port, Providence, Boston, Portsmouth, Norwich, and oth. er places in New England. In tiloucester, Mass., where, in December, 1774, he had fixed his residence, whence " to go, a preacher of the Gospel," he was falsely repre- sented as a papist, and as a secret emissary of lord North, sent out to the rebellious colonies in the interest of an obnoxious ministry in England. Anathemas and stones followed him in the streets, and by a vote, surreptitious- ly obtained, he was ordered to leave the town. The interference of influential friends saved him. In May, 1775, he was appointed chaplain of the Rhode Island brigade, encamped near Boston, The other chaplains petitioned for his removal, but, in utter disregard of this petition, he was confirmed by a general order, and the commander-in-chief, general Wasliington, honored him with marked and uniform attention. Ill -health soon obliged him to leave the army, and he returned to Glou- cester, where, distinguished as a religious teacher and as a philanthropist, he was settled over a society of Uni- versalists. In 1783 he became jJaintiff in an action at law, brought to recover property belonging to individ- uals of his society, but taken for the use of the orig- inal parish of the town. After many delays, a final verdict was rendered for the idaintiff in June, 1786. This decision was of great significance and impor- tance, and he afterwards rejoiced that he had been the "happy isistrument to give a death wound to that hydra, parochial persecution" {Lifv, p. 331). Believers increased, and he was largely instrumental in securing a general meeting and organizing a convention of I'ni- versalists. They met in September, 1785, in Oxford, Mass., and organized under the denominational name, Independent Christian Univeisalists. Early in 17x7 he visited his native land, where, during a brief stay, he preached in various places with great acceptance and power. He returned before the close of the year, and, in view of certain questions raised by his opponents in- volving his civil standing and position as an ordained minister, his ordination, regarded by some as informal, was publicly and solemnly renewed in the (iloucestcr church, on Christmas-day. In October, 1788, he mar- ried Mrs. Judith S. Stevens, a widow lady of estimable character, and of considerable literary ability. In 1790 he attended a convention of Universalists in I'liiiadel- phia, and was a member of a committee to present at that time an address to general Washington, )iresidcnt of the United States. He improved the opportimity to visit and hold service in the little church in New jer- sey, where he first delivered in America the glad mes- sage of a full and free salvation. October 23, 1793, he was installed over a society of Universalists in Boston, and became the pastor of a united and devoted people, with whom he remained during the rest of his life. October 19. 1809. he was jirostrated by paralysis, which rendered him hel|iless, and from which he never recov- ered. He lived several years, a patient and hojteful sufferer, and died with the assuring words of faith on his lips, September 3, 1815. His remains were buried Sep- tember 4, in the "Granary burying-ground" in Boston. From this place, on June 8, 1837, they were removed, with solemn and interesting ceremonies, to Jloimt Au- burn, where an api)roi)riate moiumient is erected to his memory. The theological opinions of ]\Iurr;iy show the impress of early training, as well as the moulding iiitlu- ence of Kelly's teaching. He believed in God as the " One Indii-isible First Cause;" that the Creator Avr.s en- robed in humanity and became (Jod. the Son; and that he was manifested also as a Holy Spirit of Consolation. He believed in holy angels of diffirc lU orders, in fallen angels, and in a personal devil ( 1 1 '('/■/.>•, ii, oi'o \. It was a cardinal doctrine with him that every member of the entire human family was mysteriously united to the Creator, and so to Ciirist, who was made the head of ev- ery man. He held in es|)ecial abhorrence the doctrine that Christ was a mere man. and taught that '• (Jod the Father, God the Son, and <iod the Holy (ihost are no more than different exhibitions of the same self-exist-
MURRAY
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MURRAY
enr, omnipresent Being"' ( Works, iii, 223). His funda- mental doctrine, as a Universalist, was that Christ liter- ally put away the sin of the whole world by the sacrifice of himself ( VForfo, ii, 243, 270). He distinguished care- fully between universal salvation and universal redemp- tion, believing that all were redeemed, and would finally be taught of God and come to Christ; but that those who died unconverted would continue unhapjiy wander- ers till the general judgment and restitution of all things, when the fallen angels would be placed on the left hand, the world of mankind be judged, and after all were found guilty before God, the book of life would be opened, in which all the members of the Eedeemer, that is, every individual of the human family, would be found written, and, as members of Christ's body, purged by him, as the sole means, from their sins. He taught, moreover, that an elect few embraced the truth before death, and, as saints of God, will surround the Redeemer at his second coming {Life, p. 400 sq.). His published works con- sist of Letters and Sketches of Sermons (Bost. 1812, 3 vols.), and an Autobiography, with a continuation by Mps. Judith Sargent INIurray (1 vol., 18th edition, Bost. 18G0). Tlie first edition of the Ufe was published in Boston, 181G. The last and ninth, edited by Eev. G. L. Demarest, was issued in Boston as a centenary offer- ing in 1870. Murray is described by a contemporary as a person of middling height, with a speaking coun- tenance and masculine features, naturally rough and stern ; as having a poetical imagination, a retentive memory, warm affections, a love for all mankmd, but especially for those of a religious turn of mind. In his public discourses he was artless and unaffected, but spoke with great grace of oratory, with an astonishing volubil- ity, a good choice of words, and a great variety of ex- pression. He had a wonderful command of the feelings of his auditors ; could arouse and animate them at pleas- ure, or depress them with a peculiarly soft eloquence even to tears {Life, new cd. p. 11). In private life he Avas genial and social. See Meth. Qua?: Eev. Oct. 1874, art. V ; Univer. Qiiar. July, 1872, art. ii ; Oct. 1872, art. i, vi. See Universalis.m. (J. P.W.)