The national Republican., 1867-05-04
THE METROPOLITAN PULPIT.


On Sabbath evening last we attended
divine service at the Unitarian church,
corner Of Sixth street and Louisiana ave-
nue.. The clergyman, who has for several
weeks officiated in this church, is Rev. Mr..
CUDwoRrH, Of Boston. The church has
now no regular pastor, though we think it
is in contemplation to call this gentleman
to the pastorate. We shall have more to
say Of Mr.. CUDwoRTH and his sermon in
the concluding portion Of this article.
We may premise by saying that our
notices Of the several churches we visit
must necessarily be brief as our space is
limited. We have been able to get hold
Of some statistics Of this church, which are
deeply interesting, showing as they do the
struggles of this society, and the connec
tion which many distinguished men in our
country, both as clergymen and laity, have
had with it.
The incipient beginnings OF this organi-
zation date back as far as July 1920; and
their meetings at that time were held in o
hall over The public baths, in @ street The
church edifce Of this society was erected
early in 1922, and liberal donations were
made oitby some the most distinguished
statesmen Of the times. JouN Quincy
ADAMS, JoHN c. CALHOUN, JOSEPH GALES
Of the NationM Entelligencer, and other
public men, were members of this society.
Rev. ROBERT LITTLE was installed the first
pastor of this society in April, 1922. This
gentleman died in 1927. His death was
serious loss to the society. The next pastor
was Rev. CAzSEAU PALFREY, whom the
writer of this article knew well in after
years, as a most excellent, devout, schol-
arly Christian gentleman. He was installed
in 1880
After Mr.. PALFREYs resignation this
church was favored for o series Of years
with the pastoral labors of several of the
most distinguished Unitarian divines in
this country. Rev. S. q. BULFISCH, Rev.
JOSEPH II. ALLEN, Rev ORvILLE DEwAY,
d. D., Rev. MrNcUR d. CONWAY and Rev.
w. II. CLAIMING have oil served this
church and society in the capacity of pas
tor.
President FILLMORE was q member OF
this church while occupying the White
House, and was q constant attendant upon
divine worship there. Rev. DIR. DEwAY
was. at the time, pastor.
Much more of interesting details might
be given respecting the history of this
church did our limits allow.
For sometime past, as we have already
said, this church has been without pastor,
and is now on the point Of calling the gen.
tleman to assume these duties whose name
appears above.
We were much interested in Mr.. CUD-
woRTn's sermon on Sunday evening last,
and will now endeavor to give our impress
sions of his performance. The discourse
was designed to illustrate and enforce the
doctrine of Christian unity, and the illus
tratlons and arguments Of the speaker were
well chosen, opposite and rorcble. He
showed how great events in the past
events which have already transpired-I
have each had their tendency to bring
mankind together. He instanced the great
work which the Atlantic cable will do in
this behalf; how it shall, with other i'm.
portant agencies, bring about this union
OF peoples and nations, The speaker
was evidently enthusiastic upon this sub.
Ject He is heartily in favor of the doe.
trine of the "fatherhood of God and the
brotherhood of man" Mr.. CupwoRru
spoke feeIingly of the struggles of manvl
Christians in different denominations 70
DFlng about Christian union, to obyiate all
'noso distinctions and difference in doc.
lrihes which keep up the wall of separation
between the real lovers of God in all sects
IN me, he thinks that Christians of every
cFeeu should agree to disagree, and unite
upon d common ground Of Christs invc. /
,'oh 10 the Father that his disciple Ca,
DC one Il in them and Tho. % m,ght
We may be perfect in or ID III me- 'h"'
In illustrating ~ g,
Christian mi, lis desired approach TO
since n r, IN, he said, that not long
Of the Aptist deacon invited deacon
n NuuICu u BIZ uOWn 10
'c FNme communion table with hirn.
lie also gave an account of an occurrence
among the chaplains in the ,,rmv. in
which capacity Mr.. G. served during the
war Some twenty of these gentlemen.
belonging to all th:: different denomina.
tons' were accustolned to meet on stated
oc'H 'Hs.slons for prayer, and himself, the only
Unitarian, was freely welcomed and invited
to join in The exercises. The preacher
concluded his discourse by an earnest
prayer for Christian union.
AS preacher, Mr.. CuDwoRrH shows
ability careful study and a spirit of ear
nest purpose in the great work he has pre-
scribed to himself as his life.caling, viz;
preaching the gospel as he understands it.
lie would not be called an orator, like
CuArTS or BEEcHER, still he is q pleasing
'orct0lc and ready speaker, whose words
are well chosen, and who shows patient
and careful preparation for his pulpit
efforts
IL we were to criticise him at all from
our standpoint and our idea of mint de.