethren so-called 

“Whilst we cannot look for the collective idea now, it is our privilege to have it as light.”

“Capernaum had been lifted up; it had become inflated in its privilege... It is as we remain little and weak outwardly that we become enlarged.”

“We should make it clear that while we do not pretend to be the assembly of God, we must maintain the order and holiness which marks it.” 

“It is hardly in keeping with our circumstances to assume the power to deliver to Satan now, although this passage remains as light. It is better to be humble and recognise that there are many true Christians who are not walking in fellowship fully, and yet you cannot assume that they are wicked persons.”

“We are regarded as children of wisdom, and so able to act wisely. We do not act pretentiously; a few such as we are now cannot assume to act as the assembly did before the breakdown occurred.” 

“We come together in the light of the assembly, but if we are intelligent we do not assume to be a company based on the model of the assembly. You hold all the saints in your affections... It keeps you in the truth of the house, otherwise you are on sectarian lines.”

“There is no Christian immune from obligations and let us be on our guard against assuming to be a body of believers, to be a family apart from all the children of God, it is false and not according to the mind of God.”

 “Christianity as representative of God here is to be marked by outward littleness, by contentment in obscurity, and by a readiness to be or do anything that would tend to promote the interests of the Lord and His people.”

“God never had anything less before Him than the twelve tribes, nor did ever any man of faith have anything less before him. Nor will any man to-day who has the Spirit and walks in the Spirit, think of anything less than all the saints of God.”

“All ministry...is to... bring down all natural pretensions.”

Outreach

“The house of God ought to be evangelical”

“How important it is that whilst we maintain separation, we hold a right spirit, we maintain the spirit suitable to the dispensation. One feels Satan is endeavouring, inasmuch as the character of the dispensation has been revived, to nullify it in us.”

“Now is the time for the deliverance of the Lots that are in the world. That is really what I believe should exercise the saints, the many true believers that are in Sodom.”

“The ministry, or testimony, of any brother is not only for those with whom he may be immediately connected, but towards all, the bearing of service is towards all.”

“The trend amongst the saints is to narrowness of affection, whereas the Spirit of God would keep before us the whole number of the saints.”

“It is well to recognise that all Christians in the different denominations are not to be regarded as unclean or dishonourable, and ‘the Lord knoweth them that are his’.”

“If we are in the light of Zion and the purposes of God, and in any little measure we have anything spiritually, we think of all the saints, and we regard them as before God, not that we assume to be right.”

“If there is any food going it is for the whole assembly.”

“I am somewhat afraid, dear brethren, that we are forgetting the gospel. I believe it is the divine thought that an evangelistic spirit should be found with the people of God at the end.”

“One is exercised in regard to all saints, and in regard to all men. We are apt to be too local. The sense of local responsibility has been revived among us, but it may be worked out to the detriment of the universal principle.”

“Your one aim is the furtherance of the Lord’s interests in this world. His testimony is to be constantly before you.”

“At the present time we should not exclude from our thoughts anyone that belongs to Christ... We may be in danger of a sort of super-spirituality, arrogating to ourselves what really belongs to all.”

“If you write it is not only for the few you know, it is for all. Anything that the Lord gives, He gives for the whole assembly.”

Other

“To condemn him, without convicting him is sin” (Beware of withdrawing from people without convicting them first).

“If we were to make the standard a test of fellowship, there would hardly be anyone in fellowship... It calls for patience. You must go on with people so long as they are not apostate!”

“There has been no advance on the apostles, they conquered the territory, we do not conquer it, we have to ‘stand’”

“Ephesians... is our charter, if we could only lay hold of it.”

 “It is always a good sign if a man is marked by reverence.”

“It is not now a question of being in fellowship. To-day the question is that of having life.”

“I can conceive of nothing that is a greater witness to what God is morally than a righteous life in this world, the acknowledgement of the will of God and the rights of others, and a gracious, giving spirit in the people of God.”

“They... are the lineal descendants of men who have had light from God, but who are wanting in heart. They are orthodox.” (Sons of the prophets)

“The assembly normally, for instance. The presence of an unconverted person would not defile the whole company.”

“Outward religious observances are valueless when the inward state is wrong.”

“You do not look for haste, for things to be done in a hurry amongst us.”

“It is not the increase of numbers, mark you ! It is increase of God.” (Colossians 2:19)

“Are you connected with a religious organisation which is set up of men ? Where is its centre? Where is it administered ? Test your religious connections with this passage.” (Hebrews 8:2)

“We have to be on our guard if we influence anybody.”

“It is but consistent to withdraw from iniquity if I am calling on the name of the Lord, but I may be apart from outward lawlessness as professedly calling on the Lord and yet not have a pure heart.”

“Thank God for the few or for the many: the larger the number the better, provided they are genuinely the people of God.”

“It is a serious consideration as to the conditions in which we find ourselves. Am I attributing the ruin and the failure of the assembly to other people, or am I as a true priest of God, eating the sin-offering, owning my share and part in the ruin ?”

“We are out of the world morally, yet in it publicly in testimony.”

“The more a man has in this world, the more conspicuous he is, the greater the area on which Satan can act.”

“The enemy would attack any of us by offering us, if we have the ability for it, a position religiously. We must avoid that.”

"The family is a divine institution... Satan would disrupt families; he hates every divine institution, whereas Christianity is intended to preserve such intact."

            The foregoing extracts have been taken from four consecutive volumes of ministry. If anyone wishes to know which, please E-mail myself and I will supply volume and page numbers. Of the 97 pages with relevant quotes located in the said volumes only 61 pages were actually used above. The significance of the quotes will not, I think, be lost on anyone who has not been blinded. Words in italics above were also in italics in the volumes quoted from.                                                                      

            I would say that what has happened amongst Exclusives in the last century and is continuing, convinces me, if nothing else, of the existence of the spiritual power of wickedness in the heavenlies, of which Paul speaks in Ephesians 5:10 et seq.

July 2010