, 1874-05-11
UNITARIAN HERE9Y.

Can \ Unitarian be Guilty OF AeFeay3 Ihs
Ia question which might puzzle even Prof,
Patton to answer, familiar as ho soetns to DO
with tho various forms Of douoninational tho
ology. In this country, where there Is nothing
more elastic than the Unitarian Church, and
whore tho uoope of thought allowed to Its mern-
bers seems to bo almost unlimited, 1t may DO
astonishing that even 4 Unitarian may bo guilty
Of hcroBy. Such boing tho caso III donomina-
tion without crood. there may bo chow
Of reason in Prof. patton's euspicton
that Prof. Swing may have departed
from prosbyterauism, which has such q
very positive creed. That Unitarian can DO
guilty of herosy, however, Ia shown In recent
London Iottor, written by the Rev. III. D. Conway,
hia,aelf Unitarian Clergyman. Tho substance
OF the lorosy is Us follows: It appears tbatthcro
had been tn Clorkonwell n room which had been
formely usod by Free-Thinlsera for many years.
Falling into disuse, tho Unitariaus leased 1t and
rol,abilitated it as q migsion for the dlssemina-
ton Of leHa positive form Of radloaitan and tho
Tov, Potter Dean waa appointed to lecture in 1t.
10 tho astonishment OF the Unitariana
tho Rev. potcr Dean, before that t!no vcf9 con-
Horyattvo, began to grow furlousiy progressive
shortly after he took Charge, aa II infected with
tho atmosphere Of FREQ thought which still
clung to the room. Worse than this, no invited
e1ninont herotics to proaoh from his pulpit,
among them Miss Frances Power Cobbo, Mr.
Edwin Cloud, not minister. who hns recont'y
written new book Of Genesis to suit himself,
and tho Rev. Mr.. VoyBoy, whose religious ocoon-
tricitios have hoen the theme Of hot discussion
in England for long time. The Unitarians be-
gan to grow alarmed ut this young phaeton who
had sprung into thoir chariot aud was driving at
this braal;-ncck ratio. The London Ministers Con.
ference theroupou summoned him before them
| to oxpound his views on Christianity, which be
did il a very startling paper, entlt1ed "Tha 1ua-
possibility OF Knowing What is Christianity. "
| Els views aro summaa mp in ths following EN-
| phatio statenent:
Htatoricsl religion contaiua a larger affirmation
than historical Chriatauity; the brotherhood Of
prophets than that Of solitary reyonler; progressive
enlightenment than special revelations: evolution
from tho beginning thnn development from sfngl1
point In history truth to be attained than truth onc
QGllVGfEus t0Q 11tNru1IG III Hulnaul&J
pate In Christi the inspiration OF reason sn tho IN
sptrasion Of - few apostea aud ayaugeltas; aud TO
deinption by truth and love than redemption b!
| jeslH.
This paper was tho ssraw which broke th
Noy. Petor Dcan'a back. On tho following Sun
day ho received notice that hiH chapel ws
closed and that his services would no longer b
required, and now Peter is adrift. In regard t.
English Unitarianism, AIr. Conway says:
My belief ia that uniturIauism III London is dylnG
When HIr. Marneau left tho pulpit, the last chartc
was reached. -Four Of ita pulrits In London ase no
vacant. and 1t would nppear that the eloquent your
| ministers of tho country districts md psoVinc
towns cannot 10 persuaded to como to London. I'll
}suissa1 Of Potter Dean II ony eg vaeoIs ,ndics
tiong TINT, us a denomination, London Unitarianis'
has aplt on tho rock cast In its way by tho taBuo
= Tleisn rs Christianity, and that the roVolnt1ona1
clements which it originated must now paea to he
movements leaving tho old material Of tho sects to
lopae slowly to tho Evangelical creetls with which IL.
are already harmonious In spirit apd etlica.