National Republican., 1873-09-11
ORGANIZED uNIyKRsALIs,I.

ny REV. GILES BAILEY, or READING, Pa.
Tho Univcrsalist General Convention, viii, h |
s to hold Its annual session In the city Of |
September 10, n and is, Ia In its |
present form the product OF nearly centu- |
-y's growth. John Murray regarded,
Ihough not with strict accuracy, as the pio-
neer preacher Of UniycrsalIsm In America
purposed, on coming to this country In ITO,
neither to found denomination Of Chris
Lians bearing a distinctive name, nor even to
become public teacher Of the faith he had
embraced. But Providence otherwise or.
iered. Much against his inclination, hc was
soon engaged In the active work OF an timer
ant preacher. Calls for his services came to
him from various places, scattered through
tho colonies from Maryland to New Hamp-
shire. lie made no effort TO organize those
who embraced the faith he promulgated.
With little organizing ability, his feelings
were aycrse to The dry details required TO ar
range and consolidate the scattered materials
which his preaching had produced. II wss
doubtless as far from his thought to found
Church baecd upon the doctrines he preached
as II was from the mind OF John Wesley to
call into existence such q body as the Meth
O0lSl uenOmlUhtlDn. III DOtu lnbthuCcb kOulN
men wrought to better purposes than they
knew.
After several years spent In preaching the
doctrine of worlds salvation through
Christ wherever he could get hearing, Mr..
Murray was induced 10 take up his residence
In the town Of Gloucester, on Cape Ann, in
the Province Of Massachusetts. few Of the
most respectable families Of the place had be-
come Interested In the doctriue through IN
| acquaintance with the writings Of james
Reilly, Of London, from whom Mr.. Murray
had himself received his hrst impressions Of
| this view Of the results Of the Saviour's me-
diatorial reign. Here he was accustomed 10
expound his Views Of Gods universal grace
| arst, In the meeting-housc that was for awhile
open TO him; then In the private parlors Of
his devoted adhercnts, and afterwards in 4
house Of worship, which was, inlTso, erected
for his use. A society was organired. The
members solemnly covcnauted together, and
declared themselves an Independent Church
Of Christ It was the initial Organization oi
the Universallst Church Of America.
This little band Of consecrated men and
women experienced the common lot of thos'
who depart from prevalent religious faith
Relying on the immunity secured by that ar
ticle In the Massachusetts, Bill Of Right
which declared that "all moneys paid BY tn,
subject to the support Of public worship shall
u hs require II, be uniformly applied TO th
i tuDpOft VI tnt tthCutt VI tCuchots VI hib oWt
religious sect or denomination, provided thcr
be any whose Instructions he attends, the.
apprehended no opposition to this appropria
ton Of their portion Of tho ecclesiastica
taxes. But they were not TO secure this priv
ilege without . struggle. They were regu
larly assessed for tho support Of the ministe
(CongregationaD Of the frst church In Glou
cester. Refusing TO pay, their property wa
seized and sold al auction, ARTICLES Of plat
from one, English goods from another, an
from another the anchor Of q vessel on tn
point of sailing" These acts Of violenc
were conducted inthe most vexatious way
as II to worry the followers Of tho hcretics
minister into an acquiescence In the unjus
demands Of the orthoae9 party.
The only remedy for the injured party Ia,
through the courts. Mr.. Murray was ayers
to litigation. Had he been the only suffere
he would have peremptorily refused TO resor
, to legal measures for protection. His want
were few and well supplied BY his Friends
! He required no salary, nor did he coyet th
money which, by the bill Of rights, legal
! belonged to him rather than to the town
, minister" But the rights Of his faithful fol
lowers were at stake. Religious liberty wa
In jeopardy. Very much against his inclina
ton he permitted his name to be used for tn
recovery Of the moneys thus misappropriate
and their reversion TO himself, as the Lawful
claimant. The case was long In court. tn
Il Dttt lcEdl thltut Wus tuptOlCu W thc Hti
gants. vexatious delays occurred. Tria
succeeded trial, and review followed review
running through the years 1888, 1854 an
, l1S5. The final decision was reached In 11St
after q protracted trial and clear and DE-
cided charge by the presiding Judge, VIII
said, In reference to the question which ha
been raised, whether Mr.. Murray could b
considered "a teacher Of plety, religion an
morality" at is my opinion that Mr.. Mui
ray comes within the description Of tho Con
stitution, and has right to require th
money" The Jury returned verdict In &C
cordance with the charge, and In favor Of tn
plaintiff. In Massachusetts, Universalist
were thenceforth exempt from taxation 70
the support Of other ministers than their own
But In other States, a. In New Hampshire
for instance, II required twenty years Of lega
controversy to secure for them the privileg
of supporting only their own religious teach
srs. For the ''soul liberty" enjoyed by a
classes the community Is indebted to then
not less than to the Baptists, who fought 8
vigorously for It In their early history Us
distinct denomination,
A few societies besides that In Qlouceste
having been gathered, and other preacher
OF the doctrine having arisen, the Genert
Convention Of Unlversalists was formed, at
meeting Of ministers and delegates, held 1
, Oxford, Mass, In 17S5. Mr.. Murray d,
. scribes the gathering, as truly primitive.
l Inc OTpuUlZttlOU, WHICH was clcttCtt WI
very simple, and the deliberations partoo
! more Of the character of brotherly confer
ence than Of formal ecclesiastical body
The name which was adopted was that q
Independent Christian Uniyersalists." PC
many years the annual sessions were smal
At that OF 1913, but three ministers were /
; attendance. The meeting Of that year wa
4; held In courthouse. An attempt was mad
I TO prevent the use of the building. Th
8 sheriff Of the county placed himself In th
s open door with drawn sword In his hant
/, | and forbade the entrance Of the people a,
: semblcd. His menaces were dlsregardet
and the valiant officer ingloriously retired.
II Is doubtful " the Convention at frst col
0 templated the exercise Of any eeclesisstici
4 at the session OF l794, yet he had made no aI
. plicationfo receiving the rite. No vote wi
: taken to confer IL. He did not know he WI
9 to be ordained, and II was not ILL near th
. close Of tho sermon, which was preached b
D Mr.. Winchester, that the candidate poropiye
, that the service had reference to an ordini
, tion. The first account we have Of Its gran
! Of the session Of 1900. Seven ministers WEI
that year thus admitted. No form Of fait
, was prescribed by 1t till 1903, and then only
save the Uniyersalists Of New Iiampshii
from the payment Of taxes for the support {
the ministers Of the standing Order. ~
| supreme lOurt OF Iuat Stdte htu ueciueu
/, effect that tho Unlvarsalists, having no pr
scribod creed, had no rights which The Coz
e gregationalists were bound to respect. I'll
adoption that year by the Convention Of th
Winchester Confession made the Uniyersalis
: of New Hampshire, In the eyes Of the law,
! distinct and Independent denomination
Their rights were thereafter regarded by II
1 courts, and oppressive taxation 0oasod.
II The multiplication Of societies led 10 th
formation Of Associations. The FIRST OF the1
bodies was organized In lD9 II was 70
lowed In the course Of few years by man
others In different parts Of the Eastern an
Middle States. Tho powers Of these bodit
seem 10 have been no better defined tina
those of the General Convention. We hn
them granting letters OF fellowship, while th
latter body yet eontinued TO exercise the sam
prerogative. At q subsequent period Stat
Conventions were formed, with no cleare
definition of their relative authority. Thcs
| various bodies exorted On important iniluenc
and did noble work In difusing tho prlu
ciples Of Uniyersallsm. People came gres
distances TO their various sessions; listene
, with rapt attention to the sermons Of distir
I guished ministers, and carried back In thei
hearts the doctrines they had heard so clearl
stated and so elOquently enforced. But ther
was little regard 70 system In the measure
adopted by these different organizations, an
|, their action sometimes clashed. The luei
! tion seems not at that time to have been full
decided, whether full faith and credit shoul
be given by one to tho public acts and record
, OF the others; or wliethora minister in fu