Plymouth Brethren, a name given by others to a body of Christians which since 1830 has extended itself throughout the British dominions and in some parts of the continent of Europe, parti- cularly among the Protestants of France, Switzerland, and Italy, and also in the United States of America. It originated in a reaction against exclusive High Church principles, as maintained in the Church of England, with everything of a kindred nature in other churches, and against a dead formalism associated with 'unevangelical' doctrine. Some of the first members of the new religious communities formed in Plymouth and elsewhere were retired Anglo-Indian officers, men of unquestionable zeal and piety; but these communities began to appear almost simultaneously in a number of places. Their origin is, however, very much to be ascribed to the labours and influence of John Nelson Darby (1800-82), from whom the Plymouth Brethren on the continent of Europe are very generally known as Darbyites. Darby was a barrister, who under deeply religious impressions became a clergyman of the Church of England, and served as a curate in Wicklow; but in 1827 he left the Church of England from conscientious scruples, and became an evangelist unconnected with any church. In this character he laboured both in England and on the continent of Europe, preaching in French, English, and German. It was in 1830 that he founded at Plymouth the congregation whence comes the name usually given to the communion; the Dublin assembly dates from the same year. He also gave utterance to his opinions in numerous pamphlets, in a quarterly periodical, and a long series of theological works. His tenets, and those of the Brethren in general, are strictly Calvinistic: original sin and predestination, the efficacy of Christ's sacrifice, the merit of His obedience, the power of His intercession, the gracious operations of the Holy Spirit in regeneration and sanctification are prominent points. Pre-Millennial views are generally entertained by the Brethren; and they usually practise the baptism of believers without regard to previous infant baptism. Recently among a section household baptism has been practised. They partake of the Lord's Supper every Sunday, or 'first day of the week.' They utterly reject the rite of confirmation. Their most distinctive peculiarity, when contrasted with other Calvinistic churches, is their complete rejection of ecclesiastical organisation. They suppose the whole Christian body in the world to have declined from truth and duty, like Israel of old, and therefore to have been 'corporately rejected of God,' and believe that the church consists of all true believers in the Lord Jesus to whatever denomination they may belong—holding uniformly that no unbeliever or unregenerate person ought to be recognised as in the church of God. They refuse to recognise any humanly devised form of church government, or any official or salaried ministry; they insist on the privilege and responsibility of every individual to minister according to his gift and ability, in order to the edification of the whole. Practically the number of those fitted publicly to teach or minister the Word of God is very limited, and those who are not fitted for such ministry are not encouraged and sometimes restrained.
They distinguish widely between pastors, teachers, and exhorters, whose ministry is to the church, and evangelists, whose ministry of the gospel is toward the world. Whilst disowning human qualifications and ordination as generally practised, and condemning wholly as unscriptural the distinction of 'clergy and laity,' they hold that it is right to own such evangelists, pastors, and teachers as Christ the Head of the Church has bestowed and the Holy Spirit has qualified. Such as devote themselves wholly to the work of the gospel are supported by voluntary and unsolicited contributions. In their assemblies there are frequent pauses, and liberty therefore for any member to lead in prayer or praise or to exhort or teach as he may judge to be for edification, guided by spiritually enlightened understanding of what is fitting and in harmony with what has gone before. Women are not allowed to take public part in the assembly. Persons proved to have been guilty of the sins mentioned in 1 Cor. v. 11 are excluded from the fellowship, as well as those who deny foundation truths of Christian doctrine, until evidence of repentance satisfactory to all is forthcoming. The Plymouth Brethren reject every distinctive appellation but that of Christians, although a special denomination is found necessary to designate them; no one not holding their views could remain associated with them. A schism took place among them in consequence of doctrines preached at Plymouth concerning the human nature of Christ; Darby vigorously opposing what he deemed a dangerous error, and he and his adherents utterly separating from the fellowship of those who maintained it, or refused to condemn it, and also from all who, even though personally clear of the error, refused to endorse the extreme form of separation demanded by Darby. The Darbyite section since Darby's death has been more than once divided about various questions of doctrine and discipline. The less exclusive principles have attracted many earnest Christians out of all denominations, and the meetings continue to multiply and increase in Great Britain and Ireland, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere. The increase is mainly the result of evangelistic work. In the United Kingdom there are about 800 meetings; in Canada, over 100; in the United States, about 100; in Germany, 200; in France, 150; in Switzerland, 80; and in Holland, some 40.
See the works of Darby, Kelly, C. H. Mackintosh, and J. G. Bellett; and books for or against the doctrines of the Brethren by Trotter (1856), Groves (1867), Reid (1875), Miller (1879), Teulon (1883).