First published in 1901, Neatby's "A History of the Plymouth Brethren" was written from the perspective of one who was not sympathetic to Darby or the Brethren movement, and should be read as such.
Certainly, it can be assumed to portray the events described with a negative bias, just as the supporters of Darby—Ware, Gardiner, Burton, etc.—can be assumed to have written with a positive bias, emphasizing the points that tended to strengthen their position, and minimizing those that that tended to detract from it.
We have to assume that all of these writers were honorable men, and would not deliberately make points that were blatantly untrue, although that does seem to be the charge on certain points:
W. Kelly said in one of his annotations to W. B. Neatby's book, "This is, like the book, shallow and short of the truth."... W. B. Neatby, the hostile critic of JND, and calumniator of his character, was wrong. Having done everything short of using the word "liar" to describe JND, he has produced, not a true history, but a polemic against JND. In effect, W. B. Neatby has called JND an untruthful man.
R. A. Heubner, Precious Truths Revived and Defended Through J. N. Darby, Vol. 1, p. 47.
It is axiomatic that, in matters of controversy, neither side can be expected to volunteer the whole truth, so, in order to keep everyone honest, it is essential that all sides be heard. Let the others judge for themselves what is true (1 Cor. 14:29).
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