there are any devils-will be saved. Some | viduals. There was, therefore, an increase Universalists hold that all men at death of preaching and publishing against Unitapass directly into heaven; others, that a rianism. In the Panoplist, a monthly magpart of mankind will undergo a limited azine commenced in Boston in 1806, this punishment in hell, or, rather, in purgato- subject received special attention; but all ry, in proportion to the number and atroci- its warnings were denounced as "calumty of their sins. The doctrine has been ny." The facts, however, could not be favoured by a few men of considerable much longer concealed. learning and respectable morals; but its In 1812, the memoir of Lindsay, by Belchief success has been among the igno- sham, was published in London. Only a rant, the vulgar, and the vicious, not one few copies of the work were imported, and of whom was ever known to be reformed these were carefully kept from the sight by it. Mr. Ballou was a man of some ge- of all but a select few for nearly three nius, but little learning. His works have years. At length, the Rev. Dr. Morse, afdone something to diffuse Unitarian opin ter months of fruitless effort, succeeded in ions among Universalists. A Mr. Sher- obtaining possession of a copy. The acman, in Connecticut, published in favour count there given of Unitarianism in Amerof Unitarianism in 1805. He was dismiss-ica was extracted and published in a pamed from his pastoral charge about the same phlet. It contained letters from several time, and in a few years left the ministry leading Unitarians in Boston, especially and lost his character. In 1810, Thomas Dr. Freeman, of various dates, from 1796, and Noah Worcester began to publish their or thereabout, to 1812. In these letters modification of Arianism in New-Hamp- the spread of Unitarianism, and the means shire. The same year the church in Cov- used to promote it, were described without entry, Connecticut, became suspicious that reserve. Concealment was no longer postheir pastor, the Rev. Abiel Abbot, was a sible. Unitarianism was, therefore, openUnitarian. The subject was brought be-ly avowed by those who had been detectfore the Consociation to which that churched, and by others whose character and inbelonged, and he was dismissed. He then called together a council, composed chiefly of men suspected of Unitarianism, who dismissed him a second time, and gave him a certificate of regular standing. The irregularity of this transaction called forth many expressions of disapprobation.

terests were closely identified with theirs.

The ecclesiastical results of this disclosure need to be particularly explained. Among Congregationalists, each church, that is, each congregation of covenanted believers, has full power to manage its Cown ecclesiastical concerns, without subIn and around Boston no Congregational ordination to any earthly tribunal. There church had yet avowed itself Unitarian. was no way, therefore, of compelling Harvard College had an orthodox presi-churches that had become Unitarian to dent and professor of theology till after the commencement of the present century. After the death of Professor Tappan, in 1804, the Rev. Dr. Ware was elected as his successor. While the question of his election was pending, a suspicion of his Unitarianism was suggested, but it was repelled by his friends as a calumny. Even when President Kirkland was elected, in 1812, it has been said, on high Unitarian authority, that he could not have been elected if he had been known as a defender of Unitarianism.

part with their Unitarian pastors. On the same principle, pastors and churches that continued orthodox were at liberty to withhold Christian fellowship from those in whom they had no confidence. There was no means of compelling orthodox ministers and churches to perform any act by which a Unitarian would be virtually acknowledged as a Christian minister, or his church as a Christian church. Orthodox ministers, therefore, refused to exchange pulpit labours on the Sabbath with those whom they believed to be Unitarians, or to No pastor of a Congregational church sit with them in ecclesiastical councils, or in or near Boston had yet avowed himself in any other way to recognise them as a Unitarian, either from the pulpit or the ministers of Christ. This practice, howpress. Yet the style of preaching adopted ever, was adopted gradually. Many orby many was such as to excite suspicion; thodox men were slow in believing that several periodicals openly advocated Uni- one and another of their neighbours was a tarianism, and Unitarian books were im- Unitarian; and many undecided men conported and published in considerable num- trived to avoid for some time a declarabers. Orthodox ministers, when attending tion in favour of either party, and to keep councils for ordaining pastors, found them- on good terms with both. At length, howselves opposed and thwarted in their at- ever, successive disclosures made the ditempts to ascertain the theological views viding line so visible, throughout its whole of the candidates. Many other circum-length, that every man knew his own side stances indicated the presence and secret of it, and the parties are completely sepdiffusion of error; but the means were arated without any formal excommunicanting of fastening the charge upon indi- tion of one by the other. They meet only

once in a year in the "General Conven- | been thought best to disband them; but in tion of Congregational Ministers," and they a considerable number of instances they continue to meet together there only on have been suffered to become extinct, and account of a fund of about 100,000 dollars there remains only the parish and the pasfor the support of their widows. tor, who administers the ordinances indisOn the publication of Mr. Belsham's dis- criminately to all who desire it. Accordclosures, it was found that all the Congre- ing to some of their own writers, the regational churches in Boston had become sult is that the ordinances become cheap Unitarian, except the Old South and Park-in men's esteem, and few care to receive street, which last had been established them. Church discipline, of course, has within a few years by some zealous Trin-fallen into entire disuse. The discipline itarians. The whole number of Unitarian of the clergy appears to be also extinct. churches in various parts of New-England, If any of their clergy become scandalousbut mostly in the eastern part of Massachusetts, was supposed to be about seventy-five, though subsequent disclosures showed it to have been considerably larger. They had then almost entire possession of Harvard College; and, by a change in its charter, deliberately planned some years before, but hurried through the Legislature at a favourable moment, they secured the control of it to their party.

A considerable number of churches in Massachusetts had funds, given by the pious of former generations, for the support of the ministry and of Christian ordinances. The main object of the donors was to secure to their descendants, in perpetuity, the services of learned, pious, and orthodox pastors; and the funds were committed to the church, and not to the parish, because the church, being composed of persons of approved piety, would guard them most effectually against perversion. Such was the case with the First Church in Dedham. In 1818, a majority of the inhabitants of the parish with which that church was connected chose a Unitarian to be their pastor. The church refused to receive him as their pastor. A few of its members, however, seceded from the church, chose the Unitarian for their pastor, and commenced a lawsuit against the church for the possession of its property. In March, 1821, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts decided in their favour, and established the principle that, in all such cases, those who act with the majority of the parish are the church, and have a right to the funds. By this decision many churches have been deprived of their funds, their houses of worship, and even the furniture of their communion-table; and many Unitarian churches owe their existence to means thus obtained.

After this decision the existence of a church, as distinct from the parish, became unimportant among Unitarians. Its secular interests were wholly in the power of the parish, and might as well be held by the parish directly. Their churches, as has been shown, were never intended to be bodies from which the unregenerate should be excluded. There was, therefore, no longer any important end to be answered by their existence. Generally, it has not

ly immoral, they are not formally deposed from the ministry, or visited with any ecclesiastical censure, but are allowed to continue in office till their reputation becomes such that none will employ them, and then to retire silently to private life.

In 1825 the number of Unitarian congregations was estimated at 120. Now, in 1844, they are said to amount to 230. There are several causes of this increase.

In 1825 the process of taking sides was not completed. Of the few which then remained without character, a part have doubtless become decidedly Unitarian.

Mr. Ballou's work on the atonement has already been mentioned as the first Unitarian work by an American author. That and other works of a similar character prepared the Universalists, somewhat extensively, to avow Unitarian opinions. The Unitarians have, to a great extent, and it is believed generally, embraced the doctrine of the final salvation of all men. There is, therefore, no doctrinal distinction between the two sects. As Unitarianism is esteemed the more genteel religion of the two, Universalists are under a strong temptation to change their name, and call themselves Unitarians. changes very naturally occur when a Universalist congregation becomes vacant, and a Unitarian preacher of acceptable address offers himself as a candidate. Sometimes congregations change from one of these sects to the other, and back again, as temporary convenience dictates.

Such

Unitarianism, as has been shown, originally grew out of a dislike to the practice of requiring evidence of piety in candidates for admission to the churches. There are many, in various parts of the country, in whom this fundamental feeling of the sect is very strong, but who are yet unwilling to live without some form of religion. They are easily organized into a society which requires no creed, and subjects them to no discipline. Societies thus formed, however, often vanish as easily and suddenly as they are made.

In 1787 a "Society for Propagating the Gospel among the Indians and others in North America" was incorporated by the Legislature of Massachusetts. It acquired permanent funds to the amount of 9000

dollars. It elects its own members; and | same congregations just as quietly had a majority of them having proved to be those congregations remained orthodox. Unitarian, the society has passed wholly In philosophy the Unitarians of Newinto the hands of that sect. It expends England were at first, and for some years, the income of its fund in supporting two followers of Locke; holding that all our or three preachers among the remnants of ideas, or, at least, the elements of which Indian tribes in New-England. One or they are formed, are received through the two other unimportant societies, not ori- senses. Very naturally, therefore, they ginally formed by them, have in like man- built their belief of Christianity wholly on ner passed under their control. They have evidence addressed to the senses. They no organization for foreign missions. To believed that miracles had been wrought, the Bible Society they contribute some- because it appeared so extremely improbthing, but the amount is not known. able that the apostles were deceived conThe "American Unitarian Association," cerning them, or attempted to deceive othformed in 1825, is their principal organ- ers; or that the canonical writings ascriization for united action. Its object is de- bed to them are spurious; or that the acclared to be "to diffuse the knowledge counts of miracles which they contain are and promote the interests of pure Chris-interpolations. Those miracles they held tianity throughout our country." Its six- to be the testimony of God, addressed to teenth annual report gives the names of the senses of men, proving the truth of 117 clergymen who have been made life Christianity. Yet they did not admit the members by the payment of thirty dol- infallibility of the apostolic writings as we lars each, of whom eight are dead. The have them. Many of them held that the whole number of life members are stated authors of the several parts of the New at 374. It expended during the year end- Testament had no inspiration which seing in May, 1841, the sum of 4962 dollars, cured them against mistakes and false which was 81 dollars 89 cents more than reasoning; and they very generally held, its receipts. The expenses of adminis- that strong texts in favour of the doctrine tration were, the salary of the general of the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, or agent, 1800; his travelling expenses, 100; the personality of the Holy Spirit, must office rent, 200; total, 2100 dollars; being be interpolations or corruptions. Their very nearly three sevenths of the whole." religious guide, therefore, was so much of This association has published 179 dif- the Bible as they judged to be true; and ferent tracts, the prices of which vary their religion was, in its theory, the confrom one cent to six cents. During the formity of their hearts and lives to certain year ending in May, 1841, it aided sixteen external rules, which, in all probability, destitute congregations, of which ten were were originally given by God, and which in New-England, three in the State of New- have been transmitted to us in a record York, and three in the Western States. which is not free from error. To this, inThe lowest appropriation for this purpose dividuals among them appended more or was thirty dollars, and the highest 300. less of sentiment and imagination, accordIt also expended 570 dollars for mission-ing to the prompting of their own genius. ary services, of which 530 were expended to the west of New-England.

A system like this can never long continue to satisfy any community. It fails to meet The smallness of the amount expended certain feelings of spiritual want, which by Unitarians in the way of associated ac- are sure to spring up in many minds. tion is not to be ascribed to parsimony, Hence there has been among the more sebut to religious indifference. A large part rious, ever since the separation, a gradual of the wealth of Boston, and of the east- going over to orthodoxy, which has retardern part of Massachusetts, is in their hands; ed the growth of Unitarianism. Now the and their capitalists have made many splen-orthodox Congregational churches in Bosdid donations to literary, scientific, and humane institutions.

ten are about as numerous as the Unitarian, and the worshippers much more numerous; and the result is similar in the surrounding country.

Their churches probably contain some truly regenerate persons, who became members of them before they were avow- A few years since, German Transcenedly Unitarian, and who remain there from dentalism made its appearance among the reverence for ancient usages, attachment Unitarian clergy, and has spread rapidly. to the places where their ancestors wor- Its adherents, generally, are not very proshipped, and other similar causes. Others found thinkers, nor very well acquainted of them are men of stern and almost Puri- with the philosophy which they have emtanic morality, who have had from infan-braced, or with the evidence on which it cy great reverence for religion in the gross, but have never seriously studied its application to themselves in the detail of its doctrines and duties, and who would have remained steadfast members of the

rests. It promises to relieve its disciples from the necessity of building their religious faith and hopes on probabilities, however strong, and to give them an intuitive and infallible knowledge of all that is es

sential in religion; and it affords an unlimited range for the play of the imagination. It has charms, therefore, for the contemplative and for the enthusiastic.

The controversy on this subject became public in 1836. It was brought out by an article in the Christian Examiner, maintaining that our faith in Christianity does not rest on the evidence of miracles; that a record of miracles, however attested, can prove nothing in favour of a religion not previously seen to be true; and that, therefore, we need to see and admit the reasonableness and truth of the doctrines of Christianity, before we can believe that miracles were wrought to commend it to mankind. The "Old School" Unitarians, as they called themselves, pronounced this theory infidelity, for it struck at the foundation of the only reasoning by which they proved the truth of Christianity. The controversy was protracted, and somewhat bitter; but no attempt was made by the "Old School" to separate themselves from those whom they denounced as infidels.

then or afterward, till public attention was called to the subject by three evangelical clergymen who attended the ordination as hearers, and took notes of the discourse. These three witnesses, some weeks after the ordination, published extracts from the sermon in several religious newspapers, and called on the members of the ordaining Council to say whether they recognised the preacher as a Christian minister. Pub. lic attention was roused. Several intelligent Unitarian laymen united in the demand. Continued silence became impracticable. A number of articles appeared in newspapers and magazines, in which individual Unitarian ministers denounced the sermon, and pronounced its doctrines deistical; but they carefully avoided the question, whether its author was recognised by them as a Christian minister. Ŏthers of them preached and wrote in his defence. His ecclesiastical relations still remain undisturbed. Some of his Unitarian neighbours have recognised his ministerial character by exchanging pulpits with him on the Sabbath; and he has, in his turn, preached the weekly lecture maintained by the Unitarian clergy of the Boston Association. It is understood, therefore, that the public avowal of doctrines like his, forms no obstacle to a regular standing in the Unitarian ministry.

Why was not this defection arrested in its progress by ecclesiastical authority? The answer is easy.

The charge of Pantheism is brought against the Transcendentalists generally, by their Unitarian opponents; and, in fact, some of their publications are evidently Pantheistic, while others are ambiguous in that respect. Some of them have borrowed largely from Benjamin Constant, and maintain that all religions, from Fetichism to the most perfect form of Christianity, are essentially of the same nature, being only developments, more or less perfect, of the religious sentiment which is common to all men. According to them, all men who have any religious thoughts or feelings are so far inspired; Moses, Minos, and Numa, and a few others, had an unusual degree of inspiration; and Jesus of Nazareth most of all. They do not believe, however, that even Jesus was so inspired as to be in all cases an infallible teacher; and they declare themselves by no means sure that we shall not yet see his superior. They reject Christ as a me-proof by which any one could be convicted diator in every sense of the term, and declare that, in order to be true Christians, we must hold intercourse with God as Christ himself did, without a mediator.

In Connecticut, where one or two ministers became Unitarian while the community remained orthodox, it was done. Those Unitarian ministers were removed from their places, and the progress of error was arrested. In Massachusetts, the defection was carried on by a different process. Men did not fall, one at a time, from orthodoxy into open Unitarianism, but almost the whole community in the eastern part of the state sunk down gradually and together. For a long time there was no

of heresy; and when proof was obtained, the heretics were found to be the majority in the ecclesiastical bodies to which they belonged, and of course, if any process had been commenced, would have decided all questions in their own favour.

These impious doctrines have been promulgated in periodicals and otherwise, from time to time, with increasing boldness. The friends and abettors of the CongreIn the spring of the year 1841, they were gational independence of individual churchput forth without disguise and without re-es maintain that it has been the means serve in a sermon at an ordination at South of saving New-England from universal Boston. Several of the leading Unitarian apostacy. Had the Synod in 1662, they clergy of the "Old School" were present, say, instead of being merely advisory, and took part in the services. It is said possessed jurisdiction over the churches, that some of them, in performing their parts, it would have imposed the half-way coveuttered sentiments at variance with those nant upon them all. As it was only adof the preacher, from which attentive hear-visory, a considerable number of churches ers might infer that the sermon did not rejected its advice, and adhered to the meet their approbation; but there was no ancient practice of the Pilgrims.* So, half explicit condemnation of the sermon either | * Many readers, however, will be of opinion that,

Dating their rise from about the year 1803, they appeared, it seems, in NewEngland, Ohio, and Kentucky, some say also in the South, nearly about the same time. They boast of having no founderno Luther or Calvin, no Whitefield or Wesley-that can claim any special influence among them. They are the largest nocreed sect in America, and had their origin in the dissatisfaction that existed in some minds with what they called the "bondage of creeds," and still more, with the bondage of discipline that prevails, as they insist, in all other churches. This may be easily accounted for. Many of the most active promoters of the new sect had been excluded from other communions because of their denial of some important doctrine, or their refusal to submit to discipline and government.

a century later, had there been an eccle- tians is of purely American origin. They siastical government to which all the are more generally called in the United churches owed obedience, Stoddard's doc-States Christ-ians, the i in the first syllable trine of admitting the unregenerate to full being pronounced long, though this procommunion would have been enforced nunciation, I need hardly say, is rejected upon all; for numbers and influence were by themselves. in its favour. And when Edwards, after the great revival of 1740, reproclaimed the ancient doctrine concerning church membership, had there been an ecclesiastical tribunal having authority over all the churches, he and his Reformation would have been put down at once, and the admission of the unregenerate to the Lord's table would have been required of all. And, finally, consider, they still farther say, the state of things in 1815, when conclusive proof was first obtained of the existence of Unitarianism among the Congregational clergy in Eastern Massachusetts. The Unitarians had the majority in the ecclesiastical bodies of which they were members. Had these bodies possessed jurisdiction over all churches within their bounds, they might have established Unitarianism in them all, and might have forbidden all efforts for the revival or preser- The Christ-ians, according to some of vation of orthodoxy. If there had been a their leading authorities, had a threefold body representing all the churches in the origin. The first members of their sociestate, and having authority over all, the ties, or churches, in New-England, were majority would have been orthodox; but originally members of the Regular Bapthe Unitarians were numerous and power-tist connexion; in the West they had been ful enough to have thrown off its jurisdic- Presbyterians, and in the South Methotion, and to have subsisted by themselves, dists. Their churches have all along been as they now do. If the civil government constituted on the following principles : had been invested with power to enforce "The Scriptures are taken to be the only religious uniformity, it could have prevent-rule of faith and practice, each individual ed such a result; but it would not have done it; for the most important powers of the civil government were then, and, with few exceptions, have been ever since, wielded by Unitarian hands.

In all these instances, the independence of the churches, its friends firmly believe, secured to the most orthodox the privilege of adhering to the whole truth, both in doctrine and practice, and of exerting themselves in its defence and for its diffusion. This privilege there have always been some to claim and to use. Error, therefore, has always been held in check till truth could rally its forces and regain its ascendency.

CHAPTER IV.

THE CHRIST-IAN CONNEXION.

THE body that assumes the title of Chrisbut for the isolation of ministers and congregations under the Congregational system, error must have been much sooner discovered, and checked in its beginnings. The same remark applies to the apostacy of many nominally Presbyterian ministers and congregations in England. These never were Presbyterians in fact. Error thus had leave to work its way unchecked by the oversight either of bishop or presbytery.

being at liberty to determine for himself, in relation to these matters, what they enjoin; no member is subject to the loss of church fellowship on account of his sincere and conscientious belief, so long as he manifestly lives a pious and devout life; no member is subject to discipline and church censure but for disorderly and immoral conduct; the name Christian to be adopted, to be exclusive of all sectarian. names, as the most appropriate designation of the body and its members; the only condition or test of admission, as a member of a church, is a personal profession of the Christian religion, accompanied with satisfactory evidence of sincerity and piety, and a determination to live according to the divine rule or the Gospel of Christ; each church is considered an independent body, possessing exclusive authority to regulate and govern its own affairs."*

Although their founders continued to least, of the peculiarities of the various cleave more or less closely to some, at bodies in which they had been brought up, a process of assimilation to each other has been gradually going on, and has at

* See an "Account of the Christian Connexion, or Christ-ians," by the Rev. Joshua V. Himes, in the Encyclopædia of Religious Knowledge.