The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-19
SENATOR GEORGE F. HoAR.

SENATOR GEORGE F. HOAR.
Thomas r. Slicer, Howard n. Hosmer,
Robert Collyer, D. D., Mary A. Stafford,
Ida c. Hultin and Anna GarIin Spencer,
all of whom Will take part in the exer-
cises.
The Rev. Brooke Rerford, D. D., Of
London, will also be present and take
part as the representative of the British
and Foreign Unitarian association. and
among those cot belonging to the minis
try Professor John Fiske, Dr. c. G.
Everett, Professor F. G. Peabody and
President G.. Stanley Hall will take part.
The foundation principles upon which
Unitarianism now stands are we'll set
ont in the following declaration from
the new preamble to the constitution
adopted at the last national conference,
held at Saratoga: 1.-The national confer
encc of Unitarian and other Christian
churches accepts the religion of Jesus,
holding, in accordance with his teach
ings, that practical religion is summed
I up i'll love to God and love to man. "
This declaration is believed by Uni
tarians to be Ole which would have Sc
cured the approval Of the lamented Lin
coin, since he said, as quoted by T. B.
Carpenter III his six Months In the
White House, - ''When any church will
inscribe over its altar as its sole Gualifi-
cation for membership the Saviour S con-
densed statement Of both law and gos-
pei, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor
as myself, that church will join with
all my heart and soul. -
-Four presidents of the United States
have been members of the Unitarian
church-both the Adamses, Thomas
Jefferson and Willard Fillmore Many
United States senators, judges and lit
ersry men have also been Of its mem
bership. Holmes, Lowell, Bryant and
Curtis were shining Unitarians.
1t was $50 years ago that Unitarianism
began in New Eng land, during the re-
vival conducted by Jonathan Edwards
and George Whitefield and known as the
"great awakening" Those who did
not agree with the doctrines and meth
DDS of these preachers drew away from
the Congregational church, and 10 years
later formally separated themselves from
the orthodox Congregationalists and
openly avowed themselves Unitarian
quarters of century that had been lead
ing up to this step the liberals i'll each
parish had failed to join the churches,
and i'll some cases formed Il majority of
the whole, the orthodox being church
members of course. The question Of the
ownership of the church property then
got into the courts, and it was finally
decided by the supreme court Of Massa-
chusetts that the property belonged to
the parish. In each case where division
was made the property went with the
church when the church was in the ma
jority and went with the parish with
out the church when the church was il
the minOrity.
Surviving from the time when ortho-
dox and Unitarian ongregationalists
belonged 20 the same body, there is still
in Massachusetts the Congregational
convention, which holds and administers
funds impaTtially for the benefit of both
orthodox and Unitarian Congregation
alist ministers. At the present time the
two parties are so near in agreement
that it would be impossible to create a
division upon the old issues. What is
called liberal orthodoxy is almost the
same as the Unitarianism of Boston in
1925. In other words, new orthodoxy
is old Unitarianism -
In many cases the original first Con
gregational churches Of New England
are now Unitarian. This is true of the
first parish of Plymouth, Mass. founded
at Scrooby, England, 1906; the first
church of Salem, Mass. founded ten years
later; the first church of Boston, founded
n
Mass, founded in 1851, and dozen
others.
Since the days of Theodore Parker
the number Of Unitarian churches has
doubled. But Unitarians do not con-
slider numbers the sole proof of success.
They feel gratified by the fact that from
John Adams to Senator Hoar they have
included in their membership line of
distinguished statesmen at Washington.