Unitarianism in America: A History of its Origin and DevelopmentCooke, George Willis
History
Unitarianism in America: A History of its Origin and Development
Cooke, George Willis
Unitarianism -- United States
The second great characteristic of man, according to Wise, "is an original
liberty enstamped upon his rational nature."[24] He indicates that he is
not inclined to discuss the merely theological problem of man's relations
to God, but, considered physically, man is at the head of creation, "and as
such is a creature of a very noble character." [24] All the lower world is
subject to his command, "and his liberty under the conduct of right reason
is equal with his trust." [24] "He that intrudes upon this liberty violates
the law of nature." [24] The effect of such liberty is not to lead man into
license, but to make him the rational master of his own conduct. Every man
is therefore at liberty "to judge for himself what shall be most for his
behoof, happiness, and well-being."[25]
The third great characteristic of man is found in "an equality amongst
men," [25] which is to be respected and vindicated by governments that are
just and humane. "By a natural right," he says, "all men are born free;
and, nature having set all men upon a level and made them equals, no
servitude or subjection can be conceived without inequality."[26] Again he
says that it is "a fundamental principle relating to government that, under
God, all power is originally in the people."[27] This is true of the church
as well as of the state, and Wise says the Reformation was a cheat and a
schism and a notorious rebellion if the people are not the source of power
in the church.
Two other ideas presented by this leader show his modernness and his
originality. He says that "the happiness of the people is the object of all
government,"[28] and that the state should seek to promote "the peculiar
good and benefit of the whole, and every particular member, fairly and
sincerely."[29] "The end of all good government," he assures his readers,
"is to cultivate humanity, and promote the happiness of all, and the good
of every man in all his rights, his life, liberty, estate, and honor,
without injury or abuse done to any." [29] That government will seek the
good of all is likely to be the case, because man has it as a fundamental
law of his nature that he "maintain a sociableness with others."[30] "From
the principles of sociableness it follows as a fundamental law of nature
that man is not so wedded to his own interest but that he can make the
common good the mark of his aim, and hence he becomes capacitated to enter
into a civil state by the law of nature."[31] This attraction of man to his
kind enables him to yield so much of his freedom as is necessary to make
the state an efficient social power, "in which covenant is included that
submission and union of wills by which a state may be conceived to be but
one person."[32] This thoroughly modern idea of the social body, as being
analogous in its nature to the individual man, is nobly expressed by Wise,
who says that "a civil state is a compound moral person, whose will is the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account