Key Founding Father and Father of American Jurisprudence: Chancellor James Kent

Chancellor Kent is historically associated with the unitarians, however, later in life, Kent links Christ's Merits with the Atonement:

Shortly before my father's death," records Judge William Kent, "the conversation having turned upon the foreign custom of attending places of amusement on Sunday, my father said, 'I am by no means an ascetic in religion as you know, yet I was brought up strictly to regard the Sabbath, and I should like my children always to regard it.

His manner became serious, and after a few minutes he went on:

My children, I wish to talk to you. During my early and middle life I was, perhaps, rather sceptical with regard to some of the truths of Christianity. Not that I did not have the utmost respect for religion, and always read my Bible, but the doctrine of the atonement was one I never could understand, and I felt inclined to consider as impossible to be received in the way divines taught it. I believe I was rather inclined to Unitarianism; but of late years my views have altered. I believe in the doctrines of the prayer- books, as I understand them, and hope to be saved through the merits of Jesus Christ.

--Memoirs of James Kent