sb. and a. [f. as prec. + -IST. Cf. F. universaliste, G. universalist.]
A. sb. 1. Theol. One who believes or maintains the doctrine that redemption or election is extended to the whole of mankind and not confined to a part of it; spec. in U.S., a member of a sect or Church holding this doctrine.
1626. trans. Parallel, A ij. The error of the Vniuersalists is too vniuersally dispread.
1648. O. Howe (title), The Vniversalist examined and convicted, destitute of plaine Sayings of Scripture.
1684. Burnet, Trav. i. (1750), 58. Some Assertors both in Geneva and Switzerland, who denied the Imputation of Adam’s Sin, and asserted the Universality of Christ’s Death, together with a sufficient Grace given to all Men…. These came to be called Universalists.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., The Arminians are particularly denominated Universalists.
1770. Toplady, Lett to Wesley, 26 March, Wks. 1794, V. 330. Remember, that it once depended on the toss of a shilling, whether you yourself should be a Calvinist or an Arminian. Tails fell uppermost, and you resolved to be an universalist.
1773. Wesley, Wks. (1872), X. 425. Bishop Ridley, Hooper, and Latimer … were firm Universalists.
1805. J. Spaulding, Universalism, 150. These Universalists pretend to be the foremost in extolling the grace of God; but the fact is, they are the first to depreciate and reduce it to nothing.
1853. Bp. S. Wilberforce, Lett., in Life (1881), II. 211. That you therefore do … revive the old doctrine of the Universalists.
1861. Contrib. Eccl. Hist. Connecticut, 278. Attempts … to gather a congregation of Universalists for public worship.
† 2. A believer in or maintainer of the universality of the Roman Catholic Church. Obs.–1
1644. Featly, Roma Ruens, 29. To this poynt I earnestly desire particular satisfaction, which I have not yet received from any Roman Catholike, or universalist (as they would be called).
3. One who in respect of a specified thing acts with universality or uniformity. rare.
1677. Gilpin, Demonol., III. xx. 172. A true Christian should be a perfect Universalist, he should be universally against all Sin, and universally for All Duty.
† 4. One who uses universals or universal propositions. Obs.–1
1680. Baxter, Answ. Stillingfl., Pref. A 3. Universallists, that can prove me to be an Ass, because I am an Animal.
5. One who is supposed to have, or pretends to, a knowledge of all things; a person who is devoted to many subjects or sciences, as opposed to a specialist; a universal scholar.
1713. Bentley, Freethinking, iii. 11. A modern Free-thinker is an Universalist in Speculation; any Proposition whatsoever he’s ready to decide.
1800. in Spirit Pub. Jrnls., IV. 154. All subjects were alike to this universalist.
1830. S. H. Cassan, Bps. Bath & Wells, II. 172. He was an Universalist in the best sense of the word; and not a smatterer in various sciences.
1881. Nature, XXIV. 356. The gold of a universalist is apt to shrink down into dross when tested in the crucible of a specialist.
b. One who has many occupations, interests, etc.
1801. Sporting Mag., XVIII. 104. You’ll find I’m an universalist; i. e. a Professor of all trades.
6. One who regards something as a whole and not from one particular point of view.
1892. E. C. Stedman, Nat. Poetry, iv. 142. The best critic, then, is the universalist, who sees the excellence of either phase of expression according as it is natural to one’s race and period.
B. adj. Universalistic.
1819. Universalist Mag., 21 Aug., 32/3. Pastor of the First Independent Church of Christ, called Universalist, in Philadelphia.
1859. Allibone, Dict. Eng. Lit., I. 109. Ballon, Rev. Hosea,… a prominent Universalist minister.
1877. J. E. Carpenter, trans. Tiele’s Hist. Relig., 89. The universalist monotheism of the Gospel, which has entirely broken down the bounds of nationality.
