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    UNITARIANISM IN AMERICA .

    f About th . £ year 179 6 , when Dr . Trie tley was on a visit to Philadelphia , an Unitarian Society was'formed , which existed till the year 1800 , when it "was so much reduced by deaths and removals , that it was thmigbt expedient to discontinue the meetings . Matters continued

    in this state , till about the end . of the year 1806 . At that time , Mr Christie , formerly of Montrose , ( author of a volume pf Discourses oilf the Divine Unity ) being about to quit his situation , as tutor of a . country academy , about 30 miles from Philadelphia , it was resolved to attempt the re-establishment of the

    Society , through his means . He was according ^ invited by the remaining members of the former Society , to try the experiment , by preaching in the Universalists * Church at Philadelphia , as Dr . Priestley formerly had done . In February 1807 , Air . C . removed to Philadelphia , and entered upon his charge , and at the same

    time , opened a school . It was not long , however , before some persons taking offence at Mr C . ' s bold manner of preaching , \ , for instance , charging the worshippers of jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit with idolatry , ) withdrew ; upon which , the remaining members thought it necespai y for the interests of the

    Society , to draw up a code of laws . The consequences of this measure have been alfeady detailed : ( M , Repos . Vol . III . p . 55 . ) the itfew Constitution was so much disapproved of , by Mr . Christie and a few of his friends , that they separated , and formed a second Unitarian Church . The ** Constitution' * itself is now in

    our hands . It is n . handsome 8 vo . pamphlet of 34 page < . It consists of a Declaration of Beliefs of Rules , and cfILxplatmto > y Observations . The Declaration is composed of the following Articles , most excellent in themselves , whatever may be thought of requiring Christians to subscribe them :

    •* i . That this Society claims , and by the pre * ent act exercises , the right , which , as intelligent and accountable beings they fos ess , and which is guaranteed to them y the excellent constitution of their country , of judging for themselves in gaiters of religion , and of periormiiig the social acts thereof in that form an 4 manner whi * h conscience dictate ** as

    rnost rational , decent , and acceptable . % . That " the only proper object of su-

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    preme adoration and worship is , the < h ? living and true God , the Father , in whom they believe as the Maker of the heavens , the earth , and all things therein . 3 . That they receive the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the

    authentic records ol his revealed will to mankind . 4 . That they cordially and thankfully acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Son of God , the promised Messiah , to whom all obedience ought to be rendered as to the distinguished and approved messenger of the love of God to the human race —\* -hom he raised from the dead , and

    by whom , he will at the last day recal all mankind to life , and render unto them according to their works . 5 . That they believe the Holy Spirit to be that extraordinary divine energy and power , which was granted to prophets and holy men of old , but "which was manifested pre eminently in Christ , and afterwards in his apostles and otner believers of the primitive age , whereby they were enabled to bear miraculous testimony to the truth of the gospel , and to spread it

    through all nations of the world . " The rules vest all power in the body of the church . They reduce the authority of the pastor to a degree to which few ministers on this side the Atlantic would stoop . Provision is even made ( which is surely incompatible with the respect due to a Christian teacher ) for preferring complaints against him : these complaints are to be made in writing , and signed at least by thVee persons ; they are then to be laid before die

    Committee of Management , who are to present them to the whole Society , at the conclusion of one of the meetings for public worship , who are to appoint a day for a special meeting , when it is to be determined by ballot , whether the proceedings shall be discontinued , or the pastor be suspended or dismissed . This is over-doing democracy itself . With respect to baptism , nothing is determined ; the Z . ord " s supper is to be administered

    x a year . s The Explanatory Observations are , for the most part , sound and manly . These JPhiladelphian Unitarians are sensible of the value of civil and relig ious liberty . * Our simple institutions , " say they , Ki wilt , we trust , be found fully adequate to the &reat purposes of decency aud order ; and we appiehend it xvih be

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    K 288 )

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1808, page 288, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2392/page/60/