Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-01-09

| his personal inclinations. We are sure
be excused, Certainly, Mr.. Colfax. You have
| served us a long time and have done very well.
Re ire by all means II You really wish it, and we
shall get on nicely without YOU
Rev. DIR. HEPwoRTH of New York, has been
constrained to resign his position as pastor OF
the Church of the Messiah. He is accused OF
unsound theology His Christmas sermon on
the divinity Of Christ seems TO have started the
movement against him. Extracts from il were
circulated in some of the papers, which were
read with some doubt in regard 10 his meaning.
1t seems, however, that some of his influential
people believed he had departed from the faith,
ami gave him notice that his services were no
longer required in that pulpit. Therefore he re-
signed, and preached his farewell sermon last
Sunday. He is no longer a Unitarian What
he will do next is not stated excepting that he
says he proposes TO ''ioin the orthodox Congre-
gationa body" Here is a passage from his last
sermon:
So far as theology was concerned Claiming
rejected the name Trnitarian; but in defining
the position of Christ he gave him about the po-
sition and authority which modern orthodoxy
gives him. Claiming scared to the highest
peak Of conceivable existence, and then gazed
God-ward for Christ. | sometimes think that
we, on the other hand, are trying to find him in
that group of gifted philosophers who, in times
past, have said wise things. And the dogma of
the unity was partly incidental. The mission of
the body was TO protest against the Tigidity and
bigotry of the old fashioned orthodoxy. And
in doing that much he worked in the direction
OF civilization and providence. But in these
days the rights of private judgment are respect
ed by all sectS, and necessary differences among
honest men are not regarded as barrier to com
munion. So far, then, as this part of the mis-
sion OF UnitarlaniSm is concerned we may safely
say that it is accomplished.
This is felt TO be true by considerable por-
ton of the body, | think and therefore an en-
tirely new issue has been presented, and one
with which can have no sympathy whatever,
and one which must ultimately drive from its
communion a great many of its earnest men.
So far as we have any influence at all, we stand
before the world to-day for very loose ideas
about the Bible, and for theory of Christ
which to my mind rohS Him of that
which makes Him the Christ-we have ad-
mitted to our fellowship and TO vote in
all our conferences calSS of thinkers who tear
and leave nothing but the CHASTITY hole from
which the living things up by the roots
tree was taken. 1t is of little use to deny this,
From the very nature of our body il must ad-
init such men, and their names Will be found
recorded in our annual year book. Their in
fiuenCe upon the body has been made like that
of men who in political circles hold the balance
of power. They have tied our hands and our
feet and we can do nothing
In the third place, yol will ask nue. how this
change came about. In this wise: Theodore
Parker, years ago, founded new school of
thought in America. Personally he was as true
and gentle and loving as any soul that ever
lived. / knew him and admired him. TheolOg-
ically he tore everything to pieces. He grew
up out of our midst. AT first we protested
against him, we scolded him, we child him,
but he mastered the genius of the denomina-
non, and bis image and superScriptiOn are on ii
at this moment. When he died, the most prom
ineat man in our body said in public thai Far
ker had not accorded with the conditions Of sal
vation, and by t tesS harsh and from his stand
pooffn1t wicked words repudiated him utterly.
Only few years after, the same lips told us
that there were two wings of Unitariausm;
that Charming was at the head of one and Par
ker at the head of the other; that Parker's the.
DRY was fast getting possession Of our thought
and thar the drift of the body was towards radi-
casm.
In the fourth place, you say, admitting this,
why not fight the matter out inside the lines? |
answer, have tried for years 10 make the de-
nomination place itself on theological basis
concerning Christ. and have utterly failed. The
reason Is, that it has no unanimity of opinion
on the subject. There is no cohesive element to
be found. We are made up of $50 settled min
listers, smaller number than we had two wears
ago; and these $50 are so intensely individual
that they can unite on nothing except on the
right of each man to think as he pleaseS and
this is no basis of organization