Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-04-09
REV. MR.. CONWAY AND THE CINCIN.
NATIANS

subject of miracles and meeting of the church
Unitarian has been held to consider the expe-
dlency OF dissolving the connection between
pastor and people. About one half of the meet
ing were ladies, who, by searching looks, but
none the less emphatic whispers, sgnifed their
lyely interest in the question at issue
MI conway himself was not present but he
mad sent IN letter expressing his views on the
suolect' which was read and Of which the fol-
lowing are extracts:
Under these circumstances there ia one
thlng which feel bound to say In the
meeting which L had with the Trustees il
was suggested to me as a reason for resign
ing, that there were many who sympathised
with the paper which L had read, but who.
IOr personal reasons, and delicate relations
with myself and my Wife were unwilling To
thrust US away. L cannot believe that there
are any OF you who would be influenced
by reasons which, however delicate are certain
~ not honest or honorable. If any one in his
heart believes that my influence for good in this
parish. a. a minister is at an end it is his dutN
to vote for my removal. l do not wish to be a
PensIoner IN your pull pit. / do not wish to leave
you; but trust that you will believe me when
say that IT Is not because get an earthly liv-
ing here. L have youth and health; life and
the world before me; and the God who sent me
into this world is still ruling over all am
not afraid to trust myself to him. in whose name
know have spoken those things which have
produced this disafectiOn. / therefore solemn
ly call upon you all, still more those who per
s'naliy would like to retain my wife and my self
here, TO make ii matter Of the maintenance of
truth, fidelity and freedom in your midst If
my influence for truth, fidelity and freedom is
at an end, let each who so believes counsel not
with flesh and blood; there is but one path for
him or her.
Now. ere yOu send me away for speaking
from conviction, what believe concerning GER
tain historical questions of period nearly two
ThnnSannS ~ \ 4 ~
fetter which you must inevitable bind uponthat
pulpit Nay, call to mind that whenever my
successor ascends that pulpit You and Your
children will hear his chains clank at every
step he makes. For you by such action would
say 10 tnat man. ''lOu enter our pulpit. but
under grave conditions and limits. First, fore
close your mind against all new light that may
break forth from Gods word or world; do not
INT up but shut down the gates of new truth.
lOu must go upon the principle that we are all
IN state of absolute knowledge; on all matters
Of ancient history and of Hebrew and Greek lit
erature We are posted. and our views entirely
correct Therefore. if thou hast a thought in
this direction which we do not already know
be dumb; or else thou speakest at the imminent
peru OF losing thy pulpit and thy influence, So
lar a. our votes and our tongues can take them
from you
Very early in the evening il became appa-
rent that the spirit Of party was running yery
high. The regularity of the call was very
closely scrutiniEed by some members, under
- stood to be strongly opposed to the departure
y Of Mr.. Conway. and much time expended in
the discussion of questions more or less irrele-
: want td the objects of the meeting To bring
y matters to a crisis, n venerable member of the
congregation offered the following resolution ::
RSOired- That il is desirable to retain the Rev
Mr. Conway as Pastor of this Society and that his
services as such. are acceptable
In support of this, he said that after an ex-
penence Ot hfty years, during which time he
had been acquainted with many men of sur
passing genius and varied requirements he
had yet to see the person who, at twenty y-seyen.
was superior intellectually or morally to the
Rev. Mr.. Conway. Marked by honesty and
truthiulness, even TO a fault. il was his free
dom from hypocrisy, his detestatiOn of all
1alsehOOd that was at the bottom of his trou-
bles. Should he be dismissed from this con-
gregatiOn- he would be turned away because
he was not hypOcrite. However we might
dlsaPproye in his want of his attending places
OF amusement. ID was only q matter of taste
and the instance had yet to be found where he
had abused his freedom in that respect Could
the speaker be shown such an instance he for
one, would not oppose, but favor his departure
As to the discOurses on miracles which had
caused such offence, a mistake en- idea prevailed
Miracles were regarded Christianity, and
not As one of its evidences. A disbelief in them
was simply an ignoring Of one of the proofs of
Christianity. Vas the law of love, of which
the miracles were only one Of the witnesses
the ten acknowledged Mr.. Conway had
preached these sermons because a great MANY
of his congregation had based their belief on
them, instead of upon Christianity itself Mr.
Conway's christian character was beyond a
doubt Should such a man be sent away
Ii was also objected that he did not perform
the duties of n pastor. but found time to visit
parties operas and the theatre. To answer
this il need only be asked what he did in thar
study of his when those splendid sermons were
composed Seven or eight hours of hard study
daily created need of recreation and who
should say how that recreation ought to be
taken The speaker wanted no such exercise
of inquiSitorial power. The dismissal of Mr.
Conway would be the seyereSt blow ever struck
20 Liberal Christianity in the United States.
Take him on the doctrines. should the princi-
pie of the freedom of the pulpit be ignored ?
The denial Of any doctrine was no irreyerence
toward the Scriptures The speaker had been
member Of this congregation for thirty years.
but should Mr.. Conway be d dismissed he should
feel inclined to go away with him There was
Quaker meeting in the city, where he could
could AT least enjoy his views in silence.
A gsntleman-One Of the committee of the
Church, replied To some of the statements of
the former speaker. and believed that be had,
IN some respects, spoken differently, In the
course Of a private conversation, held some
days since. having alluded unfavorably to the
Rev Mr.. Conway visits to the theatre and
other places of amusement
In reply, the first speaker re-stated his dis
tinetion between the good taste and morality
Of such visits, and added that if Mr. Conway
did 90 into the pit Of the theatre among the
hoys. he went there for some good and did
good, as well there IA in his debates with the
infdels at Apollo Hall. A greater than he did
just the same things two thousand years ago.
and was accused in about the same way
The resolution. which We have already quoted
was at length called up. when IA warm discus
SION ensaed to who were voters. The call
Tor the meeting had been extended TO pew
owners and pew-renters. but ii was finally de-
eIded, IN the face Of an earnest protest, that
the renteis could vote Only by permission of the
owners. vote being taken. by the latter. tG
ascertain whether the desired privilege should
be granted, lie; ;ulted twice in tie. and. ol
course IN n negative. The meeting then ad
OuTned to meet again.
NAPUE--Dr. Dick. the celebrated philoso-
Pher, says there arises every twelve hours nO
less than thirty million cubic feet Of water
which Is more than sufficient to supply all the