“All the Religions of the World are Friends” [1895] & “In What Sense is Unitarianism Christianity?” [1895] by Clay MacCaulay
In my last post I made available translations of two Japanese Unitarian texts from 1895 by authors who came to represent the Christian Unitarian and Buddist Unitarian positions that existed within the Japanese Unitarian movement at the time, namely, Kanda Saichirō [神田佐一郎] and Saji Jitsunen [佐治實然演說] respectively. Alas, as I noted, these positions ended up causing a genuine split that resulted in the formal Japanese Unitarian movement (supported by the American Unitarian Association and its representative, Clay MacCauley) moving ever more closely towards the Christian Unitarian position and away from the more universalistic position that characterised its early years. But I also noted that, to my ears, at least in 1895, both these authors were, so to speak, singing their respective songs in a universalist key . . .
Well, digging around in the digital achives of the National Diet Library yesterday, I came across a two more essays from 1895 written by the AUA’s representative Clay MacCauley (see picture above). It seemed well worth making translations of them available so as to give a more rounded snapshot of the state of play in 1895. As with the earlier essays, you will hear a song being sung in an explicitly universalist key. But, as you will also hear, they clearly contain the seeds of the eventual move towards the Christian Unitarian position that played its part in the eventual dissolution of the formal Japanese Unitarian movement in 1922. MacCauley, despite his clear and inspiring universalistic tendencies, concludes his essay “All the Religions of the World are Friends” [1895] by saying that, “pure Christianity”—by which he means his own, and the AUA’s, understanding Unitarian Christianity—is “the highest development of mankind’s religious consciousness in the development of the world’s religions.” This same view is, perhaps not surprisingly, also clearly expressed in the second essay, “In What Sense is Unitarianism Christianity?”
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All the Religions of the World are Friends [天下の宗教は皆交友なり]
by [Clay] MacCauley [マッコーレー述]
The original Japanese text can be found at this link
The declaration [宣言] of the principles [主義] and faith [信仰] of the Unitarians [ユニテリアン教徒] says: “All the religions [宗教] of the world are friends [交友]. Why? Because, though they may differ in the degree of their superiority and inferiority, their long and short [duration], their origin [本源] is the same, and their purpose [目的] is likewise identical in practice [實際上].”
To write a treatise [論文] arguing that the many religions of the world, though their forms [形式] differ, are all friends [交友] and possess a common nature [普通の性質] – this would not be without profit. We [余輩] believe that God [上帝] is the Heavenly Father [天父] of the universe [宇宙]; we believe that this God is ever the sole source [唯一なる源泉] of our life, our responsiveness [感應], and our hope [希望]. We believe that mankind [人類] possesses a common nature; that whether as individuals [個人] or as nations [國民], though there be differences of wisdom and folly [智愚], and though the degree of civilisation [文明の程度] may differ, yet the path of progress [進歩の道路] is one. We believe that mankind is as brothers in one household [一家に於ける兄弟]; that whosoever comes into the world [世界に生れ來る], regardless of his station, is guided and protected [開導保護] by the one light [光明], and proceeds towards a noble future [高尙なる未來]. Whether on land or sea, at home or abroad, the force that moves men is none other than a single power [唯一の威力]. Day by day we do not lack the intellectual knowledge of faith [信仰上の智識] that exists among mankind; and as that knowledge progresses, it is demonstrated that all the world’s religions share the same foundation [同一の基礎].
We see that in all religions the purpose is the same; we see that in all religions the symbols [表號, シムボル] are similar; we see that in all religions the rites [禮式] agree; we see that in all religions the same satisfaction is given to the spirit of fervent seeking [熱心想求的の精神]. Therefore, though the faiths of the world are many in kind, there is only one religion [唯一の宗教] that acknowledges [承認する] that God is the Heavenly Father and that mankind are brothers. Some may be corrupted in outward form [外形腐敗], some may have branches that are wild and absurd [枝葉荒唐虛誕]; some may be noble through virtue [德], some base through evil [惡]; yet all these are but transformations [變形] of that one religion.
If one were to say that different peoples [異種の國民] are illuminated by different suns [異類の太陽], men would surely laugh. But how is it different to say that different peoples worship different gods [異類の神]? If one were to say that the light and warmth given to the earth do not come from one single sun [唯一の源泉なる太陽], but from many – would that be any less strange? It is not difficult to see that all nations, under different names, regard the same sun. The names they give to the sun may differ, but that which makes it the sun is one. The titles they give to God may differ, but that which makes Him God is one. Therefore we would say: the scriptures [經典] of Jesus [耶蘇] are holy scripture [聖經]; yet the devout books [敬虔の書] existing among the many peoples of the world are also holy scripture. The Vedas [韋陀] and the Avesta [サガス] are holy scripture; the words of Plato [プレトー], Zoroaster [ゾロアスター], Confucius [孔子], Shakyamuni [釋迦], and Muhammad [マホメット] are holy scripture; the words of Emperor Marcus Antoninus [皇帝マーカス・アントニナス] and the slave Epictetus [奴僕エビクテタス] are holy scripture; the spirit of the learned Alexandrian [學識深きアレキサンドリア人] and the illiterate Scythian [文盲無學なるチグロ人] is also holy scripture. If that be so, then on some future day, gathering what agrees in their religious life, and compiling their holy poems [聖詩], prayers [祈禱文], and golden sayings [金言] into one great collection [一大成] – would that not be the great Bible [聖經] of mankind?
Open your eyes and look widely upon the world’s religions. Though their outward forms be a thousand shapes and ten thousand states [千態萬狀], yet within them you may recognise one true connection [一個の眞聯]. See, is not their teaching the great Way of Heaven [天下の大道] (high and low though they be)? Are not their religious organisations [宗教組織] likewise composed of priests [道士, 傳敎師, 祭司] and pilgrims [巡禮]? Are not their liturgies [禮典] composed of prayers [禱求], common supplication [公禱], sacrifice [犧牲], sermons [訓言], and hymns [聖詩]? Are not their sacred objects composed of incense [香料], candles [蠟燭], holy water [聖水], relics [聖骨, 舍利], and images of saints [聖賢の圖畵]? Is there any religion without saints [聖人], angels [天使], and martyrs [義死し者]? Is there any religion without symbols [表號, シムボル], though their forms differ (such as the cross [十字形], the circle [球形], the triangle [三角形], the dragon [龍], the immortal [僊], the all-seeing eye [見ざる所なき眼])? Is there any religion that does not call certain mountains, rivers, and lands sacred places [靈場]? Is there any religion without prophecies [預言] and miracles [奇跡], without teaching the resurrection of the dead [死者の復活] and the expulsion of demons [惡魔の退去]? Is there any religion without festivals [祭日] and feasts [節宴]?
Look at the images of the holy apostles depicted in the ancient Christian Church [古代の基督敎會]. They wear crowns of birds and beasts upon their heads, and cause us to recall the idols [偶像] of the gods left behind in the dust of tombs. And not only this. All historical religions [歴史的の宗教], in their various schools and sects [門流門派], return to one principle [一徹に歸し]. Within one sect there are always superstitions [迷信], rationalists [合理派], formalists [拘禮派], universalists [博愛派], ascetics [隱士派], and hedonists [貪樂派]. The emergence of such schools is like the natural growth of moss and grass upon the land – they do not choose whether the land is good or bad.
That the religions of all nations return to one principle is roughly as stated above. Let us go a step further and consider the doctrine of the descent of the God-man [神人降生の說]. On this point too the religions of the world go forth on one path; one might almost call them mutual echoes [相互の反響]. Is there any nation whose oral traditions [口碑] do not include a Saviour [救世主]? And when he appears, there is a prophet [預言者] to confirm him, sages [賢人] to welcome him, a virgin [童女] to bear him, and miracles to attend him; then he usually ascends to heaven without dying. According to tradition, Zoroaster and Confucius had no human father. Osiris [オシリス] (the divine man of Egypt [埃及の神人]) is called the Son of God [上帝の子] and the manifestation of life and light [生命及び光明の表彰]. First he taught the chosen people [選擇の人民]; then, with his disciples, he went to the land of enemies and subdued it; he was killed by the devil [惡魔], died, descended into hell [地獄], and rose again to preside over the final judgment of mankind [人類最後の裁判]. Therefore it is said: whoever calls upon his name shall be saved. The biography [履歴] of Buddha [佛陀] is similar. He was born of a virgin; his name signifies “bright wisdom” [英明] or “Saviour” [救世主]. As a child, by his understanding [理解力] and his clear answers to difficult questions, he confounded the teachers. When he grew up, he was tempted in the wilderness; for the sake of saving the world, he set out on that path with his disciples, abolished the caste system [階級制], overcame violence [暴虐], taught patience [堪忍], and accepted the lowly and humble [卑賤の者] as disciples. He always said: “My way [道] is compassion [慈仁] for all beings.”
What has been said above is generally acknowledged by the oral traditions of religions [宗教的口碑]. Their borrowed fine robes belong not to one individual but to the whole race [種族全體]. To exalt a [single] man into a god greatly diminishes the vast majesty of God. The Platonist philosopher [プレトー派の哲學者] Porphyry [ポリフヰリー] once said of Jesus: “Christ [基督] ascended to heaven, thereby giving great occasion for error.” The question of the inequality of human nature by divine gift [人性天賦の不同] is a problem not yet clearly resolved. But even if a man were superior to us, or surpassed all others, is there any reason to make him other than human? Construct a new humanity according to your will; there must surely be those who stand at its summit in both intellect and virtue. Shall we read Shakespeare’s [セークスビヤ] works and, finding in them infinite delight, call him a god? Shall we wander through the literary world, serve many writers, learn many languages, study many philosophical systems, then return to read Shakespeare again, and finding the delight ever deeper, make him a celestial being beyond humanity? If we doubt Shakespeare and say he is not human, my intellect would be afflicted with a sickness of the mind. If we doubt Jesus and say he is not human, my spirit would also be afflicted with a sickness of the spirit.
If this be so, then all religions are natural [自然], and all are revealed [默示]. If a man observes the world’s religions with such feelings, what new faith should arise centred on mankind? What new faith should arise towards God? Do not all the races of the world acknowledge that there is one God who is the Creator and Ruler of the world? Do not the fervent faithful [熱心なる信者] all call Him their Heavenly Father [天父]? Do not all races believe in life after death, and in their teachings confirm that mankind are brothers? The caste system [階級制度] of India arose in rebellion against the teaching of the Vedas; and those who today seek to abolish this system also rely on the Vedas, do they not? The Vishnu and Satapatha Brahmana [ブヰスヌ、サルマンのヒトパテサ經] forbid the caste system, saying: “Some may say, ‘Is he one of my tribe or of another tribe?’ But this is the speech of a small‑minded man who sees things as either lesser or greater [i.e., in terms of ‘my tribe or another’] [小大の眼孔]. The high-minded man will surely say: ‘The earth is but one family.’” The Bhagavad Gita [バーグハギータ] says: “Every man is my beloved; therefore let mankind not fear me, and I shall not fear mankind.” The Vishnu Purana [ヴヰスヌ、プラナ] says: “God Kesava [神ケサヴア] rejoices in doing good to others and always desires the prosperity of living beings.” According to oral tradition, the Buddhist monks of Tartary [韃靼の佛者] always blessed people, saying: “All mankind are brothers; you should help one another.”
A disciple once asked Confucius about benevolence [仁]. The Master said: “It is to love all people.” Zi Gong [子貢] asked: “Is there one word that may serve as a rule for one’s whole life?” The Master said: “Is it not reciprocity [恕]? What you do not wish done to yourself, do not do to others.” Confucius said: “My way is one and easy to understand.” His high disciple added: “The benevolent man sets his heart right and looks upon others as himself.” The Jewish Talmud [ヂユウスのタルマド經] says: “What you do not wish others to do to you, do not do to them; this is the summary of the human law.” Thales [テールス], the founder of Greek philosophy, when asked about the great law of life, answered: “Do not yourself do that which you blame in others.” The Book of Leviticus [ヘブリユウ書利未の卷] says: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” The Quran [コーラン], the scripture of Islam [回々敎の經典], says: “If a man does not extend to his brother what he loves for himself, he is not a true believer.”
Pythagoras [ピタコラス] says: “One should give all love to all.” Zeno [セノ] says: “We should look upon all mankind as we look upon fellow-citizens and fellow-countrymen.” Menander [メナンダー], the Greek writer, says: “Life is not for oneself alone.” Terence [テレンス], the Roman writer, imitating Menander, said: “I am a man; I consider nothing human alien to me,” and thereby won great applause from his audience. Quintilian [クヰン、テリアン] says: “In the name of the brotherhood of all under heaven, give food to the stranger; for mankind are brothers under the Heavenly Father.” Juvenal [ヂユヴェナル], the Latin satirist, says: “What kind of good man is he who sees the suffering of others and feigns ignorance?” The poet Lucan [ルーカン] says: “Cast away your weapons; let all men under heaven love one another.” Cicero [シセロ] says: “Nature has given man an innate tendency to love his fellow man; this is the foundation of all laws.” Marcus Antoninus [マーカス、アントニナス] says: “Love mankind.” Epictetus [エビクテタス] extended the bounds of love beyond the earth, saying: “The universe is one great city, in which gods and men and immortals dwell together, each endowed by nature with mutual affection.”
Thus even in the highest virtue [德義] we see the same religious sympathy and fellow-feeling [宗教的同情同感]. Which religion does not teach us to endure evil? Which does not teach us to love our enemies and to return good for evil? Ram Mohan Roy [ラム、モーン、ロイ] of India said: “Compassion [慈悲] is the root of virtue, as taught in the Vedas [章陀經] and the law books [法典].” Buddha said: “If there be a foolish man who does evil to me, I will gladly give him compassion. The more harm he does, the more compassion he will receive from me.” The Buddhist scripture, the Dhammapada [佛者ダマベタ] says: “Hatred should not be overcome by hatred; it should be overcome by compassion.” The Islamic ethics textbook [回々敎の倫理教科書] says: “To overcome evil with good is good; to resist evil with evil is evil.” Saadi’s Gulistan [サデイのガリスタン] says: “When you see a sinner, do not turn away your face; look upon him with pity.” The Hebrew proverb says: “If your enemy is hungry, give him food; if thirsty, give him water.” Plato [プレトー] says: “The one who does injustice is more contemptible in heart than the one who suffers it.” He also says: “To return evil for evil is never the right way.” Aristotle [アリストトール] says: “There is no one who would say that it is better to do injustice than to endure it.” Cleobulus [クレオプラス] says: “Do good to your enemy and make him your good friend.” One of the Seven Sages, Pittacus [ビッタカス], says: “Do not speak of your friend’s faults, nor speak of your enemy’s faults.” Valerius Maximus [ヴアレリアス、マキシマス] says: “To overcome evil with the power of love is a virtue far more praiseworthy than to resist it with stubborn hatred.” Maximus Tyrius [マキシマス、タイリアス] says: “If doing harm is vice, then returning harm with harm is also vice.” Plutarch [プルターク], in his essay on how one may profit from one’s enemies, says: “Let us sympathise with the sufferings of our enemies and help them in their need.” Epictetus says: “The philosopher should be like a father to all people, like a brother, and should still love even the one who strikes him.” Someone said: “How about returning good for ill?” Confucius answered: “Then with what shall you return good? Return ill with justice, and return good with good.” Marcus Antoninus says: “To love even the wrongdoer is a distinctive mark of mankind. One who is human must daily reflect on how much friendship he has shown to many evil men.” He also says: “The wise and benevolent man is like a clear spring; he benefits even those who harm him. Thus the Eastern proverb says: ‘The sandalwood tree, though cut down, gives its fragrance even to the axe that fells it.’”
The most heart-rending thing in the history of religions is the spirit of exclusivism and obstinacy [排他固執の精神] that has arisen among peoples and nations, destroying the very nature of religion, causing brothers to kill brothers, piling corpses into mountains and shedding blood into rivers. Yet in that same history – from ancient times down to the present day – there have been not a few wise and noble men [賢人君子] who held the ideas we have explained above. Thus they understood that God is not partial to any one nation or people, that the Saviour of all peoples must appear in various lands, and that mankind is bound together under the Heavenly Father by common duty and destiny. Mr. [Thomas Wentworth] Higginson [ヒッギンソン氏], to make this principle still clearer, culled many passages from ancient writers in his essays. We shall record them below.
The famous disciple of Christ, Paul [基督の門弟保羅], citing the noble hymn of the Arians [アレアンセスの高尙なる讃美歌], clearly proved to the Greeks: “They too confirmed that God is the Heavenly Father.” Indeed, the early Christians [初世の基督敎信者] seem to have had direct contact with the ancient religions and possessed no spirit of exclusivity. Tertullian [ターチュリアン] says: “The spirit has authority older even than prophecy, and its voice is the gift of God.” Justin Martyr [ヂャスチン、マータイル] says: “He who lives according to reason may be called an atheist, yet he is a Christian… Such were Socrates, Heraclitus, and others among the Greeks. He who makes reason the standard of life is a Christian – a man without fear.” Clement [クレメント] says: “The God who gave us the Old and New Testaments gave philosophy also to the Greeks, by which their virtue shone brightly.” Lactantius [ラクタンシアス] says: “The ancient philosophers fully understood the truth and mystery of religion.” Minucius Felix [ミニシアス、フェリックス] says: “The philosopher is a Christian, or else the Christian is a philosopher.” Augustine [オウガスティン] says: “What is today called Christianity was already established among the ancients, and existed before Christ. His coming merely gave this true religion the name of Christianity.” Jerome [チェロミー] says: “The reason that God exists in the universe is seen by nature in all things. No man is born without God, and no man is without the seeds of virtue.”
Looking at it historically, we are Christians [基督敎信者]. And we believe that pure Christianity [純正基督敎] is the highest development of mankind’s religious consciousness [人類宗教的知覺] in the development of the world’s religions. Yet we do not mean to take a faith that is deluded, stubborn, and unenlightened – which we cannot recognise as true in the light of reason and science – and reverence it. Nor do we mean to take one sect of Christianity and reject others. We do not hesitate to accept new truth wherever it emerges, regardless of time or circumstance, and to make it our teaching. We believe that today the various religions are gradually casting off their superstitions [迷信] and falsehoods [虚僞], and acknowledging the essential relationship [本質的の關係] among themselves as religions. For though the religions of the world be many in number, they are all but more or less complete manifestations of the one ideal religion [理想的宗教].
Therefore, let us joyfully await the time when we shall attain that one church [唯一の敎會] that reveres God, and that one faith [唯一の信仰] that regards mankind as brothers. And we humbly think that this plan [此の計畫] is the greatest work for the spiritual peace and happiness of mankind. Let the men of the [Japanese] Empire [帝國の士] who cherish ambition and possess a lively spirit rise and express their assent! Let them come and help us!
Japan Unitarian Kōdōkai [日本ユニテリアン弘道會]
Issued: 1st March, Meiji 28 (1895) [明治廿八年三月一日發行]
Translator and Publisher: Takada Nizō [譯者兼發行人 高田 弍三]
Printed: 6th March, Meiji 28 (1895) [明治廿八年三月六日印刷]
Printer: Kushida Saburō [印刷人 櫛田 佐三郞]
Tokyo, Kyōbashi-ku, Nishi-Konya-chō, No. 26–27: Shūeisha [東京市京橋區西紺屋町廿六七番地 秀英舎]
Tokyo, Shiba-ku, Mita Yonchōchō, No. 2: Takada Jizō [東京市芝區三田四國町二番地 高田 弍三]
Tokyo, Kyōbashi-ku, Nishi-Konya-chō, No. 26–27: Shūeisha [東京市京橋區西紺屋町廿六七番地 秀英舎]
Tokyo, Shiba-ku, Mita Yonchōchō, No. 26: Kushida Saburō [東京市芝區三田四國町廿六番地 櫛田 佐三郞]
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In What Sense is Unitarianism Christianity? [ユ教は如何なる意味に於て基督教なるや]
As stated by Mr Clay MacCauley [クレイ、マツコーレイ氏述]
The original Japanese text can be found at this link
To begin with, Unitarianism [ユニテリアン教] in Japan is a name presented to the Japanese public by representatives dispatched by American Unitarians [亞米利加ニウ教徒]. These representatives call themselves Christian believers and view Unitarianism as a form of Christianity. Yet, at the same time, we have declared: “Our objective is to help the Japanese people develop rational religious thought [合理的宗教思想], and the only authority [教權] we adopt for religion is the truth [眞理] of rational science [合理科學の眞理].” On this point, many have frequently raised doubts and questions, asking: “If Unitarianism is a form of Christianity, how can it be guided solely by the truths [眞理] of rational science and maintain that its thought is entirely free [自由]? If, conversely, Unitarianism is guided purely by the truths of rational science, how can it be called a form of Christianity?” We welcome the emergence of such questions. This is because they afford us an opportunity to express the views we constantly hold regarding Unitarianism, which is a grand movement in religion. We are representatives of the American Unitarians. I wish to express my views so that the Japanese people do not fall into the misfortune of misunderstanding. There is no other reason why I gladly offer this response.
Discussing this from a historical standpoint, Unitarianism was established within Christianity; it is a movement of free thought [自由思想の運動] that arose among Christian believers. In its earliest days, it regarded the supreme freedom [自由] to be the study of the Old and New Testaments based solely on one’s own judgment, believing that no ecclesiastical authority [教權] could overpower this. In other words, the early Unitarians arose simply to escape the authority [教權] of Roman Catholicism [羅馬加特力] or to detach themselves from Protestant creeds [新教徒の信條]; this was indeed more than two hundred years ago. Although their work might look extremely easy from the perspective of today, when we reflect upon the conditions of that era, we can well imagine the courage and boldness of our ancestors. In truth, thousands of Unitarians were imprisoned or put to death by the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches simply for exercising freedom of thought [自由思想] in interpreting the Old and New Testaments. These events occurred within the first century following the start of the Reformation. It is truly a gift of the present century that Unitarians in Europe finally became able to openly declare that the doctrine of the Trinity [三位一躰説] is not true [眞理にあらず], and that Jesus of Nazareth [ナザレンのイエス] was a human being [人間]. Indeed, it was only in this century that the governments of Christian nations recognised Unitarianism as an independent religious body.
It was eighty years ago that Unitarianism formed a separate organisation in America, effectively organising a new reformation that went beyond the old reformations of Luther and Calvin. Though they still believed that the Old and New Testaments possessed a special authority [特種の權力] and inspiration [感應], placing them above other books, they refused to create creeds [信條] to shackle the thoughts and conscience of their fellow men. This was the era led by Channing [チャンニング]. In the year 1825, they organised the American Unitarian Association [亞米利加ユニテリアン協會], ensuring there would be no binding of free thought [自由の思想を束縛する勿論], and declared their purpose simply to be “the diffusion of the knowledge of pure Christianity [純正基督教の智識]”. Their intention was to grant full freedom of thought [思想の自由], leaving the definition of Christianity to whatever each individual believed to be right. Looking back from today, I believe the position they took at that time was most excellent.
Although early Unitarianism thus used, or sought to use, the Old and New Testaments as its guide, history makes it abundantly clear that they actually relied upon humanity rather than relying strictly on the scriptures. Even when Unitarianism did not state its principles [主義] explicitly, the following fundamental [基本] principles [主義] were implicitly present: (1) the excellence and efficacy of reason [道理の優秀にして能力ある], (2) the inherent worth and dignity of human nature itself [人性其自身の尊信すべき], and (3) mutual tolerance of other views [互に他説を寛容する].
Such being their principles [主義], it was only natural that they progressively grew and developed [成長發達]. It was also natural that things once revered were left behind if they fell behind the times. This growth increased layer by layer, and by fifty years ago, Unitarians began to critique the Old and New Testaments. They asserted that it was incorrect to take things that did not align with natural reason [自然の道理] or accord with natural rights [自然の權利] and view them as miraculous revelations [不可思議の天啓] or as possessing special divine authority [特種の教權]. Ralph Waldo Emerson [ラルフ、ワルダー、エマーソン] and Theodore Parker [セオドル、パーカー] were the leaders in this. Gradually, all Unitarians adopted this view, agreeing to make reliance upon civilised reason [文明の道理] the new foundation of their religious faith, rejecting creeds [信條], and making this the very core [神髓] of their work. Therefore, today we can declare the following: Unitarians are those who rely upon free thought [自ら思想に信據する] in religion. Unitarians are free [自由] in their thoughts wherever they lead, and the only thing they fear is the creation of a slavish mind [奴隷的精神].
In the history of Unitarianism, what is most delightful is to observe our spiritual [精神上] progress [進歩] through the constitutional rules of the National Conference of American Unitarians. The early American Unitarian Association was a body incorporated to manage a large sum of money endowed for the purpose of “diffusing the knowledge of pure Christianity [純正基督教の智識]”. Consequently, if they wished to alter the terms of this organisation, they risked losing a portion of their endowment. Nevertheless, from the viewpoint of Unitarian insights, the phrase “pure Christianity [純正基督教]” gradually shifted; today, it is universally revered as meaning that Jesus Christ taught the Fatherhood of God [上帝の天父たる] and the Brotherhood of Man [人類の同胞たる]. These two concepts are synonymous with universal ethics [普及倫理] and universal religion [普及宗教]; anyone who sincerely reveres God and loves humanity is included within them. The claims of Unitarians are indeed as broad as this. Yet, as discussed before, they do not wish to impose a rigid definition on the phrase “pure Christianity”, allowing anyone who truly seeks to extend Unitarianism to define it according to their own wishes. However, a glance at the constitution of the National Conference of American Unitarians reveals the essential steps of this gradual development of thought [思想發達]. Allow me to extract those beneficial passages.
Twenty‑six years ago, the National Conference of American Unitarians was organised, and a majority of the representatives voted to adopt the following rule:
Preamble – Whereas the opportunities and demands for Christian labour and Christian progress are constantly increasing, solemn responsibilities are laid upon us, as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, to increase our efforts…
…and by self‑denial dedicated our lives to God, so as to build the Kingdom of his Son.
However, a minority of the church members felt that this infringed upon the spiritual freedom [精神自由] of others and practically created a creed [信條]. Therefore, after much debate, another article was added to reinforce the holy purpose stated in the preamble, granting full freedom of thought [自由思想] to followers of Christianity. The text stated:
Article IX – Reaffirming our allegiance to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and desiring to secure the largest unity of the spirit [精神上の最大合一] and the widest practical co‑operation, we hereby invite to our fellowship [教友] all who, whatever their theological views, wish to be followers of Christ.
Its provisions were as free [自由] as this. However, it was still not entirely suited to churches that loved absolute freedom [自由を愛するの教會]. Why? Because it clearly limited fellowship [教友] only to Christian believers, which opposed the broader spirit [精神] of the Unitarian movement. Consequently, in order to completely remove anything resembling a creed [信條] and leave no shadow of it behind as a test of Unitarianism, the Conference a few years ago added the following article:
Article X – While the Preamble and Articles of the Unitarian constitution express the views of the majority of our churches, we yet clearly declare that these regulations are never to be regarded as an ecclesiastical test [教權的試驗石] of Unitarianism; and that those who express sympathy with the general purpose and practical focus of our work, whatever their faith [信仰], shall by no means be excluded from our fellowship [教友].
Thus, Unitarian fellowship [教友] became completely free [自由] at its Conference. While Unitarianism had always naturally progressed alongside the development of religious thought [宗教思想の發達], Article X made it a truly unique, free religious body in the world. Therefore, the reason why Unitarianism is “Christianity” rests solely on the interpretation of those Unitarians who recognise Christianity as the highest among religions. Unitarianism views other religions as possessing their own distinct value [異價]. Thus, whether one is a Buddhist [佛者], a Confucian [儒者], a Zoroastrian [火教徒], a Muslim [回々教徒], or a Jew [猶太教徒], anyone who desires to seek religious truth [宗教的眞理] and life [生活] is warmly welcomed without delay. Indeed, anyone who loves absolute truth [至眞] and justice [正義] may come and become our fellow member [教友].
What has been discussed above is still not enough to convey the full meaning. We can clearly state the following:
“Though we divide religion and call it this or that, what does it matter when compared to religion itself? Whoever loves absolute truth [至眞], whoever lives in absolute goodness [至善]—no matter who they are—are all, in the broadest sense, companions in that religious life [宗教者の仲間]. If there are those who love people better than we do, and who enable others to live better than we do, they are all our teachers [師]. What does it matter what church [教會] they belong to, or what their era [時代] is? Is our church not wide [廣濶]? Is our teacher [教師] not vast [許多]? Is our bible [聖書] not great [偉大]?”
We would add to this: our people call themselves “Free Christians [自由基督教徒]”, or “Christians [基督教徒]”, or “Theists [有神論者]”. All of these names possess identical value for us, without distinction. If anyone takes one of these names to exclude all others, or casts off names of broad inclusivity and divides religion, they make themselves unworthy of consideration. Nevertheless, we greatly love the grand term “Christianity” [基督教なる大名詞], and even if we wished not to use it, we could not do so. This is because this term gives us great hope and represents the deepest and broadest religious thought [宗教思想] within our contemplation. We do not allow Roman Catholics or other Christians to appropriate the name of Christianity and limit it simply to the decrees of a Pope [法王の宣告] or the authority [教權] of the Old and New Testaments. We believe ourselves to be Christian believers. Yet, we do not hesitate to make absolute truth [至眞] our setting [場所を取る]. We believe that Jesus of Nazareth [ナザレンの耶蘇] was a human being [人間] who, if he were alive today, would stand in the exact same position as us. Did he not say: “All the law and the prophets hang on loving God and loving humanity”? A person of such a spirit [精神] is, in their spirit [其精神に於て], no different from a Unitarian today.
To take this discussion a step further, it is well evidenced by the world that Unitarianism is advancing its work by adopting the beneficial truths [眞理] of philosophy [哲學] and science [科學], applying them to religious purposes. Indeed, Unitarianism, through rapid progress, is becoming the religion of the modern scientific age. Scientific ethics [科學的倫理], scientific history [科學的歴史], scientific philosophy [科學的哲學], and scientific theology [科學的神學]—all of these correspond perfectly with Unitarian doctrines [教義]. Among the current leaders of Unitarianism, figures such as Everett [エヴエレット], Martineau [マルトノー], Hale [ヘール], Savage [サヴエーヂ], Batchelor [バチェロール], Gannett [ガンネット], and Tiffany [チッフアニー] are the most prominent examples of those who have elucidated religion globally, scientifically, and philosophically.
Such is the principle [主義] of Unitarians. Therefore, having newly come to Japan, our purpose is by no means to destroy the religious faith [宗教的信仰] already established in Japan, nor to impose upon the Japanese people the idea of making a particular church [教會] or a particular book [書籍] their absolute authority [教權]. We respect and cherish the moral life [道徳的生活] of the Japanese people, and alongside the most earnest souls of the Japanese nation, we seek to attain absolute truth [至眞], desiring nothing outside that truth, and aiming to establish the highest laws of justice [正義の最も高尚なる法則].
Of course, we do not expect that our views will be accepted by all Japanese people. Nevertheless, we hope to cooperate with the Japanese people toward clear truth [明白なる異質] and pure justice [純清なる正義]. As previously stated, we represent the American Unitarian Association and find the most fulfilling faith in the Christianity we signify. We believe that if the Japanese people properly understand the meaning of Christianity, it will provide the highest satisfaction to their religious needs. However, we do not say that our fellow workers must absolutely call themselves Christians. The Japanese people surely possess their own religious traditions, calling themselves Confucians or Buddhists. If there is sincerity and truth within these faiths, they should preserve it, light it further with the touchstone of reason and science, and if anything is found truly satisfactory through that test, they should adopt it as the foundation for their future religious life.
Despite what has been argued above, the policy of the Unitarian mission is by no means different from before. In other words, Unitarianism is a movement within Christianity (in the broad sense described above); yet, whatever relates to it from the truths of the world’s progressive science and philosophy is entirely absorbed. This is precisely why there is no contradiction when we proclaim Christianity on one hand and speak of reason [道理] on the other. This is why there is no conflict when we hold faith on one hand and call for freedom [自由] on the other.
Dr Channing [ドクトル、チャンニング] said: “The mind [精神] is the source of ultimate truth [至眞の源泉]. I believe that books can manifest the will of God, but I believe even more firmly that our rational nature [合理的本性] comes from God. Do not harm this rational nature. Whoever accepts a doctrine [教理] that contradicts reason [道理], no matter who they are, has already broken the boundary between truth [眞] and falsehood [虚] and easily turns their mind into a slave of illusions [夢想の奴隷].”
At a celebration for Harvard Divinity School, Dr Channing remarked: “We welcome these walls for the sake of free inquiry [自由討究]. May the free air of heaven circulate here. May the clear light of heaven shine here. May those who go forth from this school advance forward. Let no creed [信條] shackle your weak spirit [微弱なる精神]. With your bold and sacred tone, clearly declare the truth [眞] and self‑knowledge [自認] that result from free inquiry, and manifest God’s ultimate truth [上帝の至眞] to the world.”
It is precisely this spirit [精神] that makes our Unitarianism both Christian and rational [合理]. The idea that these two are mutually opposed and cannot be reconciled is like saying the sun and its light can be separated. That which sustains us is the spirit [精神], not the letter of the text [文字]. We earnestly desire the coming of a day when all humanity across the world retains this spirit, even if they do not hold the name of Christianity. Indeed, we hope that on the beautiful soil of Japan, Buddhists and Confucians alongside Christians will love the Heavenly Father—the God of the universe—and love all humanity as brothers, and through their natural reason [道理心] and feeling [感情], confirm complete truth and justice, uniting together in one grand fellowship as soon as possible.
Colophon [Publication Details]
Printed: 25th March, Meiji 28 (1895) [明治二十八年三月廿五日印刷]
Published: 30th March, Meiji 28 (1895) [明治二十八年三月三十日發行]
Translator & Publisher: Saichirō Kanda [飜譯兼發行者 神田 佐一 郎] (26 Mita Shikoku-machi, Shiba-ku, Tokyo)
Printer: Otosanzō Takada [印刷人 高田 乙 三] (26–7 Nishi-Kon’ya-chō, Kyōbashi-ku, Tokyo)
Publishing Office: Japan Unitarian Association [日本ユニテリアン弘道會] (2 Mita Shikoku-machi, Shiba-ku, Tokyo)
Printing Office: Shūeisha Co., Ltd. [株式會社 秀英舎] (26–7 Nishi-Kon’ya-chō, Kyōbashi-ku, Tokyo)
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