versity of Cambridge in New-England; for which, "as a very valuable and acceptable present," he received the thanks of the President and Fellows. These books were read with great avidity by the students. But though there is great reason to believe that the seed thus sown took deep root, and that in many instances it produced an abundant harvest; and though many persons eminent for rank and talent in the New-England States openly avowed the Unitarian creed, it does not appear that any numerous societies of Christians have hitherto followed the example of the congregation at the King's Chapel in making a public profession of the Unitarian doctrine.

In March, 1792, an Unitarian congregation was formed at Portland, a considerable town of the district of Maine, in the north-eastern part of the State of Massachusetts. The worthy founder of this society was the Reverend Thomas Oxnard, a man of good talents, of sincere piety and of ardent zeal, who had for some years officiated as minister of the episcopalian church at Portland, and who had been convinced of the truth of the Unitarian doctrine by reading the works of Dr. Priestley and Mr. Lindsey, with which he had been supplied by his friend Mr. Freeman. Through the same means, and by the public and private instructions of this good man, in the course of a few years, many other persons of property of property and respec

* "Gov. Bowdoin," says Mr. Lindsey's worthy correspondent," is a critic in biblical learning. Gen. Knox, one of the most distinguished officers in the late war, is an admirer of such authors as Edward Search. General Lincoln, our present worthy Lieutenant-Governor, appears uniformly and openly the friend of those doctrines that you approve. There are many others besides, in our Legislature, of similar sentiments. While so many of our great men are thus on the side of truth and free inquiry, they will necessarily influence many of the common people. As we have no establishment to oppose, the same zeal which is felt in England cannot be expected in this country; but Rational Christianity will, I doubt not, make a rapid though not very visible progress. This letter was written in 1788.

tability of character embraced and avowed the same principles. "I cannot," says this worthy man in a letter dated November, 1788, "express to you the avidity with which these Unitarian publications are sought after. Our friends here are clearly convinced that the Unitarian doctrine will soon become the prevailing opinion in this country; which must afford great pleasure to those good men, Mr. Lindsey and Dr. Priestley. Three years ago, I did not know a single Unitarian in this part of the country besides myself and now, entirely from the various publications you have furnished, a decent society might be collected from this and the neighbouring towns. When you again write to Mr. Lindsey, you may as sure him in the most positive terms that his and Dr. Priestley's publications have had, and probably will have, great effects in this part of the country; which I am sure must afford him great satisfaction."

Agreeably to this account, the doctrine of the proper Unity of God made a progress so rapid in the town and vicinage of Portland, that in the beginning of the year 1792 an effort was made to introduce reformed Liturgy into the episcopal church; which being resisted by one or two leading members of the congregation, the Unitarians, who constituted a considerable majority of the society, seceded from the rest; and forming themselves into a separate church, they chose the Reverend Mr. Oxnard to be their minister; and being denied the use of the episcopal chapel, they assembled for religious worship at one of the public school houses, which was large and commodious, and where they carried on the worship of the One God with increasing popularity and success.

About the same time another society for Unitarian worship was formed at Saco, a populous village about twenty miles distant from Portland, under the auspiees of Mr. Thatcher, a gentleman of large property and of excellent character, who was repeatedly returned as representative in Congress for the northern district in the State of Massachusetts. Mr. Thatcher

#as originally an unbeliever; but possessing a calldid and inquisitive mind, he became a very sincere and rational Christian, in consequence of reading Dr. Priestley's Werks; and, as Mr. Lindsey's correspondent expresses it, "the influence of our divine religion became very evident in his life and manners." This gentleman, by his conversation, his occasional publications, by lending Unitarian books, and by the great influence of his moral and religious character, contributed much to diffuse rational and pure Christianity in the vicinity of his residence, and formed at Saco a congregation of Unitarian Christians, which was for some time connected with that at Portland, but afterwards became sufficiently numerous and respectable to maintain a separate minister. In England the spirit of the times is more liberal than the spirit of the laws. In America it is the reverse; and the bigotry of individuals sometimes labours to couateract the unlimited freedom of faith and worship, which is the glory of the Constitution of the United States. The active zeal of Mr. Thatcher, in promoting the worship of One God in opposition to unscriptural formularies and creeds, excited the malignant efforts of some of his bigoted neighbours to oppose his re-election to a seat in Congress. But the high character, the approved patriotism, and the distinguished talents of that honourable gentleman secured him an easy triumph over the mean attacks of ignorance and envy, and he was again returned by a great majority.

Upon the formation of the first Unitarian Society in the district of Maine, Mr. Lindsey's intelligent correspondent makes the following just and important observations, in a letter dated May 21, 1792.

"I consider the establishment of this society as an event peculiarly favourable to the progress of Unitarianism in this country. The eastern division of this State, commonly called the province of Maine, of which Portland is the capital, is one of the most flourishing parts of the United States. It is rapidly

increasing in population and in wealth. Fortland, which under the name of Falmouth was almost totally destroyed during the last war, has now become a large and respectable town, and bids fair in the course of half a century to rival Boston. Like other capital towns, it will probably influence the opinions of the surrounding country. It may be expected, therefore, that Unitarianism will grow with its growth, and be widely diffused. What favours this expectation is, that one of the ministers of the town, a very liberal and enlightened man, is upon very good terms with the Unitarian Society, and not disposed to discountenance them. In sentiment, he professes to be a Sabellian. The other ministers in the neighbourhood are in general ignorant and some of them vicious. The consequence is, that there is less appearance of religion in the province of Maine than in any other part of New-England. I have no doubt, therefore, that a number of Unitarians, possessing that purity of morals for which they are generally distinguished, will have a great effect, not only in diffusing rational sentiments, but also in reforming the practice of their fel. low-citizens. I give this not merely as my own opi nion, but as the opinion of some gentlemen who are best informed in the State of the province of Maine. The establishment of a rational Christian society, and the happy changes which are to be expected in future, must, Sir, in a great measure be ascribed to the books which you have sent over. What, therefore, must be your triumph, when you reflect that you have enlightened the minds of your fellow Christians, and that you will probably be the means of turning many to righteousness!"

How far this worthy and ardent correspondent of Mr. Lindsey was warranted in the sanguine expecta tions he expresses of the success and beneficial effects of the Unitarian doctrine in the New-England States, does not very distinctly appear. In 1788 he states to his venerable friend, that the Socinian scheme is less frightful than it was some years ago, and begins to

have some public advocates. The only minister, however, who then preached in favour of it was Mr. Bentley, of Salem, a fellow-collegian and intimate friend of the writer, who describes him as "a young man of a bold independent mind, of strong natural powers, and of more skill in the learned languages than any person of his years in the State." This gentleman had the good fortune to be connected with a congregation uncommonly liberal, who were not alarmed at any improvements, and who were pleased with the introduction of Bishop Lowth's translation of Isaiah, and of other improved translations of the prophetic Scriptures, in preference to the common English version, which was a liberty that few of the ministers in New-England would be allowed to take. In 1793, Unitarianism remained at Portland in the state in which it had been settled the preceding year: but the Clergy in the neighbourhood of Saco having passed a censure upon these opinions as unsound and heretical, the consequence of this attack was an able defence of the doctrine by its advocates in that vieinage, and a subscription for building an Unitarian church. In the year 1794, the same respectable correspondent communicates to his venerable friend the progress which the doctrine and worship of the One true God, the Father, were making in the southern districts of the State of Massachusetts. "The counties of Plymouth, Barnstable and Bristol, were the first part of New-England settled by the English; and till the year 1692, when they were annexed to Massachusetts, constituted a distinct province. The first settlers were a religious and industrious people, of more candid minds and less disposed to persecution than the settlers of Massachusetts. Though the country is barren, yet it has become one of the most populous districts of the United States. The inhabitants are enlightened and virtuous. Crimes are unknown; and there has not been a capital execution for upwards of sixty years. Such characters are valuable acquisitions to the cause of truth. It must give you plea