Evening star., 1909-04-19
Rev. G. W. H. Troop Sewers
With Episcopal Church Ties.
UNIVERSALISTS ADOPT HIM
Curate of st. Johns at Georgetown
Tells of "Stifed Soul"
LIBERAL IN HIS THEOLOGY
Hampered by Necessity to Dress Up
Naked Truth in Ttme-Honored
Garments.

Rev. G. w. H. Troop. curate Of St.
Johns Episcopal Church. Georgetown.
acting rector OF Trinity Chapel at Airing
ton, and son Of Rev. @. Osborne Troop.
rector ST. Martins Episcopal Church Of
Montreal, Canada, has left the Episcopal
Church and adopted the faith of the Uni
tarians.
He has been accepted by the fellowship
committee Of the National Conference
of the Unitarian Church. In several
months he may be assigned to charge
Of that denomination.
The clergyman has an appointment with
Bishop Harding tomorrow morning, when
1t is believed he will tell the bishop his
reasons for leaving the Episcopal Church.
He will then await action on the part
OF the authorities Of the Unitarian Church
assigning him to some church Of their
denomination.
Mr.. Troop Explains Course.
In discussing his action today Mr.. Troop
said he could see no reason why he
should not state his position frankly. He
declared that any one in sympathy with
the broad church party in the Episcopal
Church can easily realize how. by i'm
perceptible degrees, one can pass out of
orthodoxy into Unitarianism.
Since l have been in the ministry
he said, Il have belonged to the extreme
radical wing OF the broad church party,
and gradually have come to feel that
would be more at home in the Unitarian
Church.
THE great principle Of the broad
church party is that the present age re-
l have come to feel that this Is an ex-
tremely difficult task, and perhaps one
that can never be fully accomplished. l
have therefore come to the conclusion
that, in the words Of Christ. the new
wine needs to be put in new bottles"
He has profound respect for the word
of the broad church, he says. and is far
from thinking that it is not engaged In a
noble work.
Il feel" the clergyman continued. that
l will enjoy much greater freedom in a
church where I would not always be
hampered by the necessity of having to
dress up the naked truth in the time-hon-
ored garments of orthodoxy. To sum 1t
all up, my soul of souls is stiaed in the
atmosphere of orthodoxy and can only
| breathe freely in that spirit of liberal
theology which, while 1t exists to a
| greater or less degree in all Christian
Roman Catholic. finds, 1t seems to me,
its fullest and most logical exponent in
Unitarianism."
Resignation Is Accepted.
| Rev. Mr.. Troop presented his formal
resignation to Rev. F. r. Howden, rector
| OF st. Johns Church, Georgetown. last
Monday. The previous Sunday the curate
had participated in five services. At the
services in Trinity Chapel, Arlington. he
had preached the sermon.
His action was q surprise to the rector,
who did not have any idea that his as
sistant contemplated leaving the Episco-
pal church. Rev Mr.. Howden commu-
nicated the resignation to Bishop Har-
ding. The resignation was accepted at
once.
Mr.. Howden says the resignation of Mr..
Troop came as great surprise to him
and that he had never had the slightest
| such a step. He said his relations with
Mr.. Troop had always been cordial, and
that nothing had occurred in st. john .
parish which had Influenced the curate in
leaving the Episcopal church.
The retiring clergyman Is twenty Eight
| years of age. having been born In Nova
Scotia in 1881. He was educated In Nc
Gill University, where he received the de-
gree Of bachelor Of arts. He later attend
| ed the Montreal Diocesan Theological Col
lege. where he was deeply impressed by
tn doctrine of evolution.
| He has always been student Of the
| writings Of Henry Drummond. The works
| Of this author. he says, have caused his
| antipathy to orthodoxy.
| Mr.. Troop was attached to st. Paul's s
Church. Halifax. n. s., and later to st.
Martins Church, Montreal. In both in
| stances he acted as curate. He came to
Washington as assistant to Mr.. Howden
| two years ago.
He has always been student of indus
| trial problems. At the present time he
| is vice president and secretary Of the
Georgetown Industrial Home. which has
for its object the obtaining of employ
ment for those who are out OF work He
is also active In various other charitable
enterprises.