UNITARIANS. 
Variety of persons, who, notwithstanding, 
agree in this one common principle, that 
there is no distinction in the divine nature. 
Tlie appellation of Unitarian may be 
considered as a generic term, including in it 
a number of specific differences. Indeed, 
ail tliose who reject the doctrine of the Tri- 
nity, and pay divine worship to the Father 
only, may w’ith propriety be called Unita- 
rians. As it is a principle among this body 
of Cliristians, that the most unbounded li- 
berty ought to be granted to every indivi- 
dual to understand and explain the doc- 
trines of the Scriptures according to his 
own particular views, it has long been di- 
vided into a number of parties, differing on 
vaiious subjects not immediately affecting 
the leading doctrine of the Divine Unity. 
Though the ancient Arians appear never to 
have adopted this appellation, yet most of 
their successors of tlie present day assert 
that they have a just claim to the title ; 
because, they say, that they pay divine 
adoration to the one God and Father only, 
and not to Jesus Christ, or to the Holy 
Ghost. If this be admitted, it will appear 
that the Unitarian doctrine is of very an- 
cient date. Indeed, they profess to derive 
their faith solely from the sacred Scriptures 
of the Old and New Testaments. 
Soon after the Nicene Connell, wdien the 
Christian world had wearied itself with re- 
ligions wars and disputes concerning doc- 
trines and government ; and the Papal 
power had, apparently, converted the king- 
dom of Christ into a kingdom ot this world, 
the subjects of religious controversy ceased, 
in a great degree, to agitate the minds of 
men, until the memorable period of tlie Re- 
formation. Then again did the flame, which 
had been long sraotliering, burst out ; and 
the great and leading maxim, of the right of 
private judgment in matters of religion, on 
wliicli the Reformation was founded, once 
more gave liberty to the powers of the hu- 
man understanding. How far those powers 
weie exerted against many of the doctrines 
of the Cluirch of Rome, we have already 
described in the articles Protestants and 
Reformation. Though Luther and his ad- 
herents, liad done miicli towafds effecting a 
complete reformation in religion, it was 
thought by many persons of great learning 
and pidty, that much still remained to be 
cleared away, before the religion of Jesus 
Christ could again assume its native lustre 
and purity. Among the number of those who 
were of this opinion, was a learned and emi- 
Benf physician' of Spain, commonly called 
Michael Servetus. This gentleman, con- 
ceiVing that the ideas generally maintained, 
concerning the Trinity, and some other po- 
pular doctrines, were false and dangerous, 
discovered and propagated what he con- 
ceived to be a more rational theory ; the 
leading feature of whicli related to the. doc- 
trine of the Trinity, which he flatly denied; 
at least in the manner in which it was then 
commonly understood. 
On this subject he published liis famous 
book, entitled “ De Trinitatis Erroribus 
with which, as Oecolampadius, writing to 
Bucer, observes, the reformers at Berne 
were very much offended. At the same time 
he remarks, tliat the churches would be very 
ill spoken of, unless their divines would 
make it their business to “ cry it down.” 
“ We know not,” he continues, “ how that 
beast, (Servetus) came to creep in among 
us ; he wrests all passages of Scripture to 
prove, that the Son is not co-eternal and 
consiibstantial with the Father, and that 
the man Christ is the Son of God.” 
Now it was, that the fears of Melancthon 
began to be realized. In a letter to Joachim 
Cameraper, tliis reformer thus expresses 
himself : “ You know that I was always 
afraid, that these disputes about the Trinity 
would break out some time or other. Good 
God ! what tragedies will this question pro- 
duce among posterity ; — wlietlier the Logos 
be a substance or a person.” To alleviate, 
in some measure, tliese fears, this meek re- 
former wrote a letter to the Popish Senate 
at Venice, beseeching them to use their ut- 
most endeavours to prevent the spread of 
the errors contained in Servetus’s book. It 
was, liowever, reserved for the zeal of 
Calvin to convince the religious world that 
the reformers, with all their zeal against 
popery, had not learned to shake off a spirit 
0.^- fiery persecution against those whom 
they chose to account heretics. Not con- 
tent with calling Servetus “ the proudest 
knave of tlie Spanish nation,” “a villainous, 
obscene, barking dog, a blockhead and a 
beast,” this furious bigot, with all tlie abo- 
minable cant with which the genius of his 
religions creed could amply supply him, 
caused the unhappy Servetus to be burnt at 
the stake as a lieretic, after baviiig harassed 
and tormented him in every possible way 
that the most determined villainy and artful 
liypocrisy could suggest. Thus died the 
first U nitarian martyr after the Reformation ; 
and thus was he treated by one of the prin- 
cipal reformers ! 
It was probably from the books of 
