Henry Grew was a Christian teacher and writer whose studies of the Bible

Bible

The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...

 led him to conclusions which were at odds with doctrines accepted by many of the mainstream churches of his time. Among other things, he rejected the Trinity

Trinity

The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...

, immortality of the soul, and a hellfire

Hellfire

Hellfire may refer to:* The fires of Hell or lake of fire, terms used to describe Hell-In music:* "Hell Fire" a heavy metal/speed metal band Formed by Tony Campos in the spring of 2010. Hell Fire taking it back to influences such as Iron Maiden, Helloween, Metallica, Angel Witch, Overkill etc...

 of literal eternal torment.

Biography

Henry Grew was born in Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, but at the age of 13, moved with his parents to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. His family first lived in Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

. Later Grew lived in Providence

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

, Pawtucket

Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...

, Hartford

Hartford, Connecticut

Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...

, and Philadelphia.

At the age of 23 he became a deacon at the First Baptist Church in Providence. In 1811, after being pastor for four years at the First Baptist Church in Hartford. His position was terminated when the congregation decided his views were heretical

Heresy

Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...

.
Grew was invited to the World Anti-Slavery Convention beginning 12 June 1840 in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. He departed on the ship Roscoe on 7 May 1840. Other delegates aboard the ship besides his daughter, Mary, were James

James Mott

James Mott was a Quaker leader, teacher, and merchant as well as an activist for anti-slavery and women's rights. He was born in Cowneck in North Hempstead on Long Island, to a Quaker family...

 and Lucretia Mott

Lucretia Mott

Lucretia Coffin Mott was an American Quaker, abolitionist, social reformer, and proponent of women's rights.- Early life and education:...

, Emily Winslow and her father Isaac, Abby South and Elizabeth Neall. Mary Grew was reported to be "very intimate" with Bradburn. The other delegates thought Henry Grew was very religious, particularly on Sundays. After they arrived, Bradburn traveled with the Grews to various locations, including Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

 and particularly Birmingham, as Mary wanted to see her father's birthplace.

Before and during the convention, there was fierce debate about the participation and seating of women delegates and attendees. Grew sided with the British organisers and spoke in favour of the men's right to exclude women, despite his daughter's also being excluded.

In 1854 a similar public debate took place when Grew and Mary attended the fifth annual National Women's Rights Convention

National Women's Rights Convention

The National Women's Rights Convention was an annual series of meetings that increased the visibility of the early women's rights movement in the United States. First held in 1850 in Worcester, Massachusetts, the National Women's Rights Convention combined both male and female leadership, and...

 in Philadelphia. Grew debated with Lucretia Mott

Lucretia Mott

Lucretia Coffin Mott was an American Quaker, abolitionist, social reformer, and proponent of women's rights.- Early life and education:...

, during which he lauded the supremacy and authority of men.

Grew preached throughout the remainder of his life with a small group of people who shared his religious beliefs. His writings were collected and influenced later religious leaders.

He died in Philadelphia on 8 August 1862, after an illness. He was 80 years of age.

The writings of Henry Grew influenced George Storrs

George Storrs

George Storrs was a Christian teacher and writer in the United States.- Biography :George Storrs was born in Lebanon, New Hampshire on December 13, 1796, son to Colonel Constant Storrs and the former Lucinda Howe...

, and later, Charles Taze Russell

Charles Taze Russell

Charles Taze Russell , or Pastor Russell, was a prominent early 20th century Christian restorationist minister from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, and founder of what is now known as the Bible Student movement, from which Jehovah's Witnesses and numerous independent Bible Student groups emerged...

. Henry Grew and George Storrs are both mentioned as important early leaders in the October 15, 2000 issue of the The Watchtower

The Watchtower

The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom is an illustrated religious magazine, published semi-monthly in 194 languages by Jehovah's Witnesses via the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania and printed in various branch offices around the world...

magazine, published by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania

The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania is a non-stock, not-for-profit organization headquartered in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, United States. It is the main legal entity used worldwide by Jehovah's Witnesses to direct, administer and develop doctrines for the religion...

 of the Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...

.

A lst of Henry Grew's religious writings includes:
Cristian Loyalty: A Sermon on Matthew XXII:21, Designed to Illustrate the Authority of Caesar and Jesus Christ (1810),
An Examination of the Divine Testimony Concerning the Character of the Son of God (1824),
A Tribute to the Memory of the Apostles, and an Exhibition of the First Christian Churches (1836),
The Practices of the Early Christians Considered (1838),
A Review of Phelps' Argument for the Perpetuity of the Sabbath (1844),
The Intermediate State (1849),
The Sabbath (1850),
An Examination of the Divine Testimony on the Nature and Character of the Son of God (1855),
An Appeal to Pious Trinitarians (1857),
The Atonement (1859),
Divine Dispensations, Past, Present and Future (1861).

External links

• http://www.harvestherald.com/grewindex.htm Writings by Henry Grew, The Harvest Herald