The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-11
REV. DR.. KING
ON UNTIARIANS
CONTINUED From Page One.l

claimed, was destructive. 1t was de-
voted to criticism of orthodoxy and to
the humiliation of its creeds. He said
he was glad to see in the Unitarian
Church of the present a tendency to
become constructive rather than de-
StructiVe He referred to the meeting
of the Mems Union Of Trinity Church
two years ago at which speakers from
all the different denominations defend
ed their beliefs and said that he be-
lieved the person who represented Uni
tarianism did it in a way that was I'M
satisfactory to other members Of his
own denomination because he defended
its destructive policy.
AS a hopeful sign of the present time
DR.. King mentioned a sermon by
friend of his, a Unitarian clergyman
in Taunton, the burden of which was
"We have destroyed enough. There is
mighty little left to us now. Let us
strengthen the things that remain"
DR.. King said that the denomination
had actually raised the question as to
whether it ought to have in it's creed
statement of belief in a personal
God. He thought, however, that this
was caused not so much by lack of
faith in a personal God as by their
dislike for creeds.
He said the Universalists emphasize
| theism and the eternal life OF the soul
| and added that some of the best writ
ers upon these subjects have been OF
that denomination. He continued,
| There is a thing which amuses me a
little. Speaking plainly, for L dom
know how else to speak, it seems to
me that our Unitarian friends are in
clined to parade unduly the names of
certain men, great men, indeed and
men who have CHANGED to be New
Englanders. We are told with deal
| of interest that Emerson, LongtelloW,
and many more were Unitarlans.
! What do you suppose they would
think if told about the men who were
Trinitarians? The list would INCLUDE
| nearly all the great names of the
Christian world, for practically the
whole Christian world, Protestant and
Catholic, is and has been Trinitar-
ian. The few names brought up on the
other side hardly amount to any
| thing"
DR.. Kings chief argument against
Unitarianism was that it seems to deny
everything that is distinctive in Christ
ianity. There is even something con-
genial between the belief and the high
err heather religions. Belief in God IS
not distinctive of Christianity-God is
worshipped in all religions. But when
we come to the Trinity, the deity and
presence of Jesus and of the Holy
Ghost-these are the things which dis
tinguish it from other religions" and
strength of Christianity said DR..
King, lies in those things which dis
tinguish it from other deligions,' and
in this connection he mentioned the
small size of the Unitarian denomina-
ton. He estimated the number of COM
M licants at little upwards of 10000.
ne said it seemed to him that this
| giving away to the fundamentals of
| Christianity had weakened the force
and strength of the denomination.
Dr. King traced briefly the rise of
Unitarianism in this country from the
Protestant Episcopal Congregation in
Kings Chapel Boston, which in 1887
| adopted Unitarian views and ordained
James Freeman as it's first pastor He
noted that this denomination like the
| Universalists, Sprang up with those
who had been trained in Calvinistic
doctrines. Most of the Unitarians were
originally Congregationalists From
the ranks of the Trinitarian Congre-
| gationalists about 100 churches broke
| away and became Unitarian Congrega-
| tional polityl in church government,
| He said that the first Methodists in
| New England were better treated by
| the Uhitarians than by the Congrega-
| tionallsts retaining the Congre-
the first Methodist preacher who came
to Worcester was entertained by Uni
| tartan layman.
But" he continued, there is a real
difference betweenthe Unitarian Church
and the Methodist Church; a difference
as wide as heaven and earth, that can
never be bridged over. No matter how
well Methodist preachers may agree
with their Unitarian brethren in civic
| affairs; no matter if they do work to-
| gether for the cause of temperance,
the difference in faith is still there. The
| difference is just here. If what we be-
| lieve is true, that Jesus Christ is the
| Son of God, then we ought to worship
him. But if. as the Unitarians claim,
| Christ was only man, every blessed
one of us is an idolator."
DIR. King said he believed that the
divinity of Christ could only be proved
| by the inspiration of the Holyl Ghost
| in the heart. This proof, he said, was
necessary to belong to the Methodist
| Church. Il ask the Unitarians not to
say hard things of me if l believe more
than they, if my faith is bigger, and my
| creed is larger"