Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

UNITARIANISM

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V27, Page 597 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

UNITARIANISM  , a See also:

system of See also:Christian thought and religious observance, based, as opposed to orthodox Trinitarianism, on the unipersonality of the Godhead, i.e. that the Godhead exists in the See also:person of the See also:Father alone . Unitarians carry their See also:history up to the Apostolic See also:age, claim for their See also:doctrine a prevalence during the ante-Nicene See also:period, and by help of Arian communities and individual thinkers trace a continuity of their views to the See also:present See also:time . However this may be, it is certain that the Reformaticn of the 16th See also:century was in every See also:European See also:country attended by an outbreak more or less serious of See also:anti-Trinitarian See also:opinion . Suppressed as a See also:rule in individual cases, this type of doctrine ultimately became the badge of See also:separate religious communities, in See also:Poland (See also:extinct), in See also:Hungary (still flourishing), and at a much later date in See also:England . Along with the fundamental doctrine, certain characteristics have always marked its professors; namely, a large degree of See also:toleration, a minimizing of essentials, a repugnance to formulated creed, an See also:historical study of Scripture . See also:Martin Cellarius (1499-1564) a friend of See also:Luther, is usually regarded as the first See also:literary See also:pioneer (1527) of the See also:movement; the anti-Trinitarian position of See also:Ludwig See also:Haetzer (q.v.) was not disclosed till after his See also:execution (1529) for anabaptism . Both by his writings (from 1531) and by his See also:fate (1553) See also:Servetus (q.v.) stimulated thought in this direction . The Dialogues (1563) of Bernardino See also:Ochino, while defending the Trinity, stated objections and difficulties with a force which captivated many . In his 27th See also:Dialogue Ochino points to Hungary as a possible See also:home of religious See also:liberty . It was in Poland and Hungary that religious communities, definitely anti-Trinitarian, were first formed and tolerated . Poland.—Scattered expressions of anti-Trinitarian opinion appear here See also:early . At the age of 8o, See also:Catherine, wife of Melchior See also:Vogel or Weygel, was burned at See also:Cracow (1539) for See also:apostasy; whether her views embraced more than See also:deism is not clear .

The first See also:

synod of the Reformed See also:Church was held in 1555; at the second (1556), See also:Gregory See also:Pauli and See also:Peter Gonesius avowed anti-Trinitarian and anabaptist views . The arrival of Bland-rata (q.v.) in 1558 furnished the party with a See also:leader . In 1565 the See also:diet of See also:Piotrkow excluded anti-See also:Trinitarians from the existing synod; henceforward they held their own synods as the See also:Minor Church . Known by various other names (of which Arian was the most See also:common), at no time in its history did this See also:body adopt for itself any designation See also:save Christian . Originally Arian (though excluding any See also:worship of See also:Christ) and anabaptist, the Minor Church was (by 1588) brought See also:round to his own views by Fausto Sozzini, who had settled in Poland in 1579 (see Socrnus) . In 1602 See also:James Sienynski established at Rak6w a See also:college and a See also:printing-See also:press, from which the Racovian See also:Catechism was issued in 16o5 . In 16ro a See also:Catholic reaction began, led by See also:Jesuits . The See also:establishment at Rak6w was suppressed in 1638, two lads having pelted a crucifix outside the See also:town . Twenty years later the See also:Polish Diet gave anti-Trinitarians the See also:option of conformity or See also:exile . The Minor Church included many Polish magnates, but their See also:adoption of the views of Sozzini, which precluded Christians from magisterial See also:office, rendered them politically powerless . The execution of the See also:decree, hastened by a See also:year, took See also:place in 166o . Some conformed; a large number made their way to See also:Holland (where the See also:Remonstrants admitted them to membership on the basis of the Apostles' Creed); others to the See also:German frontier; a contingent settled in Tran-sylvania, not joining the Unitarian Church, but maintaining a distinct organization at See also:Kolozsvar till 1793 .

At See also:

Amsterdam was published (1665-1669) the Bibliotheca fratrum polonorum, embracing the See also:works of Hans Krell, their leading theologian, of See also:Jonas Schlichting, their See also:chief commentator, of Sozzini and of Johann Ludwig Wolzogen; the See also:title-See also:page of this collection, bearing the words quos Unitarios vacant, introduced this See also:term to Western See also:Europe . Transylvania and Hungary.—No distinct trace of anti-Trinitarian opinion precedes the See also:appearance of See also:Blandrata at the Transylvanian See also:court in 1563 . His See also:influence was exerted on See also:Francis See also:David (1510-1579), who was successively Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinist and anti-Trinitarian . In 1564 David was elected by the Calvinists as " See also:bishop of the Hungarian churches in Transylvania," and appointed court preacher to See also:John See also:Sigismund, See also:prince of Transylvania . His discussion of the Trinity began (i565) with doubts of the See also:personality of the See also:Holy See also:Ghost . His antagonist in public disputations was the Calvinist leader, Peter Juhasz (Melius); his supporter was Blandrata . John Sigismund, adopting his court-preacher's views, issued (1568) an See also:edict of religious liberty at the Torda Diet, which allowed David (retaining his existing title) to See also:transfer his episcopate from the Calvinists to the anti-Trinitarians, Kolozsvar being evacuated by all but his followers . In 1571, John Sigismund was succeeded by See also:Stephen See also:Bathory, a Catholic, and trouble began . Under the influence of John See also:Sommer, See also:rector of the Kolozsvar gymnasium, David (about 1572) abandoned the worship of Christ . The attempted See also:accommodation by Sozzini only precipitated matters; tried as an innovator, David died in See also:prison at See also:Deva (1579) . The cultus of Christ became an established usage of the Church; it is recognized in the 1837 edition of the See also:official hymnal, but removed in the edition of 1865 . On the other See also:hand, in 1621 a new See also:sect arose, the Sabbatarii, with strong Judaic tendencies; though excluded from toleration they maintained an existence till 1848 .

The term unitarius (said to have been introduced by Melius, in discussions of 1569-1571) makes its first documentary appearance in a decree of the Lecsfalva Diet (1600); it was not officially adopted by the Church till 1638 . Of the See also:

line of twenty-three bishops the most distinguished were See also:George Enyedi (1592-1597), whose Explicationes obtained European See also:vogue, and See also:Michael Lombard Szentabrahami (1737-1758), who rallied the forces of his Church, broken by persecution and deprivation of See also:property, and gave them their existing constitution . His Summa universae theologise secundum Unitarios (1787), Socinian with Arminian modifications, was accepted by See also:Joseph II. as the official manifesto of doctrine, and so remains, though no subscription to it has ever been required . The official title is the Hungarian Unitarian Church, with a membership of over 6o,000, most of them in Transylvania, especially among the Szekler See also:population, a few in Hungary; their bishop has a seat in the Hungarian See also:parliament . At Kolozsvar, the seat of the See also:consistory, is the See also:principal college; others are at Torda and at Szekely-Keresztilr . Till 1818 the continued existence of this body was unknown to See also:English Unitarians; relations have since become intimate; since 186o a See also:succession of students have finished their theological See also:education at See also:Manchester College, See also:Oxford; others at the Unitarian Home Missionary College . England.—Between 1548 . (John Assheton) and 1612 we have a thin line of anti-Trinitarians, either executed or saved by recantation . Those burned were George See also:van Parris , (1551), Flemish surgeon; See also:Patrick Pakingham (1555), fellmonger; See also:Matthew Hamont (1579), ploughwright; John See also:Lewes (1583); Peter See also:Cole (1587), See also:tanner; Francis Kett (1589), physician and author; See also:Bartholomew See also:Legate (1612), See also:cloth-dealer, last of the Smithfield victims; and the twice-burned fanatic See also:Edward Wightman (1612) . In all these cases the See also:virus seems to have come from Holland; the last two executions followed the rash See also:dedication to James I. of the Latin version of the Racovian Catechism (1609) . The vogue of Socinian views, which for a time affected men like See also:Falkland and See also:Chillingworth, led to the abortive See also:fourth See also:canon of 164o against Socinian books . The See also:ordinance of 1648 made denial of the Trinity See also:capital, but it was a dead See also:letter, See also:Cromwell intervening in the cases of See also:Paul Best (1590-1657) and John See also:Biddle (1616-1662) .

In 165o John See also:

Knowles was an Arian See also:lay-preacher at See also:Chester . In 1652-1654 and 1658-1662 Biddle held a Socinian conventicle in See also:London; in addition to his own writings he reprinted (1651) and translated (1652) the Racovian Catechism, and the See also:Life of See also:Socinus (1653) . His See also:disciple See also:Thomas Firmin (1632-1697), See also:mercer and philanthropist, and friend of See also:Tillotson, was weaned to Sabellian views by Stephen See also:Nye (1648-1719), a clergyman . Firmin proms moted a remarkable See also:series of controversial tracts (169o-1699) . The term " Unitarian " first emerges in 1682, and appears in the title of the Brief History (1687) . It was construed in a broad sense to See also:cover all who, with whatever See also:differences, held the unipersonality of the Divine Being . Firmin had later a project of Unitarian See also:societies " within the Church "; the first preacher to describe himself as Unitarian was Thomas See also:Emlyn (1663-1741) who gathered a London See also:congregation in 1705 . This was contrary to the Toleration See also:Act of 1689, which excluded all who should preach or write against the Trinity . It is noteworthy that in England the Socinian controversy, initiated by Biddle, preceded the Arian controversy initiated by See also:Samuel See also:Clarke's Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity (1712) . Arian or semi-Arian views had much vogue during the 18th century, both in the Church and in dissent . The See also:free See also:atmosphere of dissenting See also:academies (colleges) favoured new ideas . The effect of the Salters' See also:Hall See also:conference (1719), called for by the alleged See also:heresy of James See also:Peirce (1673-1726) of See also:Exeter, was to leave dissenting congregations to determine their own orthodoxy; the See also:General See also:Baptists had already (1700) condoned defections from the common doctrine .

In 1689 Presbyterians and See also:

Independents had coalesced, agreeing to drop both names and to support a common fund . The See also:union in the London fund was ruptured in 1693; in course of time differences in the See also:administration of the two funds led to the attaching of the Presbyterian name to theological liberals, though many of the older Unitarian chapels were See also:Independent See also:foundations, and at least See also:half of the Presbyterian chapels (of 1690-1710) are now in the hands of Congregationalists . Leaders in the advocacy of a purely humanitarian christology came largely from the Independents, e.g . Nathaniel See also:Lardner (1684-1768), See also:Caleb See also:Fleming (1698-1779), Joseph See also:Priestley (1733-1804), Thomas See also:Belsham (1750-1829) . The formation of a distinct Unitarian See also:denomination See also:dates from the See also:secession (1773) of See also:Theophilus See also:Lindsey (1723-1808) from the See also:Anglican Church, on the failure of the Feathers See also:petition to parliament (1772) for See also:relief from subscription . Lindsey's secession had been preceded in See also:Ireland by that of See also:William See also:Robertson, D . D . (170 1783), who has been called " the father of Unitarian See also:nonconformity." It was followed by other clerical secessions, mostly of men who See also:left the See also:ministry, and Lindsey's See also:hope of a Unitarian movement from the Anglican Church was disappointed . By degrees his type of See also:theology superseded Arianism in a considerable number of dissenting congregations . The Toleration Act was amended (1779) by substituting belief in Scripture for belief in the Anglican (doctrinal) articles; in 1813 the penal acts against deniers of the Trinity were repealed . In 1825 the See also:British and See also:Foreign Unitarian Association was formed as an amalgamation of three older societies, for literature (1791), See also:mission See also:work (18o6) and See also:civil rights (1818) . Attacks were made on properties held by Unitarians, but created See also:prior to 1813 .

The See also:

Wolverhampton See also:Chapel See also:case began in 1817, the more important Hewley Fund case in 183o; both were decided against the Unitarians in 1842 . See also:Appeal to parliament resulted in the Dissenters' Chapels Act (1844), which secures that, so far as See also:trusts do not specify doctrines, twenty-five years See also:tenure legitimates existing usage . The drier Priestley-Belsham type of Unitarianism, See also:bound up with a determinist See also:philosophy, was gradually modified by the influence of See also:Channing (see below), whose works were reprinted in numerous See also:editions and owed a wide circulation to the efforts of See also:Robert Spears (1825-1899) . Another See also:American influence, potent in reducing the rigid though limited supernaturalismof Belsham and his successors, was that of See also:Theodore See also:Parker (1810-186o) . At home the teaching cf James See also:Martineau (1805-1900), resisted at first, was at length powerfully See also:felt, seconded as it was by the influence of John James Tayler (1797-1869) and John See also:Hamilton Thom (1808-1894) . The body has produced some remarkable scholars, e.g . John Kenrick (1788-1877), James See also:Yates (1789-1871), Samuel See also:Sharpe (1799-1881); but few very popular preachers, though George See also:Harris (1794—1859) is an exception . Its year-See also:book specifies 406 congregations in England and See also:Wales . For the education of its ministry it supports Manchester College at Oxford (which deduces its ancestry from the See also:academy of See also:Richard Franklandr begun 1670), the Unitarian Home Missionary College (founded in Manchester in 1854 by John Relly See also:Beard, D.D., and William See also:Gaskell), and the Presbyterian College, See also:Carmarthen . English Unitarian periodical literature begins with Priestley's Theological Repository (1769-1788), and includes the Monthly Repository (1806-1838), The Christian Reformer (1834-1863), the Prospective See also:Review (184 -1854), the See also:National Review (1855--1864), the Theological Review 1864-1879), and now the Hibbert See also:Journal, one of the enterprises of the Hibbert See also:Trust, founded by Robert Hibbert (1770-1849) and originally designated the Anti-Trinitarian Fund . This came into operation in 1853, awards scholarships and fellowships, supported (1878-1894) an See also:annual lectureship,, and has maintained (from 1894) a See also:chair of ecclesiastical history at Manchester College . The general activities of the body are conducted partly by its association (See also:Essex See also:Street, Strand), partly by its (triennial) National Conference, established 1882 .

Phoenix-squares

It has two weekly papers, the Inquirer and the Christian Life . See also:

Scotland.—Much has been made of the execution (1697) at See also:Edinburgh of the student Thomas Aikenhead, convicted of blaspheming the Trinity . The works of John See also:Taylor, D.D . (1694-1761) on See also:original See also:sin and See also:atonement had much influence in the See also:east of Scotland, as we learn from Robert See also:Burns; and such men as William Dalrymple, D.D . (1723-1814) and William M`Gill, D.D . (1732-1807), along with other "'moderates," were under suspicion of similar heresies . Overt Unitarianism has never had much vogue in Scotland . The only congregation of old See also:foundation is at Edinburgh, founded in 1776 by a secession from one of the " fellowship societies " formed by James See also:Fraser, of Brea (1639-1699) . The mission enterprises of Richard See also:Wright (1764-1836) and George Harris (1794-1859) produced; results of no See also:great permanence . There are now seven congregations . The Scottish Unitarian Association was founded in 1813, mainly by Thomas Southwood See also:Smith, M.D., the sanitary reformer . The McQuaker Trust was founded (1889) for propagandist purposes .

Ireland.—Controversy respecting the Trinity was excited in Ireland by the See also:

prosecution at See also:Dublin (1703) of Thomas Emlyn (see above), resulting in See also:fine and imprisonment, for rejecting the deity of Christ . In 1705 the See also:Belfast Society was founded for theological discussion by Presbyterian ministers in the See also:north, with the result of creating a body of opinion adverse to subscription to the See also:Westminster See also:standards . Toleration of dissent, withheld in Ireland till 1719, was then granted without the requirement of any doctrinal subscription . Next year a movement against subscription was begun in the General Synod of See also:Ulster, culminating (1725) in the placing of the See also:advocates of non-subscription, headed by John See also:Abernethy, D.D., of See also:Antrim; into a See also:presbytery by themselves . This Antrim presbytery was excluded (1726) from See also:jurisdiction, though not from communion . During the _ next See also:hundred years its members exercised . great influence on their brethren of the synod; but the See also:counter-influence of the mission of. the Scottish Seceders (from 1942) produced a reaction . The Antrim Presbytery gradually became Arian; the same type of theology affected more or less the See also:Southern Association, known since 18o6 as the Synod of See also:Munster . From 1783 ten of the fourteen presbyteries in the General Synod had made subscription optional; the synod's See also:code of 1824 left soundness in the faith " to be ascertained by subscription or by examination . Against this See also:compromise See also:Henry See also:Cooke, D.D . (1788-1868), directed all his See also:powers, and was ultimately (1829) successful in defeating his Arian opponent, Henry See also:Montgomery, LL.D . (1788-1865) . Montgomeryled a secession which formed (1830) the Remonstrant Synod, comprising three became the leader of the Unitarian movement .

At first presbyteries . In 1910 the Antrim Presbytery, Remonstrant mystical rather than rationalisticin his theology, he took See also:

part Synod and Synod of Munster were See also:united as the General Synod with the " Catholic Christians," as they called themselves, who of the non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland . They aimed at bringing See also:Christianity into See also:harmony with the See also:pro-have 38 congregations and some mission stations . Till 1889 gressive spirit of the time . His essays on The System of Excluthey maintained two theological chairs in Belfast, where John See also:sion and Denunciation in See also:Religion (1815), and Objections to See also: