The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-05

no more real authority from Heaven above to be
teacher OF divine obligation to men than the YER
beast OF the held. This is dreadful, awful, fearfu
beyond all degree 1t is the knife that has cut m
startling meaning OF 1t is that God has set up NJ
way OF certainty on earth for the salvation OF LII
liglous obligation whatever on mana 1t Is impossi
Die And the reason is natural-namely. that there
lay 1t down. 10 make this clearer let me make use
OF MI. Hepworth According to ~. N. b." ne mas
no real authority under heaven to be clergyman Ne, n
any human creature TO accept the scriptures from
him. This But all other are as
all men are free OF obligation from Heaven ven
this quashes all religious obligation. therefore
there is religious obligation in existence This
is vigorous logic 1t is legitimate; II. N b." can
son si V down I in defence q Mr. hepwortR true
IN reality lit is let us all become jews Tor they
| at least, had q real religious authority. And SO
Christianity-o orthodoxy, to which Mr.. Hepworth
has come over-has no authority under Heaven to
| Testament is not worth the snap OF finger Talk
about gnitaranis , being hdeons, execrable nend
possible OF proof if the general proposition laid
dow down ~ yr ILL., B." defence OF Mr. Hepworth is
m aGe; HMery, TINS is a comfortable predica:
intellect, OF truth, of honor. And SO put You an
honest mans question is IT, as 81. N. b. your
or commission under Heaven to teach the Scrip
lures with obligation to be heaxd, why have you
dared to act as il you had And, secondly, by
what right under Heaven do you ask us Tor our
money? Alas, alas, Mr.. Editor, have no hope of
getting satisfactory answer to these two just
know Mr.. Hepworth well and love him afYec-
tonately but he is no longer alive with that noble
ne made his change. At that time he thought Tor
himsel. He is now the creature of circumstances.
Beecher doing well, and he means to fol
he ecans Tnt his under
Mr. Editor, that this mans intellect and heart tell
MIN, with tight, which 1t is very hard to obscure
tnat he has no authority or commission under
heaven to teach the Scriptures with obligation to
be heard, sacred right from Heaven to ask the
people for their money. II am wrOnging him let
him prove his commission. That is fair EB.
| b.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
Seeing what religious doubts rack the mind of
''E b. and make him ''stagger in all his nature"
feel for him, and make bold to offer some dsin.
terested counsels to him and to the many others
VINO have been thrown into well-grOunded doubts
| by Mr.. Hepworths new departure. Like az. b., #"
admire the reverend gentleman for fearlessly
| throwing up Unitarianism in obedience to the
summons Of his conscience. The reasons he
| then gave to his congregation to explain
his new course were clear, substantial and
snever refuted. even by those most opposed to the
change of his religious views The man who at
any time or age becomes aware that his religion
is false one Is fool If he still cling to it. Mr.
Hepworth, by yielding to the appeals Of his logical
mind, added greatly to his already numerous
merits and well earned laurels." Your forcible
letter may. however, bring great doubts to him as
to whether or not his present position is more
tenable than the former though "E. b." thinks he
''came forth erect in body and soul and covered
with gertrude In all his religious lbres" from
direly Internal pool OF religious doubt. Time will
tell whether he shall not find 1t binding upon him
self to put his new creed also "under his two feet
and trampe 1t out life" On the very bud, "with
all the strength OF his vigorous and graceful,
faculties
AS for "E. b. struck to the earth like Saul ana
"up to the chin OF his understanding In the lake
or dark theological doubt" and, as 1t were, i'm
hasten to throw him rope OF relief with which he
nlay work his way to the shore of absolute safety
absolutely right Prayer to God, further STUDY and
unprejudiced reflections will show him that he is
sthl far from admitting adj the truths of the Bible
His present doctrines do not lead to eternal saliva
ton, because they are not yet the full teaching of
Christ. He has no proved authority from God to
preach. He never said he had, still less proved his
mission, like the Apostles, by working miracles
Christ never said to him., ''He that heareth you
spiseth me. lie is not soa spIe' to y preac es
nor any one to listen to him, at the peril
OF their souls; nay according to his theory, you
and so frame your own religion. Above all, you
ought to prove from the Bible that the book you
so call is really the Holy Bible, such as God gave it,
well authenticated unaitered and inspired by
God. This you will find impossible: not a text
says So II You wait till Mr.. Hepworth proves to
you that he has already all the divine truth neces-
sary Tor your salvation you will die before getting
your mind settled. Because Mr. Hepwortn was
commissioned by men OF three creeds 1t does
not follow that he has the whole truth. Three
fools cannot make q sane man, nor can
three self-constituted teachers of false and con-
Trajectory doctrines confer on fourth one the
divine mission to teach the whole truth and
nothing:but the truth. This Is manifest. ~. N b.
talks nonsense when he so insnuates, as well
as when he says that Catholics impute
error to each other" Whatever may think of
this immense religious body, that has stood the
storms OF well nigh nineteen centuries, 1t is an
undenabe fact that the 200,O00 600 Of them believe
constancy and apalpable contrast with other de.
nominations, that are constantly shifting their pO-
sitlons with every wind OF doctrine. This has
always made great impression my mind.
know man who once passed through the same
ordeal as you. Alter emerging from 1t he wrote
the history OF his trials and how and where he
found complete relief and great peace His book
Is well known. IL Is called 'Gropings After
Truth You had better read IL. Read likewise
"Hay's Sincere Christian" Add prayer to your
reading but earnest prayer, with "a sincere and
firm will TO embrace the whole truth, wherever you
may find Ii, and God, who wishes all men to be
saved and come to the knowledge OF truth, will no
doubt inally reward your unwearied researches
TRUE FRIEND.