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Murray, John (1)

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Murray, John (2)

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an eminent divine, regarded as the founder of the Universalist denomination of Christians in America, was born in Alton, Hampshire, England, December 10, 1741. He received the careful religious training of sincerely pious parents. When he was about eleven years of age, the family removed to Ireland, and settled near Cork. His father, a member of the Established Church, a Calvinist in sentiment, but an early convert to the religious views of John Wesley, infused his own sentiments and zeal into the mind of his child. His extreme anxiety for the spiritual welfare of his son — who, very young, became the subject of hopeful conversion — and his unwillingness to allow him to pass from under his immediate guardianship, induced him to reject a proffered opportunity to give him a liberal education.

The earnestness, devotion, and ability of young Murray gave him, as he grew up, position and influence in religious circles, and he became an occasional preacher in Wesley's connection. At a later period, he formed an acquaintance with Mr. Whitefield — with whom he agreed touching the doctrine of election — and became greatly interested in his teachings. About the year 1760 Murray returned to England. Here his experiences were varied, trying, and sometimes humiliating. In a controversy with one who had embraced the religious views of James Relly, a teacher of Universalism, his own theological positions were somewhat disturbed.

At length he allowed himself to read Relly's Union; and entered upon a careful re-examination of the sacred Scriptures. He afterwards attended regularly upon Mr. Relly's preaching, and received joyfully the doctrines of Universalism as taught by him. His faith soon became decided "that Christ Jesus died for all, and that every one for whom Christ died must finally be saved" (Life, new ed. 1870, page 161). Excommunication from Mr.Whitefield's tabernacle in London naturally followed. Persecutions for opinion's sake, pecuniary embarrassments. and grief for the death of his wife and infant child, rendered him wretched. Having by a temporary devotion to business discharged all pecuniary obligations, he resolved to leave his native land and to seek retirement and relief in America. Yet on his first arrival in the New World, led, as he undoubtingly believed, by a superintending and special Providence, he was constrained to preach, and gave his first discourse in America September 30, 1770. The service was held in a small church in an obscure place — called "Good Luck" — in New Jersey.

Thenceforward he regarded himself as called of God to teach the universal redemption of the human race through Christ, and gave himself devotedly to the work of his ministry. He labored first in New Jersey and New York. Afterwards, as he found opportunity, he preached — though often opposed and sometimes bitterly persecuted — in Newport, Providence, Boston, Portsmouth, Norwich, and other places in New England. In Gloucester, Massachusetts, where, in December 1774, he had fixed his residence, whence "to go, a preacher of the Gospel," he was falsely represented 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, surreptitiously 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 Washington, honored him with marked and uniform attention. Ill-health soon obliged him to leave the army, and he returned to Gloucester, where, distinguished as a religious teacher and as a philanthropist, he was settled over a society of Universalists. In 1783 he became plaintiff in an action at law, brought to recover property belonging to individuals of his society, but taken for the use of the original parish of the town. After many delays, a final verdict was rendered for the plaintiff in June, 1786. This decision was of great significance and importance, and he afterwards rejoiced that he had been the "happy instrument to give a death wound to that hydra, parochial persecution" (Life, page 331). Believers increased, and he was largely instrumental in securing a general meeting and organizing a convention of Universalists. They met in September, 1785, in Oxford, Massachusetts, and organized under the denominational name, Independent Christian Universalists. Early in 1787 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 involving his civil standing and position as an ordained minister. his ordination, regarded by some as informal, was publicly and solemnly renewed in the Gloucester church, on Christmas-day.

In October 1788, he married Mrs. Judith S. Stevens, a widow lady of estimable character, and of considerable literary ability. In 1790 he attended a convention of Universalists in Philadelphia, and was a member of a committee to present at that time an address to general Washington, president of the United States. He improved the opportunity to visit and hold service in the little church in New Jersey, where he first delivered in America the glad message 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 prostrated by paralysis, which rendered him helpless, and from which he never recovered. He lived several years, a patient and hopeful sufferer, and died with the assuring words of faith on his lips, September 3, 1815. His remains were buried September 4, in the "Granary burying-ground" in Boston. From this place, on June 8, 1837, they were removed, with solemn and interesting ceremonies, to Mount Auburn, where an appropriate monument is erected to his memory. The theological opinions of Murray show the impress of early training, as well as the moulding influence of Relly's teaching. He believed in God as the "One Indivisible First Cause;" that the Creator was enrobed in humanity and became God, the Son; and that he was manifested also as a Holy Spirit of Consolation.

He believed in holy angels of different orders, in fallen angels, and in a personal devil (Works, 2:320). It was a cardinal doctrine with him that every member of the entire human family was mysteriously united to the Creator, and so to Christ, who was made the head of every man. He held in especial abhorrence the doctrine that Christ was a mere man, and taught that "God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost are no more than different exhibitions of the same self-existent, omnipresent Being" (Works, 3:223). His fundamental doctrine, as a Universalist, was that Christ literally put away the sin of the whole world by the sacrifice of himself( Works, 2:243, 270). He distinguished carefully between universal salvation and universal redemption, believing that all were redeemed, and would finally be taught of God and come to Christ; but that those who died unconverted would continue unhappy wanderers 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 Redeemer, 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, page 400 sq.)., His published works consist of Letters and Sketches of Sermons (Bost. 1812, 3 volumes), and an Autobiography, with a continuation by Mrs. Judith Sargent Murray (1 volume, 18th edition, Bost. 1860). The first edition of the Life was published in Boston, 1816. The last and ninth, edited by Reverend G.L. Demarest, was issued in Boston as a centenary offering in 1870. Murray is described by a contemporary as a person of middling height, with a speaking countenance and masculine features, naturally rough and stern; as having a poetical imagination, a retentive memory, warm affections, a love for all mankind, 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 volubility, a good choice of words, and a great variety of expression. He had a wonderful command of the feelings of his auditors; could arouse and animate them at pleasure, or depress them with a peculiarly soft eloquence even to tears (Life, new ed. page 11). In private life he was genial and social. See Meth. Quar. Rev. October 1874, art. v; Univer. Quar. July 1872, art. 2; October 1872, art. 1, 6. (See UNIVERSALISM). (J.P.W.)