New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-11
4 UNITARTiN REUNION.

CHURCH OF THE HOLY TURTLE - RELIGIOUS
LUNCHEs-LIBERAL PIETY.
To the Edftor Of The Trf6uBe.
SIR: The Unitarians Of this and the adJOln-
ing cities held OF their reunions Yesterday in Brook
lyn at the Rev. Mr. Chadwick church-a curious but
rather shabby bit of architecture which the irreverant
worlds people call the Church Of the Holy Turtle But
by some unaccpuntabe transpositi0n Of names OF OF
facts this Society il understood to represent the fleet
footed and unbound elements of UnitaTianisn, while the
Church of the Holy Zebra, rs these same irreyerant
worlds people call Of the churches OF this city, Is
supposed to represent the stad, slOw-mOy1ng, hard
sheed elements Of the Unitarian body and To lay more
dignity and responsibility tnan on advanced
views or popular methods OF administration. The inside
of the Turtle ia and honelke. but altogether made
quate To the wants Of the growing congegaoh VINO are
strainng their wits to devise some way to enlarge IL
architectural whim cannot he easily converted INTO u
congregational convenience, and Is costly commodity
carry The church filed on Tuesday evening, 10
hear discourse by the Rev. r. r. shippen on the con
structye and nOpcTatOnal way Of reform. IN opposition
the destructive and critical methods so generally re-
sorted to by individuals and associations.
The meeting Of yesterday wac opened with short adj,
liberal views and the growth of the spirit Of love in all
cOmmunons that the Unitarian Church seems 10 be
numbers and 10 be the salt and the light OF society at
large better than large mass OF crude material The
ug he,tIS ;ft @ , yested n The Fonrtb
Society OF this city, the Rev. Mr. Clarke's az Harlem,
which IL steadily gaining ground The Rev Charles
a"c % boioa pi ~ nv Of bearta and Tho
developing Of sense OF religious citizenship for
highest welfare Of society. DR. Bellows troubled
that many OF the biggest-braned men in the com
mnnity felt little interest in institutional religion and
thought il bodied i'll 10 their future and that OF the
try. The atmosphere OF Cambridge is absolutely ne ga
tive so far as religion g0esculiivated and moral In the
highest degree but without Church interest or life Mr.
Chadwick reOCed in the growth Or the pacific over the
pOlcmic spirit and invited the company 10 partake OF
lunch. which relished quite as much az the less sub
stana fare Of the morning; ami more social ana Jolly
Of Christians than gathered about the tables and
appreciation OF salads ami turkey tongue
and ce-cream Is seldom How earth did people
keep their pcty olive and carry on ecclesiastical nnalr.
those old, duh days before the religious quality OF
oysters discovered and coffee and sandwiches
brought into service a. the aids Of pletyt
when the company reassembed in the church Dr. Boil
lows read an elaborate paper ON the relations OF the
Church aud the State, taking the strongest ground
against the proposed amendment TO the Constitution a.
I'M American in principle and impOlitc whether looked
at from the point politics of religion. Our Govern
men Is not mixed up with any form OF religion aud re-
Eien roo Hhe ibe ought % be taken out OF our puo
schools leaving them entirely secular, and leaving the
entire religious education Of the country with those to
whom that work belongs.
Mr.. Chadwick reminded the audience that IN the time
OF George H. the most goddess time England ever knew
there was tue EXTREMIST devotion 10 all the prOpreteS
and formaes OF religious and everybody stickled for
the letter while ignoring the spirit. W. T. Clarke main
tanned that American Institutions planted plin
ciples Of liberty which OF more Importance than
sectarian dogma triumph, ana believed in that Uni
tarianism which more for country than for Sect
principles that the life of the nation well OF the
individuals OF which u Is composed Messrs. Shippen.
Burr, Farley, Camp and Others followed IN the same
strain, and the intelligent audience listened with evil
dent sympathy to this view Of the question.
Ner- York. Feb o. 1871. Glorious.