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99-575: Rivington Unitarian Chapel is an active place of Unitarian worship in Rivington , Lancashire , England. It was founded in 1703, although its congregation dates to 1667. It is designated as a Grade II* listed building with some restoration in 1990, and hs ongoing preservation. The Presbyterians had state backing and held power during the Commonwealth , support for the Puritans was strong,

198-501: A "Socinian" view was James Freeman . Regarding the virgin birth of Jesus among those who denied the preexistence of Christ, some held to it and others did not. Its denial is sometimes ascribed to the Ebionites ; however, Origen ( Contra Celsum v.61) and Eusebius ( HE iii.27) both indicate that some Ebionites did accept the virgin birth. On the other hand, Theodotus of Byzantium , Artemon , and Paul of Samosata all accepted

297-1027: A church hierarchy that includes the election by the synod of a national bishop who serves as superintendent of the Church. Many Hungarian Unitarians embrace the principles of rationalist Unitarianism. Unitarian high schools exist only in Transylvania (Romania), including the John Sigismund Unitarian Academy in Cluj-Napoca , the Protestant Theological Institute of Cluj , and the Berde Mózes Unitárius Gimnázium in Cristuru Secuiesc ; both teach Rationalist Unitarianism. The Unitarian Christian Association (UCA)

396-684: A collection of both existing and extinct Christian groups (whether historically related to each other or not) that share a common theological concept of the unitary nature of God. Unitarian Christian communities and churches have developed in Central Europe (mostly Romania and Hungary ), Ireland , India , Jamaica , Japan , Canada , Nigeria , South Africa , the United Kingdom , and the United States . In British America , different schools of Unitarian theology first spread in

495-539: A cultural and intellectual centre of a whole society, a place where ideas about society were openly and critically discussed. Rivington Church Rivington Church is an active Anglican parish church in Rivington , Lancashire , England. It is in the Deane deanery, the Bolton archdeanery and Diocese of Manchester . The church has been designated a Grade II listed building . The church has no patron saint and

594-434: A curate or minister and allow baptisms, marriages and burials at the church for the inhabitants of Rivington, Anglezarke , Hemshaws and Foulds . Before this time the inhabitants had to travel to the surrounding parishes . The Reverend Samuel Newton was ejected from the church on "Bartholemew Sunday" in 1662 and most probably the staunchly Puritan congregation followed him and many became Presbyterian . This event led to

693-807: A few years he became the leader of the Unitarian movement. A theological battle with the Congregational Churches resulted in the formation of the American Unitarian Association at Boston in 1825. Certainly, the unitarian theology was being "adopted" by the Congregationalists from the 1820s onwards. This movement is also evident in England at this time. The first school founded by the Unitarians in

792-460: A height of five feet, replacing the box pews and installing a small organ. Rivington was created a parish out of the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors . In 1856, and at their own cost, and by a privilege that few churches in the country possessed, the parishioners were able to elect their own minister. In 2014 an extension was added to the church's west end providing a reception and display area, toilet and kitchen. The church

891-477: A large ornate canopy with paneled reredos and a moulded and carved cornice in the classical style. There is a choir stall at the east end. The church organ at the south-east corner was a gift in 1843 from Halliwell Road Unitarian Chapel in Bolton , and has been restored, some of the original pews were removed to make way for the organ. Inscribed in the wood of the pews at this side highlighted in gold leaf are

990-517: A licence as a Presbyterian Teacher in 1672 and returned to preach at Rivington Church in 1674, his name appears on the list of ministers. In the same year Mr Hill of Rivington, a Presbyterian teacher was also granted license to preach in any place allowed. Newton made his will 6 March and died 11 March 1682, he described his occupation as Clerk , he and his family, to whom he left considerable property in Blackburn and Padiham , resided at New Hall, he

1089-737: A local martyr being George Marsh . The power of the Church of England was re-asserted through the Clarendon Code after the English Restoration in 1660 by persecuting Nonconformists to force them to conform to use of the Book of Common Prayer in services, requiring prayers for the King, resulting in the Great Ejection on "Bartholemew Sunday" in 1662 when 2500 Ministers left their Churches. Samuel Newton of Rivington Church

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1188-401: A peppercorn rent on a 2000-year lease by John Andrews of Rivington Manor , with the stipulation it should only be used for religious services of Protestants dissenting from the Church of England. The chapel was built of four bays measuring 40 by 30 yards. By 1704 a formal trust deed had been signed and by 1737 the chapel was well funded. Rev. John Turner, minister here 1716 to 1717 had assisted

1287-650: A pre-existent Jesus who was subordinate to God the Father were Lucian of Antioch , Eusebius of Caesarea , Arius , Eusebius of Nicomedia , Asterius the Sophist , Eunomius , and Ulfilas , as well as Felix, Bishop of Urgell . Proponents of this Christology also associate it (more controversially) with Justin Martyr and Hippolytus of Rome . Antitrinitarian Michael Servetus did not deny the pre-existence of Christ, so he may have believed in it. (In his "Treatise Concerning

1386-554: A signatory to the Oregon State Constitution, founded the first Unitarian church in Oregon in 1865. Eleven Nobel Prizes have been awarded to Unitarians: Robert Millikan and John Bardeen (twice) in physics; Emily Green Balch , Albert Schweitzer and Linus Pauling for peace; George Wald and David H. Hubel in medicine; Linus Pauling in chemistry; and Herbert A. Simon in economics. Four presidents of

1485-446: A story for all ages; and include sermons, prayers, hymns and songs. Some will allow attendees to publicly share their recent joys or concerns. This section relates to Unitarian churches and organizations today which are still specifically Christian, whether within or outside Unitarian Universalism. Unitarian Universalism, conversely, refers to the embracing of non-Christian religions. Some Unitarian Christian groups are affiliated with

1584-621: A theology and as a denominational family of churches , was defined and developed in Poland, Transylvania, England, Wales, India, Japan, Jamaica, the United States, and beyond in the 16th century through the present. Although common beliefs existed among Unitarians in each of these regions, they initially grew independently from each other. Only later did they influence one another and accumulate more similarities. The Ecclesia minor or Minor Reformed Church of Poland , better known today as

1683-719: A tool for missionary work or encouraging conversions. In India, three different schools of Unitarian thought influenced varying movements, including the Brahmo Samaj , the Unitarian Church of the Khasi Hills , and the Unitarian Christian Church of Chennai , in Madras, founded in 1795. As of 2011, "Thirty-five congregations and eight fellowships comprising almost 10,000 Unitarians now form

1782-502: Is William and wife Martha Breres and John and 1732 A over AI are the initials of John Andrews and his wife Abigail. Historically Sunday service was 10am and dress code adopted by the congregation was formal, it is now smart casual. Until the 20th century young females would attend carrying poseys of lad's-love , Thyme , Pink's , and roses , the Preacher arrived directly into Chapel, in plain clothing, no gown and prior to arrival of

1881-423: Is a proper noun and follows the same English usage as other Christian theologies that have developed within a religious group or denomination (such as Calvinism , Anabaptism , Adventism , Lutheranism , Wesleyanism , etc.). The term existed shortly before it became the name of a distinct religious tradition, thus occasionally it is used as a common noun to describe any understanding of Jesus Christ that denies

1980-478: Is a carved with a Sator Square reading "SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS" which possibly predates the Christian era. The roof has four collar trusses with bracing to tie-beams and collars. The church is furnished with a late-medieval oak screen and a late 16th-century octagonal, oak pulpit on a stem with two linen-fold panels in each side. The screen and pulpit are considered to predate the church building. On

2079-458: Is a memorial to a former minister that reads "In affectionate memory of Rev Samuel Thompson, the faithful minister of this chapel, from January 1st 1881 to July 1st 1909, he being dead yet speaketh". other memorials are to the families of Lowe, Smithells and Brindle. The Norris memorial was created from a brass plaque that was unearthed during maintenance work in the 1990s in the oldest part of the chapel yard. The original chapel yard had no path and

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2178-527: Is a two-storey wing with a tall chimney stack, which was the school house. The building is surrounded by a drystone wall and the chapel's original bell and its cast iron gates dating to 1816 survive. The ceiling is supported by oak beams . The chapel is plainly painted inside with lime wash with recorded use since 1808. On the north wall between the windows is a raised five-sided panelled pulpit with carved frieze and moulded cornice , one of few remaining in its original position, most having been moved in

2277-409: Is built of irregularly coursed sandstone with large quoins , some measuring five feet, at the corners and a slate roof. It is a small, plain building with three three-light windows on each side. The nave is 55 feet 6 inches in length by 27 feet 6 inches in width and the chancel , 13 feet 6 inches by 15 feet 6 inches. The gabled porch is between the centre and western windows on

2376-423: Is considered a factor in the decline of classical deism because there were people who increasingly preferred to identify themselves as Unitarians rather than deists. Several tenets of Unitarianism overlap with the predominant Muslim view of Jesus and Islamic understanding of monotheism . The Christology commonly called " Socinian " (after Fausto Sozzini , one of the founders of Unitarian theology) refers to

2475-469: Is housed in the church's Millennium Room. The church has a circular graveyard which is typical of churches of early foundation. That, and the Saxon font, may be proof of pre-Conquest foundation. The arched windows on the south side are cut from solid stone, a Saxon feature. At the enclosure of the manorial waste in 1536, the priest was given 30 acres (12 ha). Richard Pilkington, whose son became

2574-514: Is not named after a saint or martyr. It has been variously called St Lawrence, St George, Holy Trinity, and St Catherine but its correct title is Rivington Church. A deed of 1280 mentions three acres of "terra ecclesiastical" in Rivington. The Church land was located close to the Horwich border, named in a grant between Cecily Worsley and Adam Dorant. A Saxon font , found in the locality,

2673-737: Is not required. The modern Unitarian Church in Hungary (25,000 members) and the Transylvanian Unitarian Church (75,000 members) are affiliated with the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) and claim continuity with the historical Unitarian Christian tradition established by Ferenc Dávid in 1565 in Transylvania under John II Sigismund Zápolya . The Unitarian churches in Hungary and Transylvania are structured and organized along

2772-490: Is quietness for the healing of our spirits; Here is history for the background of our lives; Here let no one be a stranger." Unitarianism Unitarianism was established in order to restore " primitive Christianity before later corruptions set in". Likewise, Unitarian Christians generally reject the doctrine of original sin . The churchmanship of Unitarianism may include liberal denominations or Unitarian Christian denominations that are more conservative , with

2871-513: The American Unitarian Association began to allow non-Christian and non-theistic churches and individuals to be part of their fellowship. As a result, people who held no Unitarian belief began to be called Unitarians because they were members of churches that belonged to the American Unitarian Association. After several decades, the non-theistic members outnumbered the theological Unitarians. Unitarianism, both as

2970-510: The Bishop of Durham , appealed to Doctor Bird, the Bishop of Chester , to dedicate the chapel and chapelyard. They were consecrated in October 1541. At the consecration, the village residents stated on oath they had worshipped at the site for generations. Queen Elizabeth I , at the petition of Bishop Pilkington in 1566, granted letters patent for a free grammar school and licence to provide

3069-571: The Holy Spirit . This Christology existed in some form or another prior to Sozzini. Theodotus of Byzantium , Artemon and Paul of Samosata denied the pre-existence of Christ. These ideas were continued by Marcellus of Ancyra and his pupil Photinus in the 4th century AD. In the Radical Reformation and Anabaptist movements of the 16th century this idea resurfaced with Sozzini's uncle, Lelio Sozzini . Having influenced

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3168-644: The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU), founded in 1995. The ICUU has "full member" groups in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, EUU, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Spain. Sri Lanka and the United States. Brazil is a Provisional Member. The ICUU includes small "Associate Groups", including Congregazione Italiana Cristiano Unitariana, Turin (founded in 2004) and

3267-637: The Logos , or the Word, a being begotten or created by God, who dwelt with God in heaven. There are many varieties of this form of Unitarianism, ranging from the belief that the Son was a divine spirit of the same substance (called Subordinationism ) or of a similar substance to that of God (called Semi-Arianism ) to the belief that he was an angel or other lesser spirit creature of a wholly different nature from God. Not all of these views necessarily were held by Arius ,

3366-478: The National Urban League , and Florence Nightingale in humanitarianism and social justice; John Bowring , Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Elizabeth Gaskell in literature; Frank Lloyd Wright in the arts; Josiah Wedgwood , Richard Peacock and Samuel Carter MP in industry; Thomas Starr King in ministry and politics; and Charles William Eliot in education. Julia Ward Howe was a leader in

3465-672: The New England Colonies and subsequently in the Mid-Atlantic States . The first official acceptance of the Unitarian faith on the part of a congregation in North America was by King's Chapel in Boston, from where James Freeman began teaching Unitarian doctrine in 1784 and was appointed rector. Later in 1785, he created a revised Unitarian Book of Common Prayer based on Lindsey's work. Unitarianism

3564-605: The Polish Brethren to a formal declaration of this belief in the Racovian Catechism , Fausto Sozzini involuntarily ended up giving his name to this Christological position, which continued with English Unitarians such as John Biddle , Thomas Belsham , Theophilus Lindsey , and James Martineau . In America, most of the early Unitarians were "Arian" in Christology (see below), but among those who held to

3663-524: The Polish Brethren , was born as the result of a controversy that started on January 22, 1556, when Piotr of Goniądz (Peter Gonesius), a Polish student, spoke out against the doctrine of the Trinity during the general synod of the Reformed ( Calvinist ) churches of Poland held in the village of Secemin . After nine years of debate, in 1565, the anti-Trinitarians were excluded from the existing synod of

3762-629: The Polish Reformed Church (henceforth the Ecclesia maior ) and they began to hold their own synods as the Ecclesia minor . Though frequently called " Arians " by those on the outside, the views of Fausto Sozzini (Faustus Socinus) became the standard in the church, and these doctrines were quite removed from Arianism. So important was Socinus to the formulation of their beliefs that those outside Poland usually referred to them as Socinians . The Polish Brethren were disbanded in 1658 by

3861-557: The Sejm (Polish Parliament). They were ordered to convert to Roman Catholicism or leave Poland. Most of them went to Transylvania or Holland, where they embraced the name "Unitarian". Between 1665 and 1668 a grandson of Socinus, Andrzej Wiszowaty Sr. , published Bibliotheca Fratrum Polonorum quos Unitarios vocant ( Library of the Polish Brethren who are called Unitarians 4 vols. 1665–1669). The Unitarian Church in Transylvania

3960-469: The True Jesus Church , and the writings of Michael Servetus (all of which maintain that Jesus is God as a single person). Recently, some religious groups have adopted the 19th-century term biblical unitarianism to distinguish their theologies from Unitarianism. Unitarianism is a Christian theology and practice that precedes and is distinct from Unitarian Universalism . In the 1890s

4059-898: The University of Leiden in the Netherlands for the ministry of the Dutch Reformed Church in Cape Town . There are two active Unitarian churches in Ireland, one in Dublin and the other in Cork. Both are member churches of the Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland . Unitarianism was a latecomer to Denmark. Some of the inspiration came from Norway and England – family members of

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4158-457: The Victorian era . A rail at the front of the pulpit is inscribed with the words 'Marriages may be solemnised in this chapel', this originates to eventual recognition in 1754 of marriages conducted in the chapel and is a reminder that the congregation was once oppressed. The chapel retains its box pews , which were originally individually owned or rented. The Willoughby pew by the south wall has

4257-548: The religion of Jesus, not a religion about Jesus" to Unitarians, though the phrase was used earlier by Congregationalist Rollin Lynde Hartt in 1924. Worship within the Unitarian tradition accommodates a wide range of understandings of God , while the focus of the service may be simply the celebration of life itself. Each Unitarian congregation is at liberty to devise its own form of worship, though commonly, Unitarians will light their chalice (symbol of faith), have

4356-530: The 16th to 18th centuries, Unitarians in Britain often faced significant political persecution, including John Biddle , Mary Wollstonecraft , and Theophilus Lindsey . In England, the first Unitarian Church was established in 1774 on Essex Street, London , where today's British Unitarian headquarters is still located. As is typical of dissenters and nonconformists , Unitarianism does not constitute one single Christian denomination ; rather, it refers to

4455-630: The 80th year of his age. The monument was erected by their surviving nieces." The memorial to the Cromptons who were the last hereditary owners of Rivington Hall before sale to Leverhulme reads "In memory of my beloved husband and devoted father and brother, Andrew Crompton of Rivington who died 4th February 1933 aged 64 years also his father John William Crompton of Rivington Esquire who died 23rd March 1905 age 70 years and his mother Margaret Evelyn who died 11 February 1910 age 65 years and his wife Teresa Richardson who died 15th September 1858 age 81." There

4554-845: The Bét Dávid Unitarian Association, Oslo (founded 2005). The largest Unitarian denomination worldwide today is also the oldest Unitarian denomination (since 1565, first use of the term "Unitarian" 1600): the Unitarian Church of Transylvania (in Romania , which is in union with the Unitarian Church in Hungary). The church in Transylvania still looks to the statement of faith, the Summa Universae Theologiae Christianae secundum Unitarios (1787), though today assent to this

4653-586: The Danish Lutheran Church, to one where this was no longer assumed ( ). Biblical Unitarianism identifies the Christian belief that the Bible teaches that God the Father is one singular being , and that Jesus Christ is a distinct being, his son, but not divine. A few denominations use this term to describe themselves, clarifying the distinction between them and those churches which, from

4752-621: The Divine Trinity" Servetus taught that the Logos (Word) was the reflection of Christ, and "that reflection of Christ was 'the Word with God" that consisted of God Himself, shining brightly in heaven, "and it was God Himself" and that "the Word was the very essence of God or the manifestation of God's essence, and there was in God no other substance or hypostasis than His Word, in a bright cloud where God then seemed to subsist. And in that very spot

4851-507: The German liberal theology associated primarily with Friedrich Schleiermacher , the psilanthropist view increased in popularity. Its proponents took an intellectual and humanistic approach to religion. They embraced evolutionary concepts, asserted the "inherent goodness of man", and abandoned the doctrine of biblical infallibility , rejecting most of the miraculous events in the Bible (including

4950-463: The Glory of God And in Memory of the Men who fell in the Great War 1914.1919' 1939-1945 The belltower, a Grade II Listed building in the churchyard close to the church, is a small, square, single-storey building with a basement and outside steps built in sandstone with a stone slate roof. It was built to hold a large bell bought from All Saints' Church, Wigan in 1542. The bell was sold by church commissioners around 1551. The detached bellhouse,

5049-411: The Unitarian Chapel was known as the "Mayors' Nest". Numerous Unitarian families were highly significant in the social and political life of Britain from Victorian times to the middle of the 20th century. They included the Nettlefolds , Martineaus , Luptons , Kitsons , Chamberlains and Kenricks. In Birmingham, England , a Unitarian church – the Church of the Messiah – was opened in 1862. It became

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5148-454: The Unitarian Union of North East India." The American Unitarian Conference (AUC) was formed in 2000 and stands between UUA and ICUU in attachment to the Christian element of modern Unitarianism. The American Unitarian Conference is open to non-Christian Unitarians, being particularly popular with non-Christian theists and deists . As of 2009, The AUC has three congregations in the United States. Unitarian Christian Ministries International

5247-426: The Unitarian faith on the part of a congregation in America was by King's Chapel in Boston, which settled James Freeman (1759–1835) in 1782, and revised the Prayer Book into a mild Unitarian liturgy in 1785. In 1800, Joseph Stevens Buckminster became minister of the Brattle Street Church in Boston, where his brilliant sermons, literary activities, and academic attention to the German "New Criticism" helped shape

5346-472: The Unitarian preacher and theologian Ferenc Dávid ( c.  1520 –1579). Among its adherents were a significant number of Italians who took refuge in Bohemia , Moravia , Poland, and Transylvania in order to escape from the religious persecution perpetrated against them by the Roman Catholic and Magisterial Protestant churches. In the 17th century, significant repression in Poland led many Unitarians to flee or be killed for their faith. From

5445-421: The United States was the Clinton Liberal Institute , in Clinton, Oneida County, New York , founded in 1831. Unitarians charge that the Trinity , unlike unitarianism, fails to adhere to strict monotheism. Unitarians maintain that Jesus was a great man and a prophet of God, perhaps even a supernatural being, but not God himself. They believe Jesus did not claim to be God and that his teachings did not suggest

5544-418: The United States were Unitarians: John Adams , John Quincy Adams , Millard Fillmore , and William Howard Taft . Adlai Stevenson II , the Democratic presidential nominee in 1952 and 1956, was a Unitarian; he was the last Unitarian to be nominated by a major party for president as of 2024. Although a self-styled materialist, Thomas Jefferson was pro-Unitarian to the extent of suggesting that it would become

5643-496: The annual Rivington Spring Festival in May, holds a Strawberry Tea in June, Late Summer Fair in September, day trips, open days and an annual meal. In addition to weddings, blessings, baptisms (naming ceremony), and funerals. The congregation is a member of the Manchester District Association of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, part of the umbrella organisation for British Unitarians, the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches . The chapel's motto is: "Here

5742-412: The belief that Jesus Christ began his life when he was born as a human. In other words, the teaching that Jesus pre-existed his human body is rejected. There are various views ranging from the belief that Jesus was simply a human ( psilanthropism ) who, because of his greatness, was adopted by God as his Son ( adoptionism ) to the belief that Jesus literally became the son of God when he was conceived by

5841-433: The building became a café, now known as Rivington Village Green Tea Room. The exterior had major work again more recently, especially to the roof area to preserve it in 2016 at a cost of £35,828, £5000 for land drain repair and for toilet drain repair £3,480 in 2022. The chapel is a plain structure, originally with a Thatched roof which remained repaired as late as 1790. The building is of local gritstone with quoins at

5940-417: The building of the chapel are in Quarter Sessions 'Record of Dissenting Meeting Houses', properties named were a house belonging to Arthur Davies, Sheepcoate and Pilkington House. The Willoughbys of Parham , of Shaw Place, Heath Charnock were prominent Presbyterians . and Hugh Willoughby was one of the first trustees and benefactors of the chapel, which was built in 1703 on land named Goosehey given for

6039-430: The chapel stopped an invasion of Methodists who tried to convert them by holding a loud service at the chapel gates in 1893 in an attempt to overpower the congregation of the chapel indoors. The Methodist preacher was overcome by the noise from the banging of a silver tea tray by the occupant of New Hall, who like other villagers was annoyed at the intrusion. J. M. Andrews , the second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland ,

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6138-542: The churches associated with the Christian Church in Italy . Notable Unitarians include classical composers Edvard Grieg and Béla Bartók ; Ralph Waldo Emerson , Theodore Parker , Yveon Seon and Thomas Lamb Eliot in theology and ministry; Oliver Heaviside , Erasmus Darwin , Joseph Priestley , John Archibald Wheeler , Linus Pauling , Sir Isaac Newton and inventor Sir Francis Ronalds in science; George Boole in mathematics; Susan B. Anthony in civil government; Frances Ellen Watkins Harper , Whitney Young of

6237-417: The corners and now has a slate roof. It has a small, hexagonal bellcote on the west gable, the bell is recorded as being purchased in 1876. The side walls have two cross-windows with rectangular panes of glass and the gable walls have windows with small diamond-latticed panes of glass. On the south side are two doorways with chamfered surrounds; over one door is a lintel dated 1703. At the north-west corner

6336-438: The defeat of the Jacobite rising at the Battle of Preston 1715 . Between 1717 and 1729 records presented to government show a congregation of 395. At Rivington Chapel the Unitarian doctrine replaced Presbyterianism in 1754 and around that time the chapel became licensed for weddings, the license was changed in 2021 to enable same sex marriages to take place here. Rivington Church and Rivington Grammar School remained under

6435-432: The doctrine of the Trinity or affirms the belief that God is only one person . In that case, it would be a Nontrinitarian belief system not necessarily associated with the Unitarian movement. For example, the Unitarian movement has never accepted the Godhood of Jesus, and therefore does not include those nontrinitarian belief systems that do, such as Oneness Pentecostalism , United Pentecostal Church International ,

6534-399: The eventual founding of Rivington Unitarian Chapel . The church remains primarily as rebuilt in 1666 with alterations and restoration in the late-19th century. The restoration in 1861 cost £500 and involved building an "inward-jutting porch" to the west entrance, laying Minton tiles in centre aisle, raising the altar and adding railings, restoring the rood screen , panelling the walls to

6633-432: The existence of a triune God . Unitarian Christology can be divided according to whether or not Jesus is believed to have had a pre-human existence. Both forms maintain that God is one being and one person and that Jesus is the (or a) Son of God , but generally not God himself. In the early 19th century, Unitarian Robert Wallace identified three particular classes of Unitarian doctrines in history: Unitarianism

6732-427: The face and personality of Christ shone bright." ) Isaac Newton had Arian beliefs as well. Famous 19th-century Arian Unitarians include Andrews Norton and William Ellery Channing (in his earlier years). Although there is no specific authority on convictions of Unitarian belief aside from rejection of the Trinity, the following beliefs are generally accepted: In 1938, The Christian Leader attributed "

6831-442: The founders, and the wife of Edward Grieg. 1900–1918 the society priest was Uffe Birkedal, who had previously been a Lutheran priest. He held the first worship 18 February 1900. A founding general assembly 18 May 1900 elected Mary Bess Westenholz as the first chairman of the Society. The Society newsletter was named 'Protestantisk Tidende' 1904–1993, and then renamed 'Unitaren', reflecting a gradually changing perception of being part of

6930-454: The house of Thomas Willoughby in Horwich from 1672 and this led to the building of a new chapel there in 1774. In this way the Horwich and Rivington chapels were "rent in twain", to quote the local historian Thomas Hampson writing in 1893. A manse , or minister's house, was built in 1787. A Sunday school began in 1795 in the adjacent school house and a library was added by Rev James Taylor, operating between 1821 and 1985. The congregation of

7029-527: The influence of leading nonconformist figures including the Lancashire Lords Willoughby of Parham and the new nonconformist owners of Rivington Manor , the influence over the Rivington Church lasted until 1763, despite numerous laws to suppress nonconformity. In 1760 four men, Hugh Makinson, Moses Cocker, Thomas Anderton and John Ashworth, rallied support to build the Presbyterian Lee Chapel in Horwich , in opposition of Unitarianism at Rivington. The chapel joined an existing congregation, which had first met in

7128-513: The late 19th century, evolved into modern British Unitarianism and, primarily in the United States, Unitarian Universalism . In 16th-century Italy, Biblical Unitarianism was powered by the ideas of the Non-trinitarian theologians Lelio and Fausto Sozzini , founders of Socinianism ; their doctrine was embraced and further developed by the Unitarian Church of Transylvania during the 16th and 17th centuries. Today, it's represented by

7227-657: The latter being known as biblical Unitarians . The birth of the Unitarian faith is proximate to the Radical Reformation , beginning almost simultaneously among the Protestant Polish Brethren in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and in the Principality of Transylvania in the mid-16th century; the first Unitarian Christian denomination known to have emerged during that time was the Unitarian Church of Transylvania , founded by

7326-418: The namesake of this Christology. It is still Nontrinitarian because, according to this belief system, Jesus has always been beneath God, though higher than humans. Arian Christology was not a majority view among Unitarians in Poland, Transylvania or England. It was only with the advent of American Unitarianism that it gained a foothold in the Unitarian movement. Among early Christian theologians who believed in

7425-536: The north side, and round heads on the south side. There is a doorway between the second and third windows from the east on each side and a door at the west end. The chancel has three round-headed lights in each side and a five light east window. In the graveyard, the earliest gravestone is marked 1616. Some graves stones still present now laid flat at ground level were in the nineteenth century raised with stones sides and some other slabs originally laid at ground level were once surrounded by wrought iron railings, The iron

7524-503: The north wall is a genealogical painting copied, in 1835, from a 16th-century painting relating to the Pilkington family which was damaged by fire in 1834. There is an 18th-century brass chandelier with fluted body and two tiers of arms. The earliest memorial in the church is dated 1627. The church contains a pipe organ by Lewis & Co dating from 1884. It was overhauled in 1927 by Jardine and Co. The war memorial here reads, 'To

7623-600: The north wall is large 18th-century monument to the family of the 11th to 15th Barons Willoughby of Parham . Brass plates on two pew doors are inscribed "Robert Andrews, John William Crompton, Andrew Crompton" and "The Right Honorable Hugh Lord Willoughyby F.R.S of Parham obit 1765". Other memorials are that of the Andrews of Rivington Hall inscribed with the words "In memory of their beloved Uncle, Robert Andrews, of Rivington Esquire, who died July 4th 1858 aged 73 years and of John Andrews, his brother who died December 22, 1865 in

7722-432: The organ in 1843 music was by way of a Bassoon and violoncello , hymn numbers were given to the congregation by writing them on a slate with chalk, there is now a hymn board. The chapel remains an active place of worship: services are held at 2:15 pm on the first and third Sunday of each month, and the bell is rung to call worshippers to the service and a candle lit at the commencement. The Chapel participates in

7821-464: The predominant religion in the United States. In the United Kingdom, although Unitarianism was the religion of only a small minority of the population, its practitioners had an enormous impact on Victorian politics, not only in the larger cities – Birmingham , Leeds , Manchester and Liverpool – but in smaller communities such as Leicester , where there were so many Unitarian mayors that

7920-505: The south side and a modern vestry is on north side. The entrance was moved and alteration to make a porch was work done in the 19th century, with a large chimney once towering over where the current doorway is. The west gable wall has an elliptical-headed doorway and the octagonal bell turret has a square base and a conical roof with a weather vane . The roof is covered with green slates and finished with overhanging eaves. The three-bay nave has square-headed windows of three square lights on

8019-619: The subsequent growth of Unitarianism in New England. Unitarian Henry Ware (1764–1845) was appointed as the Hollis professor of divinity at Harvard College, in 1805. Harvard Divinity School then shifted from its conservative roots to teach Unitarian theology (see Harvard and Unitarianism ). Buckminster's close associate William Ellery Channing (1780–1842) was settled over the Federal Street Church in Boston, 1803, and in

8118-783: The supports sinking by the mid 20th century. Some graves at ground level were surrounded by decorative wrought iron railings, the ironwork was removed in World War II by government for use in munitions production. There are graves here with monuments to the Pilkingtons, Andrews, and Cromptons, Lords of the Manor of Rivington ; the Shaws, whose ancestry can be traced to 1190; the Ormrods; Samuel Oldknow "of Nottingham, late of Anderton", who died on 7 August 1759 and whose son, Samuel Oldknow ,

8217-517: The virgin birth). Notable examples are James Martineau , Theodore Parker , Ralph Waldo Emerson and Frederic Henry Hedge . Famous American Unitarian William Ellery Channing was a believer in the virgin birth until later in his life, after he had begun his association with the Transcendentalists. Arianism is often considered a form of Unitarianism. The Christology of Arianism holds that Jesus, before his human life, existed as

8316-555: The virgin birth. In the early days of Unitarianism, the stories of the virgin birth were accepted by most. There were a number of Unitarians who questioned the historical accuracy of the Bible, including Symon Budny , Jacob Palaeologus , Thomas Belsham, and Richard Wright , and this made them question the virgin birth story. Beginning in England and America in the 1830s, and manifesting itself primarily in Transcendentalist Unitarianism , which emerged from

8415-621: The woman suffrage movement, the first ever woman to be elected to the Academy of Arts and Letters, and author of the " Battle Hymn of the Republic ", volumes of poetry, and other writing. Although raised a Quaker, Ezra Cornell , founder of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, attended the Unitarian church and was one of the founders of Ithaca's First Unitarian Church. Eramus Darwin Shattuck,

8514-679: The word first appears in a title in Stephen Nye 's A Brief History of the Unitarians, called also Socinians (1687). The movement gained popularity in England in the wake of the Enlightenment and began to become a formal denomination in 1774 when Theophilus Lindsey organised meetings with Joseph Priestley , founding the first avowedly Unitarian congregation in the country. This occurred at Essex Street Church in London. Official toleration came in 1813 . The first official acceptance of

8613-424: The words 'Let the peeling organ blow'. The chapel has electric lighting added during renovations in 1952 and the original candle holders have been retained. The memorial to Rev. Samuel Newton is a broken piece of slate that was recovered from the chapel yard by workmen in 1844 and was reassembled and mounted in a frame above the entrance and reads "Rev Samuel Newton driven from Church on Bartholomew Sunday 1662". On

8712-748: Was a Unitarian ministry incorporated in South Carolina until its dissolution in 2013 when it merged with the Unitarian Christian Emerging Church. The Unitarian Christian Emerging Church has recently undergone reorganization and today is known as the Unitarian Christian Church of America. In addition, the Unitarian Universalist Faith Alliance and Ministries follow a Progressive Christian format honoring Sacred Space and Creation Spirituality. The Unitarian Christian Church of America (UCCA)

8811-589: Was a factory owner and the first Mayor of Bolton , C. J. Darbyshire. A plaque commemorates Walt Whitman , celebrated on 31 May 1913 by the minister, Samuel Thompson and the Eagle Street College . There are Four date stones in the graveyard at either side of the entrance one dated 1695, another stone inscribed with initials I over IR 1698 being the initials of James and Rebecca Isherwood, from Woods Farm otherwise known as Ainsworths Farm. Others are from Rivington Hall coach house 1713 with initials WBMI,

8910-461: Was covered by grass. Until the early 20th century the chapel was heavily covered in Ivy and the gate was kept locked and entry was accompanied if no service was being conducted, during which the service was conducted with windows open in summer. Gravestones are a variety of types, with the earlier ones being slabs raised by stone sides, many of the raised grave slabs had to be lowered to ground level due to

9009-572: Was first recognized by the Edict of Torda , issued by the Transylvanian Diet under Prince John II Sigismund Zápolya (January 1568), and was first led by Ferenc Dávid (a former Calvinist bishop, who had begun preaching the new doctrine in 1566). The term "Unitarian" first appeared as unitaria religio in a document of the Diet of Lécfalva , Transylvania , on 25 October 1600, though it

9108-651: Was followed soon afterwards by chapels in Sydney and Adelaide, and later regional centres including Ballarat. The modern church, no longer unitarian Christian, retains properties in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, and smaller congregations elsewhere in Australia and New Zealand. The Unitarian movement in South Africa was founded in 1867 by David Faure , member of a well-known Cape family. He encountered advanced liberal religious thought while completing his studies at

9207-684: Was formed on 1 October 2016 through the merging of the Unitarian Christian Emerging Church and the Unitarian Christian Conference. The church's current ministry in on-line and through local fellowship gatherings. The current senior pastor and current president of the UCCA is the Reverend Dr. Shannon Rogers. The UCCA has both ordained and lay members. The first Unitarian Church in Australia was built in 1854 in Melbourne and

9306-1012: Was founded in the United Kingdom in 1991 by Rev. Lancelot Garrard (1904–93) and others to promote specifically Christian ideas within the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches (GAUFCC), the national Unitarian body in Great Britain. Just as the UUCF and ICUU maintain formal links with the Unitarian Universalist Association in the US, so the UCA is an affiliate body of the GAUFCC in Great Britain. The majority of Unitarian Christian publications are sponsored by an organization and published specifically for their membership. Generally, they do not serve as

9405-619: Was interred in the Chancel of Rivington Church. Newton was succeeded by the Rev. John Walker who died in 1702. The first Minister of the chapel was the Rev. Ralph Ainsworth 1704 to 1716. Thomas Anderton of School Brow farm left £100 to aid the nonconformists in 1683, in 1686 Rev. John Breres was conducting services at their meeting places. By 1697 George Brownlow and George Shaw added to the Chapel funds. Records of meeting places in 1702 shortly prior to

9504-401: Was married to Jessie Ormrod at the chapel in 1902. The interior of the chapel had extensive repairs in 1952 and 1960. The chapel was the focus of a national pilgrimage of Unitarians in 1961. The manse is now a private residence; money from the sale was used to create a garden of remembrance in 1970 with surrounding wall containing niches for crematorium ashes. After the library closed in 1985,

9603-509: Was not widely used in Transylvania until 1638, when the formal recepta Unitaria Religio was published. The word Unitarian had been circulating in private letters in England, in reference to imported copies of such publications as the Library of the Polish Brethren who are called Unitarians (1665). Henry Hedworth was the first to use the word "Unitarian" in print in English (1673), and

9702-659: Was one of the Ministers ejected in 1662, many of his congregation followed him and formed the first nonconformist congregation at Rivington. Laws followed including the Conventicle Act 1664 that prohibited unauthorised religious meetings of more than five people and the Five Mile Act 1665 to suppress nonconformist clergy. William Anderton was an early benefactor to the chapel leaving funds in 1670 in his will for Ministers John Walker and Samuel Newton. Newton gained

9801-456: Was removed for the war effort in World War II . The churchyard contains three Commonwealth war grave burials of British Army personnel, one of World War I and two of World War II . Stones near the entrance include the 'Anderton Stone' which depicts shack bolts from the Anderton coat of arms and a crucified figure with ' INRI ' believed to originate from Anderton Hall chapel. Above it

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