I also
published a work by W. Penn, "The Sandy Foundation Shaken," which some
thought Unitarian. I came at length to be regarded by the Unitarians as
one of their party. They invited me to preach in their chapels, and
aided me in the circulation of some of my publications. I preached for
them in various parts of the country. I was invited to visit the
Unitarians in London, and I preached in most of their chapels there, and
was welcomed by many of the ministers and leading laymen of the
Metropolis at a public meeting. When my friends raised a fund to
purchase me a steam printing press, many Unitarians gave liberal
subscriptions. Several of their leading men attended the meeting at
which the press was presented, and took a leading part in the
proceedings.
I had not mingled long with the Unitarians before I found that they
differed from one another very much in their views. Some few were Arian,
some were Socinian, and some quite Latitudinarian. Some admired
Priestley, some Carpenter, some Channing, and some Parker. Some looked
on Channing as an old fogy, and said there was not an advanced or
progressive idea in his writings; while others thought that everything
beyond Channing bordered on the regions of darkness and death. Some
looked on the Scriptures as of divine authority, and declared their
readiness to believe whatever they could be proved to teach: others
regarded the Scriptures as of no authority whatever, and declared their
determination to accept no views but such as could be proved to be true
independent of the Bible.
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