Cathedral. Mr. Murray then took charge of the small Unitarian
chapel of Blackfriars, at Canterbury. Thus Murray's early youth was
passed in the mingled influences of Unitarianism at home, and of
Cathedral services at York, and in the church where Becket suffered
martyrdom. A not unnatural result was a somewhat eclectic and
unconstrained religion. He thought but little of the differences of
creed, believing that all good men held, in essentials, much the
same faith. His view of essentials was generous, as he admitted.
He occasionally spoke of himself as `sceptical,' that is, in
contrast with those whose faith was more definite, more dogmatic,
more securely based on `articles.' To illustrate Murray's religious
attitude, at least as it was in 1887, one may quote from a letter of
that year (April 17).


`There was a University sermon, and I thought I would go and hear
it. So I donned my old cap and gown and felt quite proud of them.
The preacher was Bishop Wordsworth. He goes in for the union of the
Presbyterian and Episcopalian Churches, and is glad to preach in a
Presbyterian Church, as he did this morning. How the aforesaid
Union is to be brought about, I'm sure I don't know, for I am pretty
certain that the Episcopalians won't give up their bishops, and the
Presbyterians won't have them on any account. However, that's
neither here nor there--at least it does not affect the fact that
Wordsworth is a first-rate man, and a fine preacher. I dare say you
know he is a nephew or grand-nephew of the Poet. He is a most
venerable old man, and worth looking at, merely for his exterior.
He is so feeble with age that he can with difficulty climb the three
short steps that lead into the pulpit; but, once in the pulpit, it
is another thing. There is no feebleness when he begins to preach.