The Origins of the Brethren by Harold H Rowdon and published by Classics Publishing.
This book, The Origins of the Brethren, is an attempt to unravel the origins of this movement and to pinpoint the divergences which lay behind its division into two distinct branches.
In the prologue, Dr Rowdon sketches in some detail relevant aspects of the early 19th century background to the movement, showing that it did not originate in a vacuum. Part I describes in detail, with the aid of hitherto unused manuscript sources, the emergence of the Brethren in Dublin and Plymouth under the leadership of men whose spiritual aspirations remained unsatisfied by the established Church. Part II shows the part played by former Nonconformists. Included is the story of the almost unknown Robert Gribble, as well as that of the celebrated George Muller.
The book continues with accounts of the expansion of the movements in various parts of England (Part III) and the beginnings overseas (Part IV). The final part traces the divergences which led to the two wings which survive today. Although the narrative does not go beyond 1850, it lays bare the roots of the present situation.
