During the past thirty years the denomination has been active in the educational work, and has now thir- teen colleges and seminaries and one theological school. The latter is located at Dayton, O., and wholly under the management of the General Conference.
The Missionary Society of the Church is thoroughly organized, and since its origin, in 1853, has gathered
UNITED CHRISTIANS
649 UNITED EVANGELICAL CHURCH
and expended for the spread of the Gospel nearly two millions of dollars. The missionaries of the Church are scattered over many portions of the United States and territories, in Canada, Germany, and Western Africa. There are in the foreign work Ti, in the frontier de- partment 140, and on home missions 240 missionaries.
A Women's Missionary Society was established in 1877, and has founded one mission in Germany and one in Africa.
A Church Erection Society was organized in 18G9 by the General Conference. The object of this organiza- tion is to aid feeble churches in erecting houses of wor- ship. Already many congregations have been assisted by funds raised by this society.
A Sabbath - school Association was established in 18G9, and gathers by systematic annual collections a liberal sum each year to aid Mission Sabbath-schools in all parts of the denomination and in heathen lands. The Cluirch is deeply interested in the work of saving the children, and no appliance useful to this end is with- held from them. ♦
The literature of the Church is found chiefly in strict- ly denominational books and periotlicals. It has a pub- lishing house at Dayton, O., under the supervision of the General Conference. Its net capital on the 1st of April, 1880, was $144,606.10. It is out of debt, and has a handsome balance of cash in the treasurj'. Its pe- riodical literature is of a high moral tone, and compares well with the best of its kind everywhere. The house issues nine periodicals, with an average aggregate cir- culation of 175,000 copies.
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is not an offshoot of an}' other Cliurch or churches, but bears the impress of a providential upraising for the accom- plishment of a special mission. It presents no new doc- trine, and is distinguished mostly as an organization in which the ministry and people have an equal propor- tion of power, and the rulers hold office only by the authority and consent of the governed. Its history has been marked by radical reformatory ideas, which have doubtless in some degree retarded its growth in num- bers. Slavery, the use of intoxicating drinks as a bev- erage, and the making and trading in ardent spirits. Freemasonry, and other secret societies are entirely pro- hibited on pain of excommunication. Its field thus far has been mainly among the rural populations of the land. Its ministers and people are striving to main- tain the old landmarks of a vital and experimental re- ligion, insisting upon the witness of the Spirit and a holy heart and life. (W. J. S.)
United Christians of St. Thomas, a body of East Indian Roman Catholics, chiefly found in Travan- core, at the southern extremity of India. In 1599 the Synod of Diamper (Udiamperoor) compelled the an- cient Church of St. Thomas Christians to conform to the Church of Rome, conceding to them a modern Syrian rite. In 1653 nearly all fell awav, but were soon after induced in great numbers to return, chief- ly by the labors of the Barefooted Carmelites. At present more than one half are of the Latin rite, but a portion retain the Oriental rite. They are chiefly in the vicariate apostolic of Verapoli (Latin rite), reported in 1868 as having 295 priests and 233,000 members. See Thomas (St.), Christians of.
United Copts are those who, since 1732, have ac- acknowledged the authority of the pope. They are of two rites — the Egyptian, and the Ethiopic or Ab^yssin- ian — and in Egypt they number 12,000. In 1855 the pope appointed one of their priests vicar apostolic and bishop ill partibus. See Copts.
United Evangelical Church, a denomination in German}', formed in 1817 by a union of the Lutheran and Reformed churches. Attempts at uniting these churches were made as early as 1529, when leading the- ologians of both schools held a conference at Marburg. Other conferences were held at Leipsic in 1631, and at
Cassel in 166 1. In 1703 Frederick I of Prussia con- vened several Lutheran and Reformed theologians at Berlin to discuss the practicability of a union, but was successful!}' opposed by the Lutheran clergymen. A " Plan of Union," proposed by Klemm and I'faff, theolo- gians of Tubingen (1710-22), met with little favor. About the beginning of the 19th century, however, a voluntary union of the two communities was established in some parts of South Prussia, which extended in 1805 to many congregations at Cologne, Wiirzburg, and ]Mu- nich. In 18 10^ king Frederick William took up the subject warmly, and in 1814 drew up, chiefly with his own hands, a liturgy, which was adopted in the Royal Chapel, and authorized for use elsewhere. A royal proc- lamation followed, dated Sept. 27, 1817, in which the king requested the Lutherans and the Reformed through- out his dominions to unite in one community, and ex- pressed his intention of taking part in a united celebra- tion of the holy communion in the Royal Chapel at Pots- dam, on Oct. 31, the occasion of the tercentenary of the Reformation. A synod assembled on Oct. 1 at Breslau, and another subsequently at Berlin; both of them read- ily adopting the proclamation, as did most of the minis- ters and laity throughout Prussia. A general assent was given to the movement on the day mentioned by the king, viz. Oct. 31, and not long after it was ordered that the distinctive names "Lutheran" and " Reformed" should be disused in all official documents, and the Unit- ed Evangelical Church alone recognised as the national religion. It soon spread beyond the boundaries of Prus- sia, and was adopted in Nassau, Hanover, and Bavaria in 1818, in Hesse -Cassel in 1822, and in Wiirtemberg in 1827 ; but it did not extend either to Lutheran Aus- tria, on the one hand, or to Calvinistic Switzerland, on the other. Even in Prussia the revised Service-book which the king set forth in 1821 was rejected by many congregations, and uniformity was far from being estab- lished even within the bounds of the united body. On June 25, 1830, the king directed that the Service-book should be used in all churches; but a number of the Lutheran clergy refused to adopt it, and were suspend- ed, some of them being treated with great severity, and even imprisoned.