Universalists, a body of Christians whose distinctive peculiarity consists in their belief that evil will ultimately be eradicated from the world, and that all erring creatures will be brought back to God through the irresistible efficacy of Christ's divine love. This doctrine of Universalism, Restoration, or the Larger Hope is already discussed in the article on HELL (at Vol. V. p. 631), and the names of some of its chief representatives given. The communion bearing this name is mainly an American development, though its foundation is mainly due to the Rev. John Murray (1741-1815), who, having come successively under the influence of Wesley, of Whitefield, and of James Relly, a Universalist preacher in London, arrived in the United States in 1770, and ultimately established a congregation at Gloucester, New Jersey, in 1774. The Tunkers (q.v.) were also Restorationists. But the greatest influence in establishing the Universalist Church was exerted by the Rev. Hosea Ballou (1771-1852), originally a Baptist, born in Richmond, N. H., who taught successively at Dana, Mass., Barnard, Vt., Portsmouth, N. H., Salem, and Boston. Most of these Universalists are also Unitarians, and they hold what are commonly called Pelagian views of sin. The church government is congregationalist. There are between 700 and 800 ministers and about 40,000 members, with four colleges and three theological schools.
See Ballou, Ancient Universalism (new ed. 1872); Whittemore, Modern Universalism (1830); Thayer, Theology of Universalism (1864); and Eddy, Universalism in America (2 vols. 1884-86).