Brethren hymnody, British

The early Brethren emphasized the unity of believers: ‘one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren’ (Matthew: 23:8). While not all Brethren have practised this truth, it remains a basic principle. They began in about 1825 in Dublin, whence they spread to Plymouth, and established the first assembly. When members went out preaching, people called them ‘brethren from Plymouth’. Brethren believe in the two views of the church that they find in scripture, namely the universal church - the body of all believers - and the local church - the gathering of believers in a particular place, and often in Brethren circles referred to as an Assembly. They have no ordained ministers but...