ABSTRACT
Though they drew progressively closer to the Unitarians theologically, and eventually merged with them (in 1961), Universaliste claimed a distinct history for their central doctrine of universal salvation. This included a marked impulse from the Evangelical revivalists, but they drew support from believers of a greater variety of denominational backgrounds and lower social status than the Unitarian elite. Their ethos was one of wide toleration of differences of emphasis on doctrine, except for the idea of universal salvation. However, they were troubled by the implication of universal salvation that there were no effective sanctions against sinful behaviour. Their generally optimistic sense of human nature had its limits.
