Plymouth Brethren
From Free Encyclopedia of Thelema
The Plymouth Brethren is a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s.[1][1] The title, "The Brethren," is one that many of their number are comfortable with, in that the Bible designates all believers as, "brethren." Christians meeting in so-called, "Brethren assemblies," are commonly perceived as being divided into two branches, the "Open Brethren" and the "Exclusive Brethren."[1]
The movement began in Ireland and England in the late 1820s and was made prominent by John Nelson Darby, Dr. Edward Cronin, John Bellett, and Francis Hutchinson, who felt that the established Church had become too involved with the secular state and abandoned many of the basic truths of Christianity. As the movement spread, a large group of adherents assembled in Plymouth by 1831 which is why Brethren are often called by that name.
In the late 1840s, a difference over the "independence" of local meetings resulted in the first division, causing a distinction to be made between the Open Brethren mainly referred to by the name Plymouth Brethren, and the Exclusive Brethren. Darby and his followers saw the split as the result of the growth of 'clericalism' and "grave error as to Christ's persona and sufferings".
Open Brethren remain loosely affiliated and over the years have come to resemble Protestant]] [[evangelical churches in doctrine, except that there are no officially recognized clergy and the Lord's Supper is celebrated weekly - both of which are common to open and exclusive groups alike.
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Services
Sunday services vary somewhat among different congregations, but a distinctive of the Plymouth Brethren is a separate communion service called the Lord’s Supper or Lord’s Table. Believers gather in silent prayer and reverence. From time to time different men of the congregation will say a prayer, expound on scripture, give a testimony, or call out the number of a hymn to be sung, as the Holy Spirit moves them. Hymns are sung a cappella. At some point, one of the men will move to the table and prepare the bread and wine. These are then passed among the congregation, who partake of them. The service usually concludes with a prayer.
Aleister Crowley and the Plymouth Brethren
Aleister Crowley's parents were members of the Plymouth Brethren, an extremely devout Christian sect. The Bible was Crowley's only reading material as a youngster, and like many young people he particularly enjoyed the "exciting bits" and in particular the stories in Revelation about the Beast 666. This and his mother referring to him as "The Beast" are led to his adoption of his now infamous nickname.
Notes
References
- Wikipedia (2008). Plymouth Brethren. Retrieved November 26, 2008.
