George H. Hepworth; Preacher, Journalist, Friend of the People the Story of His Life (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1903. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VI THE CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH--1870-1872 THOUGH worsted in his struggle to secure an authoritative statement of Unitarian faith, Mr. Hepworth was not quite ready to cease insisting that the denomination should assume a pronounced Christian attitude. As Mr. Mayo had said in the Association meeting, the Unitarian body in National Conference assembled had adopted as its platform "Belief in the Christian religion as represented in the person of Jesus Christ"; but by the Ninth Article of its Constitution the Association admitted to its fellowship churches that could not sincerely acknowledge this belief. This article read as follows: "To secure the largest unity of the spirit and the widest practical co-operation, it is hereby declared that all the declarations of this Conference, including the Preamble and Constitution, are expressions only of its majority, committing in no degree those who object to them, and dependent wholly for their effect upon the consent they command on their own merits from the churches here represented, or belonging within the circle of our fellowship." But the radicals, popularly known as the left wing of Unitarianism, had for some years commanded so much public attention that it seemed to many outside the Unitarian denomination that they were the larger and stronger element of that body. Consequently, in the summer of 1870, Mr. Hepworth and Mr. Putnam issued the following circular: "dear S1r: "Accompanying this circular you will find a printed statement of the Unitarian faith, which has been carefully prepared, in the hope that it may receive the approbation of the denomination. We do not offer it to the body as a creed to be adopted as a test of fellowship, but as a Platform or Statement that as nearly as may be represents t...