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Unitarianism in me United States. (rf'A/nqrica.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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SENSIBLE apd candid corre-A spoad ^ at has ^ contributed to TJie Christian Observer some letters from America . . One of these gives an account of the lamentable spread of Uqitarianism in the Uqited States . Comijig from a Trinitarian , we esteem it in several respegts valuable , and judge that pur readers will be pleased to have it laid before them . It is verbatim as follows : " Salem . Feb . 24 . 1821 .
" In my last , after g-ivjng * you , I think , what you would consider an encouraging picture of the present state , and still more so of the future prospects , of religion in this country , I expressed my regret that
Unitarianism had acquired so much influence , and promised to say more on the subject in my next . From all I can learn , it appears that Unitarian opinions have been entertained in Ne , w England for fifty years at least , and perhaps much longer . Generally speakmg , however , they were not very openly
avowed , till much more recently ; some of those who held them concealing their sentiments because they were unpopular , —others , because they felt indifferent about them , — and others , more reflecting and philosophical , because they conceived that their extension would be mo $ t
effectually promoted at that particular time by reserve and caution . The first Unitarian congregation formed in America , was established in the King ' s Chapel soon aft . er the Revolution . This was the chapel in which the Governor worsKijjfecf ; but becoming afterwards private property , and the lerwarcis private property , ami the
majority changing their sentiments , they expunged from the qhureh prayers all allusion to Trinitarian doctrines , and openly ^ denounced ~ the Trjnjty . The minority of course retired . In 1792 , an tyhitariari congregation was formed at Portland , jirfffie ^ strict of Maine ; and and ^ r at Saco , a small town twentyik Sea : furt *^ t 6 ^ th ? south . Both tftetefe congregations soon expired : but I rc ^ re ^ W fiitiL when
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at Portland last Sunday , that another congregation was established * there , and that the legislature of the tf £ wlj ^ - elected State of Maine , who toetfe < tifien sitting , were debating on a bill wftleh would have a tendency , ( i £ indeed ^ it were not one of its immediate objects , ) to favour the extension of Unitarian sentiments . The sermon of the minister of the Episcopal Church which I attended , was on the duty of contending for the * faith once delivered to the saints / and had a specific reference to this bill . As Unitarian
sentiments became more general , they were gradually avowed with less reserve ; yet the pulpits of many ministers who were supposed to have imbibed them , gave no evidence of the fact , except that of omissions . This at length brought upon them tiie charge of insincerity from their more
orthodox brethren . The imputation was repelled with warmth ; and . Ilie pyblic were left in great doubt as to the precise sentiments of many of their pastors . Dr . Morse , who had been the most prominent of those who publicly manifested their regret at the defection of their brethren from the common faith , was accused of *
misrepresentation ; and the most candid felt it almost impossible to arrive at the real state of things . At this time , Dr . Morse happened to meet with Mr . Belsham ' s Life of Lindsay \ JL < indsey \ 9 in which he found his own representations borne out by letters and documents transmitted from Boston by the Unitarians themselves . These he
strung together in the form of a pamp hlet , under the title of ' American Unitarianism ; or a Brief History of the Progress and present State of the tJnitarion Churches in America ; Compiled from Documents and Infol-ttiation communicated by the Rev . JAmes
Freeman , D . D ., and William' Wells , Ji ^ n ., Esq ., of Boston , and from otljer Unitarian Gentlemen ib tliid Coiiiitry . By the Rev . T Belsttaiaa , Essexr Street , London . Extracted frbm v * &e . toe . This papijrtijet was eagerly read , and
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TJSE 0 ¦¦ ¦ ¦
Unitarianism In Me United States. (Rf'a/Nqrica.
Unitarianism in me United States . ( rf'A / nqrica .
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No . ' OC ., ! " ' /¦' . ' ¦'¦ ' " " ' . iJ : p f ^ T , 1822 : '' O ol . XVll . ----- ¦ . ¦¦ ^^^ ¦ ^ —— - ¦ i ¦ ¦ - .. ¦ i , - n i . ' ,
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VOW XVTT . " : * 3 K
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1822, page unpag, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2515/page/1/
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