Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-01-25
The New Departure OF Rev. Geo. II
Hepw0rth.

Services commenced at 10 l-2 o'clock
Rev. Mr.. llepworth selected his tex
from Matthew, tenth chapter, thirty
second verse: whatsoever shall con
less me before men, him will | confes.
also before nv Father who is in heay
en-. lie observed that this was a tex,
lnll of vital import. which demanded
the attention of all thinking men. FoI
his own part, during the past six
months, his faith had been growing
more definite and his belief in the
scriptures, as a final authority. was
/ growing more explicit. Not that he
had turned about and faced the other
way, but to-day he stood to his past
/ lite IN the relation of fruit To blossom.
Ills brethren In the denomination hal
known OF thc change, and hal been for
q long time aware of its progress. No
man entertained n larger admiration or
more enthusiastic respect for those
VINO nave stool as representative men
Of the | nitarlan Church IN the past
than he did, but he was bound To
critIcisc their teachings. anil, aS aTni-
tarlan from birth, he was justified in
doing 50. lie had watched the ucnomi-
nation for long time with increasing
sadness, and ut it, conventions anI
conferences yainly endcayorcd to com
Pei them by his pcrsuasions ID ac-
hho"lcdge its undivided and uneau.yo-
cal allegiance to jesus Christ. Chan
nihg gave Unitarian ism form and
method, but his work was as different
IRON what 1t Is at present as two things
could possibly be. He taught them To
look toiward, and believed ii tho
inspiration Of the Iioly Scripture. 70
dnE his teachings would be regarded A.
respectable orthodoxy. III his time
denominations were ~cctarian Ia the
IA,t degree to-day there was freedom
enough IN any sect ID Chrlsten ION
~ The course OF events a new is.ua
presented itself AMI was received. aud
with TINS ny hal no sympathy. lie
would Tight il On thu broai ground or /,
generous hrilct, and on the inspiration
oi the Scriptures. He had no patience
with, and no belief in. the SAVING
ehtcts "t thht constant meditation
winch the denomination represented at
thLt moment. Il stool to-day with
loose. di-joInicI and discori,nt idea.
81 Christ. with scientific Interprrta
ton Of the New Testament THAT H.
privei Il of It's spirit, AMI left il a dead
and hieless letter. He said this III no
heat. but after drlibcfation. -Tu,
teachings OF the church bound him
mana and foot, and IN bursting Thu,
in""""t.'S u" onIht tn lo-r no rri,.nI
TINS step from coHscicntlous motives, !
and no holy or bodies OF men could |
bind him against ms conviction Of what /
j. right. Theodore Parkcs founded a
new school OF thouLAt which ut first
drew down upon him the IN Jst severe
ceuslres and the btttertst anathctuas :
but ten years later he was regarded a.
CAanning's equal. H. had cuIcayorcd
to fight these things inside the church,
but he found that there was no unity
among its ministers. There we're 237
ministers, but they We're Ike grains OF
sand, and not drops OF water. He
WAS not = free lance. lie wanted Or
ganizatIun. lie wanted A dar from
which lie could receive inspiration,
encouragement and good cheer. lie be-
hcvci with all his heart and soul. ami
with An Increasing love for Jesus
Christ, lie believed that Jesus Christ
was the love Of God put into human
shape for the redemption of the world,
and he came 10 believe it from his own
personal experience. \ thousand temp
tatlons lurcd him, but he was human.
and in the Christian light that beamed
on him he felt he would be nearer ani
dearer 10 Jesus Christ lie stool there
on the platform Of freedom the pla.-
form Of Beechcr. Burlington, Storr-,
Thompson and thousands OF others.
lie could not work any longer with the
Unitarian party. Ii ac did not believe
IN It's methods, # he did no. accept its
Interpretation Of Scripture. common
honesty demanded that lie should leave.
lie LETT the body because lac considered
II radical in theology. and that was
about as bad and As destructive an
element as could possibly be introduced
into it. They might bear it as scholars.
but it would produce series Of
change, N New lork that would render
il Bedlam in six months. He did
not care about joining any Sect. What
ever may be the difference OF methods,
all denominations believed ia tile same
1
same immortality. He might, however,
say he would join the Othodox Con-
gregatlonal body. and the change. he
assured them, was prompted by de-
sire To save souls. He asked that the
friendships and the associations form
Ell among his connection with the
church should not be dissolved, and he
concluded by wishing an earnest good
bye to all.
At subsequent stage of the services
Mr.. Hepworth stated that the Presl-
dent of the Board of Trustees had
sent hun communication exhibiting
an unirlendly spirit that he hoped
would not be manifested by the con-
|
to "a large extent, and he desired to
| say he would leave the church without
influencing man, woman OF child to
| follow him. He had none but the kind
est feeling, toward them all. going out
into the world. The letter he had re-
ferred 10 from the President of the
Board of Trustees stated that after that
| Sunday his services would be no longer
required. 1t made no difference to him,
but he did not think ii vas fair. He
was engaged for two years, but at the
end OF the first year he was informed
that the sale OF pews was impossible
unless he retracted that engagement
and consented to remain with them an
indefinite period. He consented. and
renamed up to the present. As foi
his dismissal, he was appointed by the
congregation, and could alone be dis.
missed by them. He did not deem il
I rtnI,t for Tim pr.s,lnnt 20 al. -