The story of Protestant dissent and English Unitarianism

Front matter

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Introduction

Necessity for historical retrospect to correct erroneous views of Unitarian Congregation^ History — Dr. Martineau and Unitarianism — Opinions of Congregationalists — * English Presbyterianism ' — Sectarianism — Necessity of Controversy — Unitarian Opinions and Biographies — ^This a Sketch of the rise of Unitarian Congregations. Page 17.

II. The Presbyterians

English Presbyterianism in the Sixteenth Century — ^The Long Parliament — Opinions of Dr. Martineau and J. H. Thom — Intolerance of the Presbyterians — ^The Independents Defend Toleration and Religious Liberty — The Restoration — Presbyterians Opposed to Toleration. Page 28.

III. Richard Baxter

Importance of Baxter — ' Baxterian Catholicity ' — The True Catholic — Baxter's Intolerance — His Theological Position — Opposed to Liberty of Conscience — A great Controversialist — The later Baxter — His Ecclesiastical Position — ^What he meant by a Catholic Church — His Episcopal Scheme — Never a Presbyterian — Refused to be so called — Synodical Episcopacy — Priest, the English of Presbyter — Divine Right of Presbyterian Ministers. Page 45.

IV. The Ejection, 1662

The Nonconformists did not Object to Creeds or Doctrines — Why they Refused to Conform — Presbyterian Uniformity — Fortunate Results of the Act of 1662 — ^J. R. Green's Opinion — The Sufferings of the Ejected Ministers. Page 59.

V

Characteristics of the Dissenters — Did not Dissent from the Creeds nor object to Subscription — The * Heads of Agreement ' — Quarrels about Doctrines — 'The Creed-making Age revived,* Calamy — The Baxterians — Moderate Calvinists and Occasional Conformists — The Three Denominations — How Differentiated — Liberal Dissenters improperly called Presbyterians — Independents — Intolerance of English Presbyterians — The Exeter Assembly — Murch's Opinion — Baptist Liberality — Eminent Liberal Dissenters refused to be called Presbyterian — The Proper Distinction — Evangelical and Unitarian — Note, the 'English Presbyterians* — The Wolverhampton Chapel Case — ^The Manchester Socinian

Contents 7

Controversy — ^The Lady Hewley Charities Case — The Unitarian Presbyterians and the three denominations. Page 6y.

VI. The Meeting-houses

Origin and Characteristics — The *Open Trust' Myth — Meeting-houses built by the Creed-making Dissenters — First Dissenters all 'Subscribers' — Opinions on the Open Trust, Dr. James Drummond, Dr. Brooke Herford, Mr. Herbert New — The Three Denominations used the same Form of Trust — Theories with regard to these Trusts — Mr. Gladstone — the Rev. J. J. Tayler — No Principle involved in the Form of these Trusts, the Form a Legal one — The Gloucester Meeting-house — James Forbes an Independent and a Subscriber — No Connection between the Trusts and Religious Freedom — The Extension of Toleration, 1779, 181 3, 1844 — The Lawyers* Mistake in Wolverhampton Case — Names a Matter of Usage. Page 99.

VII. Non-subscription

* Non-subscription * not correlative with ' Open Trusts.' What is Non-subscription? — No Non-subscribing Congregations dating from 1662 or 1689 — Indefiniteness of the Term — Voluntary Safeguards in Free Churches — Doctrinal Trust Deeds — Confessions of Faith — Declarations of Assemblies — The Salters' Hall Conference — Synod of Ulster — Baptist Assembly — The Exeter Dispute — Calamy, John

Fox, Peirce, and Hallett — Salters* Hall Subscription — Division not on Denominational Lines — ^The Result an Affirmation of Congregational Independence — Exaggeration of the Importance of the Affair — The SoHcitor-General in the Wolverhampton Case — The Non-subscribers' own Statements — Freedom only demanded by those who doubt or disbelieve — ^Truth-seekers the only Free Inquirers — Orthodox Opposition to Free Inquiry — Only Unitarians Religiously Free. Page 119.

VIII

* Only Christians ' means the same as Unitarian Christians — The Liberal Dissenters after 1720 — Appendix to Dissenters' Chapels Bill — ^Anti-Trinitarian Opinions from Middle of Eighteenth Century — Dr. John Taylor — The Norwich Sermon — Taylor an anti-Trinitarian — ^The Trinitarian Scheme and Unitarianism — Opinions of Taylor's Contemporaries — ^John Wesley — A* Friendly Epistle' — *The Arians' and Socinians* Monitor' — The Line drawn since Taylor's Time — Occasional Trinitarians. Page 138.

IX. The Unitarians

The Unitarian Name a Religious Distinction — Not Sectarian — Liberal. Dissenters developed into Unitarians — The Transition from Calvinism by way of Arminianism — Unitarianism a Definite Principle — The Worship of the Father only — Dr. Enoch Mellor's

Contents

Opinion — Lindsey, Yates, Lant Carpenter — Unity of Worship with Freedom of Opinion — No other Name as good for the purpose as Unitarian — Religion and Doctrine — Importance of Unitarian Christianity — Value of the Name — ^J. J. Tayler's Opinion — Origin of English Unitarianism. Page 150.

X. John Biddle

A Glance Back — ^J. J. Tayler on Unitarianism in the Seventeenth Century — Dr. John Owen — Vindicice Evangelicce — Influence of Biddle — His Opinions — The Twofold Catechism — Biddle's Career. Page 163.

XI. LiNDSEY, Priestley, and Belsham

Anti-Trinitarianism before Lindsey — Lindsey's the first avowed Unitarian Congregation — Particulars ; Lindsey's Aim Religious, not Controversial — Priestley — Unjust Depreciation of Priestley — Emotional Preaching — Priestley's Piety — Congregational Ideal — Priestley as a Controversialist, Mr. Skeats' Opinion — A Hundred Years' Appreciation of Priestley — The Priestley Memorial — Belsham — Dogmatic Unitarianism — Belsham's Hatred of Ambiguity — * Idolatrous ' — His Career — Evolution of a Unitarian — The Calm Inquiry — Importance of Controversy — ^The Improved Version of the New Testament — Services of Lindsey, Priestley, and Belsham to the Unitarian Cause. Page 174.

lO Protestant Dissent and Unitarianism

XII. The Unitarian Societies

The Unitarian Book Society, 1791 — ^The Unitarian Fund, 1806 — Civil Rights Association, 1 8 19 — British and Foreign Unitarian Association, 1825 — Preamble to Rules of Book Society — Anniversary Sermon by Mr. Joyce, 18 16 — The Fund Society founded by Mr. Eaton ; his Account of it — ^The Unitarian Association; Services rendered by it — The Cause of Religious Truth. Page 199.