New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-09-24


have ouf ntua or 20 and our docTinai oonvc.ons'
but ttese viii not, Of cid, be the sIn-au OF tee
Church. The Broad Church viii rue and resecerae
men, not by rsuphrg upon anything sacredto our hn-
manly, but BY accepting humanity spirtua csPs
cities a. presenting them for the Divine blessing sod
guidance IL viii believe in tie Incarnation sld the
Abatement. and embrace and complete them both IN
is Divine Humanity. 1t will believe 10. only in Gods
manifestation and reconciling work Of Old, bat in MS
constant presence and grace.
The position Of UnitariAns in relation to this
movement is clearly set forth in the following par
sgraph, connected with just aud feeling tribute
to the memory Of some of the conspicuous pillars
Of that communion.
We are called to say q word OF the place Of our Lib
era Chrstiars and especially Of thai order Of them
with which We said most closely connected, the Uai
tartan denouin alton. THIS order of Christians has
had great iIfueIce upon the mind and heart of the
country, aid probably has never been surpassed in
culture and position by any fellowship of equal uum.
ben. Yet We have done very little by Church organ
izston. In fact, considerable number OF our
religious societies were originally organized under
the auspices of other creeds ard have inherited
the edfces ard the ussges Of ancient orthodox con-
eregGioLs. Moreover, since We have taken ground
distinct denomination, or within the thirty years
since the establishment OF the American Unitarian As
900 ation churches have not kept pace with the
growth Of our people; and instead Of gaining from
other churches we have not retained in our ranks the
children Of own congregations We have increased
Indeed, but not II prctOrLOu 10 SIoNtu VI pui
population and some ol our most prosperous churches
have shown none of the power o; propagating
their own kind 80 Characteristic OF other denomlns'
items AID 20 marked in the history OF the primitive
Church. The cause Of our watt OF Church life and
fertility is not difficult to discover, when we consider
the character and position u the men who were our
leaders 10 the beginning Of the great sohsn with W
tho1oxy. They were high in social standing and intel
lectua culture some hat fastidous in taste and crt
cal in temper ard they took for themselves ana theH
nsme position such as usually won only after years
Of labor.
Tie conse1ueuce was an unbounded denomlnatlonal
price it'll little disposition to DO the rough WORK Oh
rip1irg proseytes from the multitude to MI up the
side pews ard galleries of the churches anu not re"
ministers and congregations seemed more a'posed 10
co,tert themselves with tit audience, though teN'
than to yulgarze themselves by the nsusi popu eA
IedeIts or even by reasonable appeal to the relg-
lou. and social affections. In the Leading towns OF New
England the Unitarians mainly the select patrcan
commercial olass and perhaps some OF tle leaa.i
Of those privileged societies might have been little
troubled it. in removing to another place, they tound
| congregation much greater in numbers, but less
select ID quality than the religious clique IN whch
they bad been educsted much more powerful often
is social caste than theological opinion. a..
This fas.idious taste, Of course Is opposed 70 tne
fervor cf true Church life, and especially when II Is
associated with critical temper that more obseVant
of defects than enthusiastic for merits and with dls
position TO give to the intellect ard conscience lhtSn
larger part than to the affections and to fatn 10 the
province of religion. While We had good saare Oh
the piety, and large measure OF the upghtne's Oh
the Old New England character in our ranks, we had
considerable portion Of the SadGucean eayen OF ~oIo-
y responsibility and financial pride which is the nstu
raj reaction against Pharsaic observation-disclosures ana
superstition. The element of divine influence, more
over, was made little prominent IN the thought OIL
CT the Unitarian leaders and the worth oil virtue,
and the rewards Of good COINCIDENCE were more To-
sisted upon thar the blessedness OF hal iath the
power of Chriss grace, ana the ministry OF Tue o
Spirit Moreover, the very lberaiiy OF me views o'
la dino npyprsleI
sbp Of the Church. stree the large and GENIAL lie
which they lived was kept within the circle OF the
family and friends, and little shared with the congre
cation at large. Little attention was gwen 10 re-
adjusting the interior poty of the parish upon the new
prncpes and to this day the relations between pas
tor and people, and Church ard congregation In our
fraternity, rest upon underlined usages whlo are tae
remains of the old Puritan codes, and our Liberal
Church pOliy 10 among the things yet to be- TIE
present indefneness may be for the advantage Of
few ministers Of commanding position in the churches
but is hurul to the mas of our working clergy and
mskes the many the slaves of parish caprice, while
few are lords over parish dependence. Even the
church edfces psrto6k little in the good taste and
ready aiuence the Liberal leaders. In many cases,
magnificent mansions housed the beautiful arts and
delightful intercourse of private life, while the Old
mee,iI house with its barn-lke roof and interior,
sufceo for public worship. Death itself was made
more beautiful than life in come Of the Liberal
Churches and il may be said with truth that our Lib
eisl Christianity has not made its marks so conspicu
ousy upon tie structure and ritual Of its churches "a
upon the gardens, tombs and temples OF its Gene
eiies. Surely have rituslized death more effect
uslly than life. Compared with our numbers wealth,
aid Influence, work OF Church extension has been
very feeble and the money that has been spent has
been too exclusively peut upon few costly and gen.
orally not very CONNEXIONS nor impressive edifces,
ard rot chiefly for the diffusion Ut religion among the
many. In fact, We have hardly erected single edi-
flee in keeping with onr type OF religion; and the
Architecture Of the Church Of the Future is little less
Al unsettled problem. for all that We have DONE II
have left the old Puritan meeting h0use, With it,
square pews and high pulpit, mas been generally
eitber TO attempt sOue feeble limitations OF the old
presty Gothic cahedras that intended tor bril-
liant yeemens, lighted tapers aud ghostly Masses or
else to settle down upon pleasant and unmeaung
audience room, better fitted 70: yceum 4 concert
bali than for Christian sanctuary.
We have, indeed, some advantages in the work Of
Church life aud Church extension ahd fair .nere Of
enterprise might be used effectively. We are not
hampeied by any such rigid ecclesiastical authority
70 p,even, cur developing cur views ard aiuties into
corgenial institu,ions III our principles such
to give especial sanction to the social affections which
make parish life genial and attractive. Strongly
marked men IN our rsLks have devoted Themselves
with signal ability to certain points of Church organ
cation, and We only need earnest movement under
leading mind TO bring ell these efforts to practical
ieue. Nowhere 10 CbrstendOm, for example, has
there been relatively more fertility in producing lyrics
ard prose ltuges than with US and We have already
Elk or seven firms Of prayer for the sanctuary ana
twice a. many hymr-bOoSs. Without naming the
living We n ay specify those minds nov departed from
rs who have contributed rich materials toward the
coming Church, although they did not succeed in com
bIirg them IN one structure. Claiming a 1obe
specimen Of Christian catloicy above sec,sr.u mar
roWnts; and be- too, approved the doctrine OF Cnrsts
real presence with hrs disciples, which is vital to
Church fellowship; yet bis pastoral life di.sp-
pointed him, and certain constitutional reserve with
not little OF that extreme indyiGuaism character
ntic of his native State, Rhode Island, stood in tho
way Of that cordial fraternity which is the connecting
be between Csiho'icity and Personality Henry Ware
was model of pastoral fidelity and tenderness per-