municated with them by miracle.

But gradually a different idea was entertained. Especially the moral unity of God was emphasized -the perfect harmony of the divine attributes, the perfect consistency of the divine purposes, the absolute dominion of the divine goodness. God was known and spoken of as Father, the paternal relation summing up and absorbing every other. By pursuing this idea of the divine paternity, the belief was arrived at that no power of pure malignity had an existence in the universe; that there was no personal Satan; that evil was no absolute entity, limiting, marring, or thwarting the beneficent energies of the Supreme; that the whole universe was dispossessed of demons, and belonged without reservation to the All-Good. Having reached this point, and expelled Satan from the world this side the grave, it was impossible not to go further and expel him from the region which lay on the other. Unitarianism has therefore earnestly contended against the doctrine of everlasting punishment of the wicked. While it holds no fixed or consentaneous opinion in regard to the state of being in another life, it has asserted that the state of being could not in any case be one of hopeless misery. There might be suffering, severe in degree and indefinite in duration; but it would be disciplinary, not vindictive in its purpose, and it would cease when its beneficent end was secured. Unitarians have insisted very strongly on the doctrine of retribution, but its object was never supposed to be the infliction of suffering for its own sake, or to satisfy merely the moral law; many have contended that the pain was but the necessary consequence or the inevitable concomitant of sin, enduring as long as that endured, and no longer; but the prevalent theory is probably that of the progressionists, who hold that the next life is the continuation of this, and that the soul under new conditions carries forward to its completion the process of spiritual development begun here.-The same general modification of view that characterizes the Unitarian thought in the particulars already mentioned, may be observed in the opinions respecting the Bible. The Polish Unitarians mostly held fast to the inspiration of the Scriptures, and appealed to them as final authority in all points of religious belief. The early English Unitarians did the same. The "new school" (if we may use the phrase for the sake of distinctness) do not appeal to the Scriptures as inspired and infallible oracles, but discuss religious questions on grounds of philosophy alone. Regarding the Bible as the most interesting and valuable part of the world's literature, they seek in it illustration of the spiritual laws, but not final statements of moral and religious truth. In regard to church government, it is enough to say that the congregational form is the prevalent, perhaps the only one. Each society manages its own affairs, temporal and spititual, in its own way. Councils are seldom

called, and when called they can pass no decree. Strictly speaking, Unitarianism has no established ritualism, no priestly order, no indispensable, saving sacraments. From the beginning until now the prevailing view of the Lord's supper has been that of Zwingli; and though here and there it has been taught that the communicant partook spiritually of the body of Christ, or received a special grace from the elements, these instances have not been numerrous enough to qualify the assertion that the "communion" is observed in the Unitarian churches as a memorial rite dear to the affections and sacred by association, but carrying with it no special efficacy, demanding in its participant no special holiness, and useful only as a means of cultivating the religious life. In several societies of the "new school" it has been dispensed with altogether. Greater diversity of opinion has obtained respecting baptism than respecting communion. The early Unitarians on the continent and in England opposed infant baptism, but advocated strenuously the baptism of adults. Socinus thought it of little consequence whether one were baptized or not. There are those to-day who think it of considerable moment that children should be baptized; others deem it of no moment whatever. For the most part, when observed, it is made a social household ceremony, and is cherished for the pleasing sentiment that is associated with it.-The worship in Unitarian assemblies is very simple. In 1785 the society worshipping in King's chapel, Boston, eliminated Trinitarianism from the "Book of Common Prayer," and retained the book in its altered form. In other places, societies have compiled books of worship for themselves. In most there is no book. Efforts have been made recently to render the public worship attractive by a vesper service" of a musical and devotional character. In some portions of the denomination an ecclesiastical spirit has shown itself working to reanimate the body of the church by restoring the declining interest in the institutions and ceremonies.-The progress and spread of Unitarianism has never been rapid, and such advance as it has made has been due more to the general movement of society than to its own conscious efforts. There is little recognized Unitarianism on the continent of Europe. Most of the Protestant ministers in Holland and Germany, it is believed, hold Unitarian opinions. In Paris these opinions are supported by government like other forms of faith, and one of the most eloquent preachers there, Athanase Coquerel, has for years proclaimed the Anti-Trinitarian doctrines. Recently, the writings of Channing have excited interest in Paris. In Great Britain there are about 313 congregations, of which England has 235 with 226 ministers, Scotland 6 with 5 ministers, Ireland 42, and South Wales 30. The Unitarians have 5 periodicals. Missionary operations are conducted through the British and foreign Unitarian association. The

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English Unitarians have been largely interested in philanthropic undertakings. They early es tablished the domestic mission in London; and at present they have 10 laborers at work in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, and Halifax. Unitarianism in America had its birth and still has its head-quarters in Boston. If it goes to other parts of the country, it goes with New Englanders. There are in the United States about 263 societies, of which Massachusetts has 164, and the city of Boston 21; Maine has 16, New Hampshire 15, Vermont 3, Rhode Island 3, Connecticut 2, New York 13, New Jersey 1, Pennsylvania 5, Maryland 2, Ohio 5, Illinois 11, Wisconsin 2, and Missouri, Kentucky, Minnesota, South Carolina, Louisiana, California, and the district of Columbia, each 1. There are about 339 ministers. The "Christians" of the West, a very numerous body, are Unitarian in theology; so for the most part are the Universalists. The divinity school at Cambridge, Mass., is Unitarian, and so is the Meadville (Penn.) the ological school. The periodicals published by the denomination are 8 in number. The American Unitarian association commenced its existence in May, 1825. Its purpose was to effect "more systematic union and a concentration of labors by which interest may be awakened, confidence inspired, and efficiency produced." On the same day, without concert, a similar association was formed in England, bearing the title of the British and foreign Unitarian association. In the first year the American association received less than $1,300; now it receives annually from $12,000 to $13,000. It has assisted nearly 100 churches which required foreign aid; issued 277 tracts, in editions varying from 2,000 to 8,000 copies, making a total of 1,764,000, beside reports and miscellaneous tracts; distributed 1,100 sets of Dr. Channing's works, and 1,500 copies of Dr. Peabody's "Doctrinal Lectures" expended in 8 years for the purchase, printing, and publication of books, $43,090; employed as many as 20 home missionaries; and for several years supported a missionary in India. Closely affiliated with the association is the "Christian Book and Pamphlet Society," established by young men in 1827, which in the past 9 years has circulated gratuitously over 83,000 pamphlets and 4,500 books. The missionary and charitable societies in Boston under Unitarian support or patronage are too numerous to be particularly

mentioned here.

UNITAS FRATRUM. See MORAVIANS. UNITED BRETHREN IN CHRIST, a Protestant church, having no ecclesiastical connection with the Moravians, with whom they are frequently confounded. They arose among the Germans in Pennsylvania about 1760. In 1752 Philip William Otterbein, a missionary of the German Reformed church, sent out to America by the synod of Holland, began to preach in Lancaster, Penn., but soon becoming convinced that he was not himself a converted man, rest

UNITED BRETHREN IN CHRIST

ed not until he experienced what he regarded as the new birth. This new experience led him to institute meetings during the week for prayer and religious conference. The interest excited by these proceedings, and the spiritual destitution of the country, induced him to hold, in barns and groves in various places outside of his pastoral charge, what were called "great meetings." To one of these, held at Isaac Long's, in Lancaster co., all persons who had experienced a change of heart, without respect to their ecclesiastical relations, were especially invited. A large assembly, in which Lutherans, Reformed, Mennonites, Dunkers, Amish, and Moravians were represented, convened; and among the number was found Martin Boehm, a Mennonite preacher, who had also some time before obtained what he deemed the new life. At the conclusion of a remarkably effective sermon by Boehm, Otterbein arose, and, embracing him, exclaimed: "We are brethren!" This was the origin of the name of the new church. Otterbein and Boehm labored together for more than 50 years; and as the calls for preaching became numerous, laymen selected from the converts were licensed to preach. These laborers at first held conferences at the great meetings; but when this became impraeticable, annual conferences were appointed, where preachers were licensed, examined, disciplined, and directed in their labors. In 1859 the church had 29 annual conferences; 1,150 ministers, 700 of whom were itinerant; 336 circuits; 25 stations; 224 missions, 62 of which were established in 1858-'9; 4,507 preaching places; 880 meeting houses; 3,199 classes; and 84,000 members. It has at Dayton, Ohio, an extensive printing establishment, where several periodicals and a variety of books are issued, in English and German. It owns 7 institutions of learning, viz.: Otterbein university, Ohio; Hartsville university, Ind.; Michigan_collegiate institute, Mich.; Western college, Iowa; Blandinsville seminary, Ill.; Fremont seminary, Kansas; and Sublimity college, Oregon. The United Brethren in Christ have but one grade of ministers, are Arminian in theology, and supply their churches with preaching on the itinerant plan. They have quarterly, annual, and general confer ences. The highest ecclesiastical body is the general conference, which meets every 4 years, and is composed of delegates from the confer ence districts elected by ballot, every member of the church being entitled to vote. No slaveholder, no adhering member of any secret combination, and no manufacturer, seller, or drinker of intoxicating liquors can be a mem ber of the church. They regard a change of heart as an indispensable condition of member ship. Baptism is administered by either sprink ling, pouring, or immersion, each member being permitted to exercise his own judgment in regard to the mode; infants are baptized when it is desired. Open communion at the Lord's table is practised. Until about 1825 the Unit

school of Tübingen, and a number of liberal divines of different shades of opinion. The second and third parties agreed in asking for the introduction of a presbyterian church constitution, embracing district, provincial, and general synods; but their exertions were vigorously resisted by the confederalists. Frederic William IV., who repeatedly declared his wish to restore full self-government to the national church, convoked in 1846 a general synod, in order to complete her organization. The work was interrupted by the revolution of 1848, but resumed in 1856 by another general conference, and began to be carried out upon the accession to the government of the regent, now King William I., in 1858.-The example of the king of Prussia in consolidating the Lutheran and Reformed churches into a United Evangelical church was followed in a number of other German states. Thus the union was introduced, either by resolution of synods or by a general vote, in Nassau (1817), the Bavarian Palatinate (1818), Baden (1821), and even in Würtemberg (1827), where the Reformed church had hardly an existence. The union may be considered permanently established in the Bavarian Palatinate and in Baden, in both of which the church has a presbyterian constitution, inclusive of a general synod, which in both churches is unanimous in maintaining the union. In the other state churches, in which the consistorial element still prevails over the synodal, the views of the churches and congregations on the subject have never been fully ascertained, and their final relation to the United Evangelical church can be determined only after a completion of their ecclesiastical constitution. Saxony, Hanover, Bavaria proper, Mecklenburg, Brunswick, and several other states were too exclusively Lutheran, Switzerland too exclusively Reformed, to fall in with the movement. In Austria and France a fusion of the Lutheran and Reformed churches has also many friends, but nothing has been done as yet in the way of practical execution. In the United States there is a branch of the United Evangelical church of Germany, called Evangelischer Kirchenverein des Westens, founded at St. Louis in 1841.-See Hering, Geschichte der kirchlichen Unionsversuche (2 vols., Leipsic, 1836-'8); Nitzsch, Urkundenbuch der Evangelischen Union (Bonn, 1853); Julius Müller, Die Evangelische Union (Leipsic, 1854); Stahl, Die Lutherische Kirche und die Union (Berlin, 1858).

UNITED PROVINCES. See NETHERLANDS. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE, & republic in North America, lying between lat. 24° 30′ and 49° N. and between long. 66° 50′ and 124° 30′ W. It is bounded N. by British America, from which it is in part separated by the river St. Lawrence and Lakes Superior, Huron, St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario; E. by the Atlantic ocean; S. by Mexico and the gulf of Mexico; and W. by the Pacific ocean. The greatest length of this vast region is from Cape

Cod on the Atlantic to the Pacific, near the parallel of lat. 42°, about 2,600 m., and the greatest breadth from Madawaska in Maine to Key West in Florida, about 1,600 m., the mean length being about 2,400 m. and the mean breadth about 1,300 m. The line of the frontier toward British America measures 3,303 m., and that toward Mexico 1,456 m. The boundary line on the ocean, including the larger indentations, is 12,609 m., of which 6,861 m. are on the Atlantic, 3,467 m. on the gulf of Mexico, and 2,281 m. on the Pacific. With the exception of a small portion of the N. E. coast, the shores on the Atlantic and gulf are low, while those on the Pacific are mostly bold and rocky. The most important indentations are Passamaquoddy, Frenchman's, Penobscot, Cas co, Massachusetts, Buzzard's, New York, Raritan, Delaware, and Chesapeake bays, and Long Island, Albemarle, and Pamlico sounds on the Atlantic; Tampa, Appalachee, Appalachicola, Pensacola, Mobile, Black, Barataria, Atchafa laya, Vermilion, Galveston, Matagorda, Aransas, and Corpus Christi bays on the gulf; and San Francisco bay and the straits of Juan de Fuca on the Pacific. Politically the republic is divided into 34 states, 8 territories (including Arizona, not yet organized), and the federal district of Columbia. For convenience the states are generally classified by geogra phers as follows: eastern or New England states, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Mas sachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut; middle states, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware; southern states, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas; western states, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, California, Oregon. The southern and western states are sometimes also subdivided as follows: southern, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida; south-western, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee; north-western, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, California, Oregon. The date of admission of the states into the Union and of the organization of the territories, their area, and their population according to the successive decennial censuses, are shown in tables I., II., and III. The areas are derived in some instances from the result of state surveys. The total area of the states and territories, according to the report of the topographical bu reau made at the close of 1853, and subsequently revised and amended, is 2,963,666 sq. m., of which 820,680 sq. m. belonged to the republic at the peace of 1783; about 889,579 sq. m. were added by the purchase of Louisiana 66,900 by the acquisition of Florida, 318,000 by the annexation of Texas, 308,052 by the Oregon treaty, and 550,455 by the Mexican treaties. Mr. Kennedy, superintendent of the census bureau, estimates the total area at