UNITARIANS
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UNITARIANS
(]. c undogmatic, practical) Christianity is welcomed
HI the Unitarian body.
In granting this co-operation each member enjoys rdniplete freedom in his individual religious opinions, ami no set of doctrinal propositions could be framed (in which all Unitarians would agree. The bond of union between them consists more in their anti- dogmatic tendency tlian in uniformity of belief. The authority of the Hible is in some degree retained; but iis contents are either admitted or repudiated accord- ing as they find favour before the supreme, and in this rase exacting, tribunal of individual reason. Jesus (lirist is consiilered subordinate to the Father and, although the epithet Divine is in a loose sense not infrequently applic>d to Uim, He is in the estimation of many an extraordinarily endowed and powerful but si ill a human religious leailer He is a teacher to be followed, not a God to be worshipped. His Passion and Death are an insjnration and an example to His disciples, not an effective and vicarious atonement fur the sins of men. He is the great exemplar which XVI' ought to copy in order to perfect our union with ( H 1(1 gradually. This teaching concerning the mission (if Jesus Christ is but the logical complement of the rnitarian denial of the Fall of Man and with similar consistency leads to the suppression of the sacraments. Two of these (bapti.sm and Eucharist) are indeed ri'tained, but their grace-conferring power is denied and their reception declared vmnece.s.sary. Baptism is administered to children (rarely to adults) more for t-i'iitimental reasons and purposes of edification than from persuasion of the spiritual results produced in I he soul of the recipient. The Eucharist, far from li'ing considered as sacrificial, is looked upon as a iiiirelj' memorial service. The fond hope of universal .salvation is entertained by the majority of the denom- ination. In short, pre.sent-day Unitarianism is hardly more than natural religion, and exhibits in some of its nanihers a pronounced tendency towards Pantheistic s|ii'cuIation. The Church pohty in England and \inerica is strictly congregational; each individual congregation manages, without superior control, all its affairs, calls and discharges its minister, and is the linal judge of the religious views expressed in its pul- Iiit. In Transylvania the Church government is ( xercised by a bishop who resides at Kolozsvdr (Klau- s' nburg) and is assisted by a consistory. The episco- pal title which he be.irs does not imply special con- - I ration but merely designates the office of an (■'■(■lesiastical supervisor.
II. History. .\. In Europe. — The first Church holding Unitarian tenets was founded in Poland dur- ing the reign of Sigismimd II (1.54S-72). The year 1568 saw the establishment and official recognition of such congregations in Tran.sylvania. While in the former country Unitarianism was completely sup- pressed in 1660, in the latter it has, despite temporary persecution, maintained itself. The Transylvanian Church is of Socinian origin but has suppressed the worship of Jesus Christ, thus casting off what chiefly differentiated it from strict Unitarianism. Its present official name is (he Hungarian Unitarian Church, although comparatively few of its members reside in Hungary proper. In England the organization of Unitarianism was effected at a much later date. The first attempt at (Establishing a congregation was made by John Biddle (Kil.'i 621, but the organization did not outlast its author. More permanencv attended the efforts of Theophilus Lind.sey (1723-lSOS). In 1773 he seceded from the Anglican Communion, organized the following year a Unitarian congrega- tion in London, and in 1778 built the E.ssex Street chapel. About the .same time anti-Trinitarian views were spread by the scientist Joseph Priestley, pastor of a congregation at Leeds (1768-80) and later at Birmingham. His work in the latter place was cut short by a popular uprising in 1791, and three years
later he emigrated to America. Others, among
them Thomas Belsham (1750-1829) and Lant Car-
penter (1780-1840), continued to propagate Unitari-
anism in England. Legal restrictions were still in
vigour, however, against persons denying the doctrine
of the Trinity and hampered their work. But in
1813 most of these disabilities were removed, and in
1844 complete hberty was obtained, despite opposi-
tion, by the Dissenters' Chapels Act, sometimes
called the Unitarian Charter. As early as 1825
English LInitarians had concluded a union with their
co-religionists abroad under the name of British and
Foreign Unitarian Association. This society dis-
seminated religious literature and promoted the
interests of the -sect. The prospects of this activity
were brightened by the appearance of a capable expo-
nent of Unitarian views. Dr. James Martineau (1805-
1900). After a successful resistance to early opposi-
tion, his personality dominated English Unitarianism
for an extended period. His writings exercLsed a
potent influence far beyond England, and still continue
to advance the cause of Liberal Christianity. His
disciples have taken up his work and outstripped
their master in his radical views.
Scotland never proved a fruitful soil for Unitarian propaganda. A congregation was organized in 1776 at Edinburgh and the Scottish Unitarian Association was formed in 1S13; but progress in thai country has been insignificant and there are \'er_\- few congregations there. In Ireland Unitarianism is held chiefly in the North where it has found adherents among the Pres- byterians. It may not inappropriately be considered a self-governing branch of the Presljyterian body. Some l^nitarian congregations are to be found also in the British colonies, notably in Australia and Canada, and among the French Protestants a comparatively large number are Unitarian in view, though not in name.
B. America. — .\bout the middle of the eighteenth century Unitarian opinions gained favour among New England Congregationalists. They were propagated by Jonathan Mayhew (1720-66), for nineteen years pastor of the West Church at Boston, and Charles Chauncey (170.5-87), in the same city. The first organized church was King's Chapel, Boston, when the congregation, until then Episcopal, removed in 1785 all references to the Trinity from the Book of Common Prayer and in 1787 assumed an independent existence. Congregations were also organized at Port- land and Saco (Maine) in 1792, and in 1794 Joseph Priestley began his propaganda in Pennsylvania. It was particularly in New England, however, that the movement gained ground. The appointment in 1805 of the Rev. Henry Ware to the HoUis chair of divinity at Harvard College and the nomination within the next two years of four other Liberal candi- dates to important professorships in the same institu- tion, brought that seat of learning under considerable Unitarian influence. Its school of divinity was endowed and organized by the denomination about 1817 and emained under its control until 1878, when it became undenominational. While the diffusion of Unitarian ideas was comparatively rapid the organiza- tion of churches was retarded by tlie reluctance of many to separate from the Congregationalist com- munities of which they were members. Before the separation was effected a heated controversy was waged between the liberal and the conservative wing of Congregationalism. Matters came to a head in 1819 when the Rev. WiUiam EUery Channing, in a sermon preached at Baltimore at the installation of the Rev. Jared Sjiarks, advocated the public acknowl- edgement by the liberal members and congregations of their Unitarian beliefs. This discottr.se proved decisive, and the parties concerned immediately pro- ceeded to organize themselves independently. From this date until his death in 1842, Channing was the
