John Nelson Darby

John Nelson Darby

INDEX OF PAPERS

THE THREAT TO MASONRY

MARGARET MACDONALD

DISPENSATIONALISM

FUNDAMENTALISM

John Nelson Darby on Freemasonry

There is no available record of John Nelson Darby (November 18, 1800 - April 29, 1882) having any masonic association, nor is there any reason to suggest that he may have been a freemason. It is curious though, since many of the attacks on Freemasonry come from Dispensational Fundamentalists, that one of their leaders would use Freemasonry to illustrate his teachings.

Supposing we were a body of Freemasons, and a person were excluded from one lodge by the rules of the order, and instead of looking to the lodge to review the case, if it was thought to be unjust, each other lodge were to receive him or not on their own independent authority, it is clear the unity of the Freemason system is gone. Each lodge is an independent body acting for itself. It is in vain to allege a wrong done, and the lodge not being infallible; the competent authority of lodges, and the unity of the whole, is at an end. The system is dissolved. There may be provision for such difficulties. All right if it be needed. But the proposed remedy is the mere pretension of the superiority of the recusant lodge, and a dissolution of Freemasonry.

"On Ecclesiastical Independency", The Collected Writings of J. N. Darby, John Nelson Darby. Edited by William Kelly. London : G. Morrish, [1867-1900?] 34 vol. ; 8o. vol. 14. p. 305.

It is not of man. Christ is divine "wisdom" for us: God has made foolish the wisdom of this world, but "we speak wisdom among them that are perfect." He has "abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will." (See Eph. 1: 8-10.) The divine revelation of all God’s thoughts and intentions is in Christ; "the wisdom of God in a mystery," which word means what only the initiated understand: as in Freemasonry, I do not know anything about it because I am not initiated.

"Deliverance from the Law of Sin", Collected Writings. vol 32. p. 339.

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