The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-10-17

II.
whose pupil we believe the Rev. Mr.. Bellows once
was. The Grafton created great deal of excite-
ment throughout the city, and was heard by 5000
people. Every part of the church was crowded
with the beauty and fashion Of the city. Some of
the most lovely ladies in the city were present. and
the most distinguished and talented men in the CITY
sat even the steps under and around the pulpt to
| hear sfa--.
Ths Grafton
LIFE, PRINCIPLES AND CHARACTER
REVEREND WILLIAM E. CLAIMING, ID. d.,
DELIVERED IN THE CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH,
October lsth, 1912,
BY THE REVEREND H. w. BELLOWS, ln
PASTOR OF THE FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH IN NEW YORK
theported for the New York Heraldj
| A calamity has befallen our faith our country.
the church ana the world-WILLIAM ELLERY CHAN-
MING Is deal There are none in this assembly SO
win his lite, writings and character,
as 10 require explanation or apology for these COM
| memorative rites. To those amongst US who knew
nm el,ner personally or through his works, little can
saiu nal or suggestive after the bare
nouncement that he is gone. There is TO us some
tnlng incalculable and confounding in his loss-
we give up the effort to comprehend it at
once HAS death done his common Office upon
n m' T wnom mere seems so little that could die
has ueall removed nm even farther from Us than
ne was already drawn by the elevation OF his spirit
we teel IN most cases where The great and good
oie 'at uealh mas released and glorlfed toilworn
anu weary anu expectant and anxious soul But
the repose, cheertuness and spirituality of this man
were so great and so satisfying that we did not see
now death could do much to unletter and tree hun
up no. seem &c SO much vergng to the grave
uuIiyihs Oh 10 immortality; and we forget that
curtain SO OBSCURE 10 us intercept his ysi BILE
ascent to heaven. But he is dead An Invalid for
NE ana an old man, his death is yet as sudden as
| mat OF the most promising youth After all that he
| mad done TOR us we were expecting all as vet 10
| come. lie seemed beginning life anew in every
opening mind awakened by his spirit, and we young
a aion o1keu up 10 HIM as destined to be our con-
ductor through the life he showed us how to com.
mehce lie is dead, and we lament him as though
ne had not mashed long and laborious life OF USE
aness. is spirit Is so young, entirely hopeful,
| 80 new ana placid, born OF our time, and iniusing
ltseli INTO every pure and aspiring mind, that he
seemed 10 many among u.s. II he had Just appeared
| -juSt assumed the direction of the best arts of
oul 'and, ana mad now met an unllmely Or viole mt
ehu Ills influence Is so entirely that OF falth-of
tIusng,asplrlng faith, that we associate neither age,
decoy, nor venerableness with it, have noticed
tiiat tose familiar with his works. bur Ignorant of
MS person, were always entirely at fault about his
| years. lie was neither old nor young nor middle
aged because he lived in the atmosphere of eternal
rum ana SPOKE even to the immortal and unchang-
ins. Dul ne Is dead And we feel at first if the
world were only half well worth living in--as if
our nature had lost It's best defender and illustration
our cause It's chief strength and crnament-huma-
my us most courageous, enlightened and consistent
|
ing our prayers for the shoulders on which his mantle
may descend. Pride of New England, how art thou
spoiled OF thy beauty! On one OF thy battle
crowned heights rises at length to its capital, that
proua column OF freedom which invites the earliest
ana latest oeam-the first and last look of the COM
Ing and departing traveller on another of thv hills
,ais nooler and more conspicuous pillar Of thy go-
| ry! But tins Is not the way in which he would be
spoken OF, although hope have ynnr sympathy in
thls genuine expression OF enthusiastic admiration
ana love. In attempting to eulogize him, the only
xVhI rh tlo ,
virtues The Being in whose sight the heavens are
not Clear knew Is faults-but humanity as far as
nave heard, d!d not anticipate the discenment of
heayen Of his personal history there is little to be
said. He is known to the world not by the variety
| OF ways In which he has appeared on its stage
NOT by provoking incessant attention, or acting
upon many pomts-or, pubishing. many books He
mas neither ran the full career Of great preacher
nor great author, nor great philanthropist. He
mas done what he has dene in the course Of calm,
common, and ueventful life. He has been instru-
Hiehtai IN eHectng great changes in public senti-
ment, without himself guiding any stated revou
tlon: he Is the acknowledged head of peculiar
opinions, without having ever greatly coone rated
WIN any organised sect He has set thousands Of
, a,I into unresng activity without particle of
tending pastor OF church in Boston, he devoted
himself without any other interruption than feeble
health demanded, to the Promugatlon of Christian
TRUTH as he discovered, felt, and knew it in his own
heart-to the correction Of erroneous theological
views and opinions to contributing to the spiri
tual growth Of his people--preaching rarely any
where but at home, not seeking notoriety, nor SO
| mucn anxious to widen as 10 deepen his influence.
Using no tricks Of eoquence to attract popular at
tentlon, nor producing at any time popular excite
| mcnt, ne lived as retired and unassuning a ca
reer as his humber brethren His talents did
not dazzle, his eloquence was not meant merely to
| attract. bis church, though usually full, was
not thronged There was nothing there to amuse
the common ear nor to excite the passions. His
| ministry was not attended by snowy results. His
people, as people, were not specially spiritual
His society was by means the pattern society of
the place And yet at this very time, and on these
was sowing that which sunk deeper into the hearts
that were open to his influence than any words
that had been uttered from the pulpit for centuries
II the patient and habiual studies of his secluded
truth; and it was the light and love that were in
his dscourses that vivlfed and Illuminated the best
minds that approached and listened to him. He
dia not move large masses In his earlier life, but he
nightly moved, and as it were, re-created few
The conspicuous preachers, and moral and Philan-
throplc leaders IN our denomination, for the last
thirty years have been almost his spiritual children.
You may sometimes hear comparisons Instituted
between him and them, but they know that it is
like comparing the scattered fruit with the fixed
stalk on which !, i grew Many men among us have
more Public hand and popular and actively bsne
the revolving planets circllng around the mmove-
able sun. Thus, if others have visited the poor
more, ne i is who has put the spirit into their
20, ic - bIcdtcst NIbtOI OF poor WHO
makes the poorest man stand forth in all eyes as
child of God and brother. He is the most charl-
table who fills the hearts OF the auent and the able
with the spirit of universal love. It is by the in
! strumentallty that he has created that the pal
pablo influence of Doctor CLAIMING must be
measured He stands alone in the regard and
gratitude OF many men, equals among themselves
IN greatness and usefulness, and none of them
second TO any but him. He is class by him.
sell, both in the mode and kind of his influence.
IL is oil higher order and prolounder depth. Yet
1t is nearer the centre of moral notion. 1t is this
which IS as great abroad at home, and nogreater
II as great in his own city, than all over the Chris
tan world His influence il not diminished by dis
lance, because It's seat is the mind and the soul Of all
who receive his spirit There is no more enthu-
sasm about him, shown by those who knew him,
than by those who intelligently read him, because
his greatness resides in the grandeur Of the truth,