symbols intended to remind the communicant of the events of Christ's sufferings and death, and thus give rise to devout reflections.

UNITARIANS.

THE Controversy which took place in Boston between Dr. Channing and Dr. Samuel Worcester, in 1815, first attracted the attention of the whole community to the existence and to the doctrines of Unitarianism. The polemic storm raged during several years, many publications appearing on both sides of the question. After the tempest passed away, the unscathed and imposing form of Unita rian Christianity appeared through the gloom, towering toward heaven in attractive beauty, symmetry, and solidity, holding a recognized place among the religious denominations of the country. The principle which lies at the foundation of this church is that of the unrestricted right of private judgment in matters of religion. The advocates of Unitarianism hold that each individual is responsible to God for the opinions which he entertains, and that where there is responsibility there must of necessity be perfect freedom of thinking and acting. Neither primitive Fathers, nor ecclesiastical councils, nor synods, nor established creeds, possess any absolute authority for them. In the conscientious exercise of this right the founders, or rather revivers, of Unitarianism in this country, arrived at a system of belief something like the following: They hold to the absolute Unity of the Supreme Being; thus necessarily denying the doctrine of the Trinity, or three persons in one God. They teach that Christ was the first and greatest of all created beings; that he was the wisest and best personage who ever existed on earth; that his mission was divine, being what he himself declared it to be, sent by God "to bear witness to the truth;" that the Holy Spirit is not a separate personal entity, but an influence which the Creator exercises upon the minds of men under such circumstances as may comport with his will and purposes; that the Scriptures are for the most part

the product of a divine influence exerted upon the minds of those who wrote them, and that they contain doctrines and precepts, the belief and observance of which will make men wise unto salvation. The Unitarians further believe that the death of Christ was not vicarious, but simply the necessary and natural result of his labors and innovations. as a great and wise teacher; that by dying on the cross he gave the strongest possible evidence of his own sincerity, disinterestedness, and obedience to the will of Him who sent him; that he was raised from the dead " "by the power of God;" that such miracles as he did perform, he performed by that same power, which was delegated to him; that inasmuch as he left no very specific and minute directions to his apostles in reference to the external religious organization of those who then were, and who would afterward become, his followers, he regarded that outward form as a matter of little consequence; that in proportion as mankind in every age believe and obey what they find recorded in the Scriptures, interpreted by their own enlightened consciousness of what they suppose to be taught therein, they will be happy here and hereafter. They hold that charity, and not ecclesiastical ferocity-love to God and man, and not implacable religious bigotry and spite constitute the great fundamental essence of Christianity. They believe that every sinful act will be punished precisely in proportion to its deserts; and that the ultimate consequence of that punishment will be curative and remedial, which they regard as the only fit purpose of punishment when inflicted by an infinitely wise and benevolent Creator. Finally, they contend that, at the "consummation of all things," a result will be produced which will prove that the chief object of God in the creation of the world was not to construct an almost universal pandemonium, in which ninety-nine hundredths of his rational creatures should after death be eternally and hopelessly miserable, thus making a general hell in fact the chef d'œuvre of his moral government, and the most prominent and all-absorbing object in it; but that, on the

contrary, the final destiny of the world will be the prevalence of universal holiness, such as God's pure law demands; of universal happiness, such as his merciful nature rejoices in; a whole race redeemed from sin and misery by obedience to the truth, such as Jesus taught it; and a universe exulting throughout its vast and illimitable domains in that unbroken harmony, purity, and felicity, which would alone confer glory upon the attributes and providence of the Creator and Father of all..

UNIVERSALISTS.

Or the real doctrines of Universalism, very great ignorance prevails in this country. As an organized denomination it is of comparatively recent date; being scarcely known anterior to the opening of the present century. Yet though the career of the organization is not very ancient, it is a circumstance worthy of note that the chief central doctrine of Universalism has been held by some few Christian teachers in all ages since the Apostolic era. Several of the early Fathers taught it. Origen and Arius believed it. Several of the divines of the Church of England have held it, such as Tillotson; as well as some eminent "Dissenters," such as John Foster; to say nothing of vast numbers of what are termed the Neological or Rationalistic theologians of Germany. It cannot be denied that important changes have taken place in the doctrinal system held by Universalists in this country, since it was originally preached by Hosea Ballou, the first. According to him and his immediate successors, the theory of Universalism was, that all penalty or punishment for sin was inflicted in the present life; and that in consequence of the universal and all-atoning power of Christ's sufferings and atonement, all men entered on the enjoyment of the felicities of heaven immediately after their departure from the earth. This theory entirely ignored the existence of hellfire; of a personal, living and tormenting Devil; of a literal judgment-day, in which a separation should be

made between the good and the bad, the sheep and the goats; and it contended that though every man should be adequately and sufficiently punished for his unforgiven sins, that punishment would be inflicted only during the period and the progress of the present existence.

Subsequently the main doctrine of the denomination became altered, in consequence, probably, of future investigation, and also, doubtless, from the experience which had been felt of the difficulty of maintaining, by argument, the position originally and previously contended for. The opinion substituted for the old one by the general consent, or at least by the general use and concurrence of the denomination, was, that while denying the eternity of hell-fire, they admitted that some punishment for sin did take place in a future state, accurately proportioned by Infinite Wisdom and Justice to the precise deserts of the sinner. Universalists now hold to the existence of a future purgatory, not unlike, in some respects, to the Roman Catholic doctrine. They are at present, in fact and substance, Rationalists, teaching the final restoration of all mankind to holiness, and, as a necessary consequence, to happiness. Other important changes have taken place gradually in the doctrinal system held by them. Origi nally they taught the absolute divinity of Christ, with the vicarious nature and the universally efficacious power of his atonement. They held that, so great was the benefit produced by his sufferings and death for fallen, degraded and ruined humanity, that all men were saved thereby from future and eternal punishment: the disciplinary and punitive portion of human existence being confined to the present life. Now, however, they generally deny the divinity of Christ. Some are Arians, regarding him as a member of the Godhead, but greatly inferior in nature, power, and glory, to the Father. The majority of them are Socinians, believing Christ to have been only a man, but the greatest, best, and wisest of men and of teachers who ever existed and labored on earth. They deny the vicarious nature of the atonement, or, rather, they do not