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C&e of Jftr . CHihtles Herbert a Sufferer for Constance' Stike . T ^ c following statement of ¦ ' Tfr case ? fof fiersc ' cmion and eitretne distress occasioned by a firm adherence to Unitarian principles , is earnestly reco *» mended to the attention of the readers of fF * e Monthly Repdsitory , and to the friends of rectitude and liberality in general .
Mr . Charles Herbert , conductor of a cfrarity school ^ at Elham , near Canterbury , was , at the conctersion of the last year , expelled from hi * situation , the duties of which he had uniformly discharged with a strict Tegard'to its requisitions , and on which he depended for the scanty maintenance of a family consisting of a
wife -and nine children , purely on account of his embracing Unitarian principles , and his frankness when called upon , in avowing his convictions . For many years previous to this event , his circumstances had been much straightened from the operation of the same narrow and
persecuting spirit . He had long entertained objections to many parts of the church catechism and service , and from a particnlar dislike to a passage in the former , whrch relates to the imputation of Adam ^ s sin to his innocent posterity , had left it out in the instruction of bis own children .
This omission quickly attracted the notice of the clergyman , who the ** officiated at Hrlhan * , and who also expressed himself highly dissatisfied with some peculiarities which he observed in Mr . Herbert ' s mode of tuition . These peculiarities , however , are such evident improvements , . and tend 6 O materially to facilitate the progress of
the pupil in every branch of learning , that on an inspection of the school , the clergyman wad obliged to acknowledge , bis terror ; nevertheless he would not consent to giving his acknowledgment the sanae publicity that he had to vbU groundless
complaints . On the contrary he gave encouragement to a friend of bis owtt , in establishing a school in a neighbouring ^ iiiUage , by means of \* J ) ich Mr . Herbert ' s altfeady scanty income "was reduced to thirty pounds per annum .
The malignity of opposition still continuing , baffled evory effort t © nia&e knowtfc his improved system , and together ^ with the \ ery tinfavourahle . circunaatances attending the impoverished . condition <© f El ham and its neigh boar hood , rendered ittnpttofitable to uini ^ eE its invportant
advwntage s * His mind , bawevier , though Repressed , still continuing unbroken and tageiraous , " a few yearo si tree he incidentally ra «* V vrith the * \ Letters to . » Mr . Wilberforce on . Hereditary Diipr ^ vity , by a ^ oyrnfcfe , ' * which opened to him a jaew aijia delightful field ml ideological jwttec-
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tfon , fetr ti # eiy T ^ ib « idi& ^ mathd his s pve - c ^ rf ceittd ^ opintoSBa'"Xhisi * otisr ?' 'ofIfaeiiig further conversant with L nitairiao'writers , "he ? ccwnmuialcateii b ' f » wishes by letttm ^ ^ . to Mr . Belshatn , frmu- wifiom ^ lie VKOtivudm supply of tracts , in tbe eootents of > vfaich
he soon became deeply interested ^ a « d though he determined to maintain a strict adherence to his former line of conduct in the management of his school , so long ^ s he renaaitWid in that situation , yet a few of these tracts found their way into the hands of some neighbours , wlio shewed * a degtee of interest in . the same important
inquiries . Intimations of these circumstances at length reached the ears ofvtfce present curate of the village ^ ever watchful to guard the sacred mysteries from the unwelcome ' intrusion of investigation and discussion . The orthodoxy of Mr . Herbert now appearing suspicious , * lie was warned before a conclave , consisting of the clergyman and the other resident
trustees of the charity school , tc * gitc in account of his principles . A certain inquisitorial rudeness appeared io their conduct on this occasion , which ill accorded with the manly and independent spirit of Mr . Herbert , and to avoid misrepresentation he determined to deliver to the clergyman , in writing , an explicit declaration © f bis faith , which he did as follows : * < I believe that Jesus of
Nazareth is a proper human being , the greatest of all the prophets of Ged , descended from the family of David , and sent -into the world to abolish the Jewish economy , and to teach the great doctrine of a future
life ; also that the world was . formed by one Supreme God , and that it is governed by him , and that the loving our neighbours as ourselves , and bein £ merciful even to brute beasts , are the duties of e very C b ri stian «'
AlthiMigh these convictions had no intiucuce whatever on his XondUact in the school , yet the clergyman and Ws fritJKlds now resolved to make this UHequivo £ &l voucher of his integrity the fouptetiotifof their future proceedings against fciuu
They accordingl y on f he 37 tft [ of Way , Idl ^ , delivere 4 to bittt in , Writihg ^ ^ odtioe to quit ttw fteifooi and premise ? jit the ensuing Michaelmas . All hi& reroonatra * ic *^ o » 4 he irregtilajifcy o / the notice , on his . not having / vidlated any conditiaji on wliioh Ji « was c ^ xpointed , ^ and on tlie ¦ M mil ¦ ¦ 'ilW' . * ' »< ? " * ¦ ' * ¦ > ' ¦¦ ¦*¦¦< ¦ ~—» t . < u . . i . 4 < . » ., > .. ,. f ,
* l \ ^ ifis Erected by . a > clulise in the will of the gentlemaut wfecrbequeathed the house and salary for the aeboolqaaSter , thatiwhoeveT fwas appcdittfidl rto tWt situap tioR should " be a true aow ef tii 6 Cburch pfl £ ib ^ laxKi ; " but of tbia coridiMoa Mr . < tiertierh was not informed * at itis appotat
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124 Intelligence . —Case of Mr . Chafles Htrltft , &SrtjffererJhr Conscience' Sake .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1817, page 124, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2461/page/60/
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