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Show Unitarianism in Utah rebirth of the spirit of man which we call the Renaissance. It was dawn over Europe. It was a magnificent bursting of bonds on the part of the impossible permanently to review freedom, briefly to spirit of shackle. the winning of in the tradition which man, which it seems It is my purpose rather our birthright of religious down directly to us, comes pause for an estimate of its significance. Weare familiar with the explanation that the and then to "Unitarian" was given to those who were name non-trinitarians or why were they not called Arians, which theological term generally used and familiar for centuries past to designate those who, according to our modern view, wished to take paganism out of Christianity by rejecting the myth of Jesus as a virgin-born savior supernaturally conceived by the God of this entire universe? To this question Charles Graves, in his pamphlet, "A History anti-trinitarians. was But the of Unitarianism," which is reprint from his article for the an Encyclopedia interesting and possible answer. According to Peter Bod, a Transylvanian historian, and a bitter opponent, by the way, of Arian doctrines, the a Americana, suggests Diet ofTorda in Transylvania passed an edict in 1557 granting universal freedom of worship. When this was ratified in 1563, the various religious bodies within the country formed a league of toleration pledging themselves not to persecute one another. The members of this league were popularly called "The United" or "Unitarians." Embracing as it did all kinds of Christian believers, the title carried of first no sort theological Significance whatever, but simply indicated a relationship. This league, or union of fraternity and tolerance, did not long endure. The trinitarians, who held that belief in the dogma of the Trinity was fundamental to Christian faith and not to believe it an almost unpardonable sin, could not long bind themselves in an agreement to fraternal 254 at |
