Summary of Sermon – Rev. Chaney Sermon “Methodism and Unitarianism”

Mr. Chaney preached to his people on Sunday morning on “How They Planted the Church in Apostolic Times” taking for his text the early chapters of the book of Acts. Be likened Atlanta to Jerusalem in its influence for good or evil, upon the southern country which looked to its example of industry and progress and he enforced the duty of personal fidelity to every good cause in this city, especially to the church. In the evening, he took “Methodism and Unitarianism” for his subject and gave a careful prepared, study of those two Christian bodies, first in the person, of Wesley and Channing, their accepted fathers, and then in their doctrines, their aims, their methods, their results and prospects. Methodism had built up, during the last century, the largest church in America. But Unitarianism had educated more eminent men. The glory of the one was its establishment The glory of the other its persons.

The preacher paid a hearty and discriminative tribute to the Methodist church, admiring the missionary seal, self- sacrifice, devotedness, humanity and energy of its minister, and people. The secret of its success, he thought, was not especially its doctrine as Dr. Borie had claimed ; nor yet wholly its appeal to experience rather than to doctrine as Bishop McTyeire had said, but to the relief it brought to a world given over to sin and Calvinism, in its proclamation of free grace in contradiction of fixed decrees; its free access to the people carrying the church to the people and not waiting for them to come to the church, its push for life as more than creed, its social classification and connectionalism and above all the activity and devotedness of it traveling clergy

Unitarianism was in many respects its reverse, but, not on that account, its opponent and Methodism and Unitarianism were complementary to each other, rather than contradictory. The latter took the doctrine of free grace and extended it into another world. It did not believe that God was merciful this side of death and merciless on the other side.

In its Arminianism Methodism came very close to Unitarian sympathies. But in way and methods there is little similarity. The one is propagandist to a fault. The other has very little spirit of proselytism. Methodism is intense, because concentrated upon one phase of life as all that is needful. Unitarianism broadens the religious sphere till it includes all normal life, and misses intensity because of its breadth. But both are earnest reactions from Calvinism, and in both churches there is the same appeal from ceremonialism to inward piety. Methodism is Anglicanism with a new heart. Unitarianism is Methodism with a new head. Its thought is different, but there is the same generous and saving spirit in both. In the development of the better church of the future each has its appointed part. Let each do It with equal earnestness and mutual love.

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