, 1873-04-28
THE FOURTH UNITARIAN.
Dedicatory Services Yesterday
Forenoon and Evening.
Several Distinguished Clergymen Parti.
oipato in the Exercises.
Eloquent Sermon by tho Rev. II. W. Bill
lows, Of Now York.


Unitarian Church building, corner Of Thirtoonsh
street nnil Prairio ayonuo, occurred yesterdny
forenoon the small odinoo being filled. Upon
tho platform wero tho Reya. T. L. HoBmor, Il.
N. Bellows, Il. Laird Collier, II. ". Dellows O.
". Wendtc, mud Robert Collyor.
An introductory prayer was offered by tho
Rov. r. 8. Hosmor, after which tho Rev. Il. N.
Bellows rcad from tho Psalms. hymn WAS
anng. and tho following dedication whB road by
tho pastor md congregation:
Wo dedicate thIs houao to tho Worship Of the ono
trlo God, heavenly Father, who Ia aboso oil, and
Wo dedicate It to rational and liberal religion, to
sincere prayer, to puro Worship to froo and Joyous
pey Or Ynoe5eg
to fearloes nudy o. tho truth to m ovortncrcasfng
insAht, to an eyer-aMdyanetng II hnowlsase .,u...t
eres.es ILL faih il Tho possibilities Of lfe both herc
We revorsntly ask the blessing Of God upon. thia
work Of our hands remembering TINT except tho
Lord build tho house, they labor Ia yan that build H."
Tho Row. Lairl Collior offered prayer, after
which chant WAS Rung.
the nEy II. ". bellows
then proaohed hlB Bormon, his toxt being talon
from Matthew II. 6. Tho speaker commenced
his discourse by pointing out tho advantages Of
pority everywhere observable. It rodounded to
our glory that such condition Of things should
prevail. It was fortunate that prosperity eome-
times made whole nation b hopeful OF hdman
rcrfectibility. It twns cortain that VIC wore oBpo-
olally favored certain that poor mon wore
never 80 fow as now j; cortain Tint civilization
mover advanced ct such a pace as now.
Peculiar as our good fortune was We
humanity whose history was already written:
We were men, and this "as . m6ro important
fact than that wo wero Americans. In diaouss-
tng European circumstances, fouda1lsnl, and the
like, wo could SEQ that we bad not escaped tho
than 5000 years old. This continent had boon
occupied by peoples in tho remote past who
possessed an architecture similar to our own. II
we look ut tho old world, Us in China, We see
gress was not fixed Tho ABiasio nations Ind
Spain Of Ferdinand and isabella, was also In do
cay. Greece, in tho days Of Thomistocles, shin
ing with ars vocal wth eoqqonco whore s:S bean
whore Socrates taught in q. strain
that only revelation could mako appear loss thnn
diyino--vhat mas there to throaton that bats
and owls aud dirty brigands clad in Bhcep Bkins
her language dead, her power priost-craft, her
glories gone, and her namo q romance, aided In
confirming the thought that continuance was
not guaranteed by more prosperity. God valued
goodness too much to allow wealth, art, science,
to aocuro pormanonco without individual good
ness. He would not permit q nation rich In art
aud beauty to imporll human nature by perma-
nonce in wanton and Holflsh ways, whom luxury
alto its way into society al tue arts aud
sciences, churches md cnthe1rnla would not
save d nation from decline. Grooco was
struck with hopeless denth in the zonith Of her
fame for art md religion. It wns tho prido of
philosophy. tho hypocrisy Of religion, that killed
he Fneo e had like dacoe from
and tho coronot Of art On her brow. She had
fallen, becauso she had made pleasure hor life.
Bho adorod saints only ns pictures in the Louvre.
Holiness had come to lo in white oyes Of painted
worry rich and very poor could indulge in. 1llo-
gitimato births prevailed among the population.
II private virtue and aclf-rospect, foar Of God,
sense Of duty decay in, family life, tho
ton WAS going On, there was q worm
in tho root, canker IN the bud, TINT threatened
destruction. The indeceucy Of the Times was
hn indication Of the corruption Of society. Some
of the worst poisoners OF social lifo were pat
terms Of decorum,-mo1o1a OF propriety. The
most dangerous persons in this co1nmunity-cer-
tainly in the spelkor's-wore leaders OF fashion,
priests ndprieBteeseB Of hoathcn world-worship,
gorgoously faithful to propriety. The local au-
paPs md ana ssa bss Hse
docks, and made everybody forgot that public
with it. And, With all tho oattor Of the proas,
e asrs a rasp esp anvp for i out PS ss
King worshy @ Of ta was easier n to change @ Chi.
cago from dust to marble than change ono gon-
Grafton Of its citizons. We could not teach chill
dron virtue without yirtuous parents, or teach
religion without religious toachers. Society
rested to-day On nero prudence and mutual
concession. Christianity was to-day o moro
ideal; WAS BY connaon consent regarded as im-
4 Statesmen and phloHpRhofs ban
while 1t addressed tho heroic i'll humanity, never
advanced q fact. Tho moral aoyereign would
not acknowledge for his kingdom one IN which
avarice, tho love OF self, predominatod. Tho
Kingdom Of God WAS always at hard to any. who
would seize it by violence. Like that liberty
which every slave could seize from his owner,
1t could only be obtained by violence, md not
one in q thousand generations cared to snatch it.
The Church waR eroctod to-day aa sentry-box,
against bad citizenH, slaves Of appetites, oarmo-
rnnts Of wealth who woro too coward1y to take
the Kingdom OF God by violence. The Kingdom
Of heaven was at hand, but unless VIC were ready
to enter 1t sword in hand like d soldier, pre-
pasod to do violence to the prejudicos Of our
Bolvea and our noighbors, wo might as well give
up all idea Of getting in.
TIRE PASTOR
then made q statement Tlroo ycars and D half
ago ho was called to start now church in this
district. He came with misgiyings, but he had
the aHsurance Of the sympathy aud goodwill OF
tie congregation. On tho first Sunday he had
congregation Of thirty persons, with with one Of.
supporting. Tho land had cost $4,000, and the
church had cost S23, 900. OF this S35, 900, about
$4,000 had already boon paid and now about
$4,000 had to be raisod. There was Que thing
to be settled to-day. Did they wish to be bur-
dened week after week with The weight Of a
debt, or would They clear off that debt now aud
forever.
REV. ROBERT CoLLYEn
WAS then presented. He said ho did not know
anything more appropriate to say than that the
plea made by Mr. Wendte to be relieved from
debt should be mot with an outburst Of gener-
oslty which would send him homo with q light
heart, better fortified to carry on tho work
which he had assumed. l1r. Wondto had
come hore an entire stranger about
three years ago, IN untrled stranger. The
Speakers dear brother Laird had seen him, and
fol- in loyo with him ut onco, Which showed Lie
perception. Tho speaker did tho sumo thing,
When Brother Laird had inquired whethor he
WAS not tho man thcy wanted, ho would have
replied, had he boon In San Francisco, j" You
bet /" [Laughter.l Az 1t wan, he agreed With
him. After aomo further explanatory remarks