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[All page numbers listed in this Table of Contents refer to pages in Raible’s original collection of documents. All links (other than the prefatory material) lead to Peter Raible’s helpful introductions and guiding questions, provided for each text in the collection. The introductory pages themselves either contain the material in question or link to it on an external website. – ERM]
HSL’s Introduction, by Emily Mace
Introduction, by Peter Raible, page viii
Preface, by Patricia Bowen, page x
Acknowledgements, by Peter Raible, page xi
Biography of Peter Raible, page i
SECTION I: The European Background Before 1800
David Robinson, The Unitarians and the Universalists, page 1
George H. Williams, “The Polish Brethren,” page 2
“Act of Religious Tolerance” – Diet of Torda (three translations), page 16
Robert Browne, “The Life and Manners of All True Christians,” page 18
James II “Declaration of Indulgence,” page 29
Earl Worse Wilbur, “Liberal Dissenters Unite to Form the Unitarian Church,” page 33
SECTION II: The America Colonial Experience: 1620-1800
Conrad Wright, “Walking Together,” page 44
The Mayflower Compact, page 45
“The Salem Symbols,” page 47
Thomas Hooker, “The Principles of 1645,” page 51
James Gustafson, “A Study in the Problem of Authority in Congregational Church Order“, page 58
“The Cambridge Platform of 1648,” page 73
Henry Wilder Foote, “The Significance and Influence of the Cambridge Platform,” page 85
Conrad Wright, “A Doctrine of the Church for Liberals,” page 96
Conrad Wright, “Autonomy and Fellowship,” page 97
David Hall, “The Meeting House,” page 98
J. William Youngs, Jr., “Congregational Clericalism: New England Ordinations Before the Great Awakening,” page 99
“Preface to the Result of 1662,” page 110
“The Proposals of 1705,” page 128
“Declaration … Relating to the Rev. Mr. Davenport…,” page 140
C.C. Goen, “Revivalistic Innovations,” page 143
Nathaniel Thayer, “On Revivals in Religion,” page 172
Earl Morse Wilbur, “Religious Tendencies in Colonial New England,” page 185
SECTION III: Birthing the Unitarian Movement – 1800-25
(This section contains a number of documents which are not time-specific, but relate to issues fundamental to starting organized Unitarianism, so they are included here.)
Paul M. Harrison, “Authority and Power in the Free Church Tradition,” page 208
Sidney Mead, “The Nation With the Soul of a Church,” page 209
Phillip Hewett, “Why Unitarian?,” page 240
William Ellery Channing, “Remarks on Association,” page 256
George Ellis, “The Church and the Parish in Massachusetts,” page 264
Conrad Wright, “Unitarian Universalist Denominational Structure,” page 286
Conrad Wright, “The Growth of Denominational Bureaucracies,” page 287
Virgil E. Murdock, “Institutional History of the American Unitarian Association – 1825,” page 288
Earl Morse Wilbur, “The Period of Controversy: 1800-1825,” page 304
SECTION IV: The Unitarian Struggle to Organize: 1825-65
Earl Morse Wilbur, “Organization and Development of the Unitarian Movement,” page 338
Thomas L Smith, “Evangelical Unitarianism,” page 371
Frederick May Eliot, “Tensions in Unitarianism a Hundred Years Ago,” page 380
James Freeman Clarke, “A Discourse Delivered at the Dedication of the Chapel,” page 385
J. H. Allen, “On Some Results of the Voluntary System, Especially in Our Country Parishes,” page 388
Ron Clark, “Our Church as Seen by Religious Geography,” page 412
John Pierpoint, “M. Grandpierre on American Unitarianism,” page 426
James Freeman Clarke, “A Sermon on the Principles and Methods of the Church of the Disciples,” page 450
George Willis Cooke, “The Period of Radicalism,” page 472
Sylvester Judd, “The Birthright Church,” page 505
Frederic Henry Hedge, “The Broad Church,” page 541
Henry W. Bellows, “The Relation of Liberal Christians to a True Theology and a Higher Religious Life,” page 551
Henry W. Bellows, “The Suspense of Faith,” page 568
Conrad Wright, “Henry W. Bellows and the Organization of the National Conference,” page 583
SECTION V: Unitarians Organize, Divide and Diddle: 1865 – 1900
Earl Morse Wilbur, “The Unitarian Church Matures and Finds its Mission,” page 584
George Willis Cooke, “The Denominational Awakening,” page 606
Samuel Hobart Winkley, “Some Conditions of the Modern Ministry,” page 643
Henry W. Bellows, “The Reformed Church of Christendom or the Duties of Liberal Christians to the National Faith at this Crisis of Opinions,” page 657
Henry W. Bellows, “On the Alleged Unattractiveness of the Christian Pulpit,” page 668
Edward T. Atkinson, “The Battle of Syracuse,” page 676
Stow Persons, “A Voice Without a Hand,” page 680
Frederic H. Hedge, “The Destinies of Ecclesiastical Religion,” page 705
Edward Everett Hale, “People and Minister,” page 714
Grindall Reynolds, “Ecclesiastical and Denominational Tendencies,” page 732
George Willis Cooke, “Growth of Denominational Consciousness,” page 753
Francis A. Christie, “Past Experience with Unitarian Organization,” page 777
George Willis Cooke, “The American Unitarian Organization,” page 785
Sidney E. Mead, “An Address to Unitarians,” page 817
SECTION VI: The Modern American Unitarian Association, 1900-35
Samuel Eliot, “Report of the Secretary of the AUA,” page 823
Unitarian Yearbook – 1900, page 854
“Official Report of the Proceedings of the General Conference – 1917,” page 859
John Haynes Holmes, “The Community Church,” page 889
Anonymous (Samuel Eliot?) Handbook for Unitarian Churches, page 895
Louis C. Cornish, Work and Dreams and the Wide Horizon, page 904
SECTION VII: Unitarians Face a New Age 1936-1960
Commission on Appraisal, Unitarians Face a New Age, “Findings and Recommendations,” page 955
Commission on Appraisal, Unitarians Face a New Age, page 982
SECTION VIII: Universalist Polity: The First Century 1770 -1870
(See reading list for additional sources for which texts are not included herewith)
Introduction and Reading List, page 1017
L.B. Fisher, A Brief History of the Universalist Church, page 1021
John Coleman, Adams Universalism and the Universalist Church, page 1055
M. Hale Smith, Text-Book of Universalism, page 1069
Richard Eddy, Universalism in America. Vol. I., page 1081
Richard Eddy, Universalism in America. Vol. II., page 1090
Joseph Henry Allen and Richard Eddy, A History of the Unitarians and the Universalists in the United States, page 1112
Elmo Robinson, American Universalism, page 1124
SECTION IX: Universalist Polity: Centenary Through Merger – 1870-1960
(See reading list for additional sources for which texts are not included herewith)
Introduction and Reading List, page 1158
Hosea W. Parker, “Denominational Organization and Polity,” page 1162
Walter Stuart Kelly, “Denominational Administration in Our Church,” page 1169
Robert Cummins, “A United Church,” page 1171
Emerson Lalone, “The Convention Recommends,” page 1177
John van Schaick, “Dr. Cummins on the Four Year Plan,” page 1178
Emerson Lalone, “An Indictment by a Friend,” page 1181
Emerson Lalone, “Shall We Have More Centralization?”, page 1183
R.S.Kellerman, “The Decline of the Denomination,” page 1184
“A Board Meeting in New York,” page 1186
Frank D. Adams, “The Fatal Policy of Centralization,” page 1188
“The Pivot of the Forward Turn,” page 1189
“The Report of the General Superintendent,” page 1190
Emerson Lalone, “A New Name and a New Charter,” page 1192
“Our New Name and Our History,” page 1193
“Charter of the Universalist Church of America,” page 1194
Albert Q. Perry, “Decisions and Implications,” page 1196
Robert Cummins, “Freedom is Still the Issue,” page 1200
John Murray Atwood, “Can Free Churches Be Efficient?” page 1203
Manual of the Universalist General Convention, 1900, page 1215
By-Laws and Laws of Fellowship, Universalist Church of America, 1943, page 1242
Robert Cummins, Parish Practice in Universalist Churches, page 1258
Laws of Fellowship. UCA, 1953, page 1295
Elmo Robinson, “American Universalism,” page 1307
Richard Woodman, “The Decline of Universalism,” page 1328
Gordon McKeeman, “Letter to Patricia Bowen,” page 1338
SECTION X: Unitarian Universalist Association Polity: Since 1961
Article XI, By-Laws of the Unitarian Universalist Association, page 1342
Judith Walker-Riggs, “Congregational Polity: Some History,” page 1343
Earl Holt, “Does Congregational Polity Sanction Any Vice? Yes,” page 1346
Earl Holt, “Ordination Sermon,” page 1350
David O. Rankin, “From the Masthead to the Hatches,” page 1354
“The Church and Its Leadership,” page 1367
Robert Tapp, Religion Among the Unitarian Universalists: Converts in the Stepfather’s House, page 1387
Paul Beattie, “Democracy, Covenant, and Dissent in the Unitarian Universalist Association,” page 1416
Peter Raible, “The Meaning of Ministry Among Present Day Liberals,” page 1426
Robert Bowman, “Ministry – the Last General Practice,” page 1436