New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-09-18
THE SARATOGA CONFERENCE.

The Unitarian Conference now in session at
Saratoga, with its uncOmmonly large attend
ance-for so many as $500 visitors are spoken
Of-will doubtless be a pleasant gathering
free from extravagant ascetism. The Unitarian
body, however intelligent is not large one
compared with other religious denominations;
but it manages to hold highly successful con-
ventiOns, at which the theological and social
are agreeably mingled The addresses, at all
events, are usually of the first quality. Very
little is said of L;elius Socinus of Michael
Seryetus of Arianism or the Sabellian heresy,
but there is q plenty of friendly talk, and an
assortment of harmless jests, mingling with
the demonstrations OF serious moral purpose.
Doubtless at Saratoga this week the theology
is q little miscellaneous we may say so be-
cause nobody there Will regard it as a mis-
fortune. There must be an agreement TO
differ in a conference which includes Ralph
Waldo Emerson, DR.. Bellows, James Free
man Clarke, Edward Everett Hale, Octavius
rockingham, and George William Curtis.
A considerable portion of the world always
has persisted in believing that "relgion Was
designed TO make our pleasures less" in
spite of the assertion to the contrary In the
hymn. They will have it that the religious
man or woman must be sour, unchaTitable,
and incapable of cOmprehendng joke. They
hold to this opinion III spite Of much biOgraph-
zeal testimony to the contrary, and of oppor-
tunities for cOntempOraneOus observation.
Clergymen from the beginning have
been the best of good company. The
most effective preachers of the early days of
the church did not disdain the assistance OF
humor in the pulpit-indeed, there was a large
class of them who, however earnest they
might be, used it little too much. If Lati-
mer were living, Judging by his extant SER
mons, what capital after-dinner speaker
he would make Bernard Gipin was
another of the same class. Yet there was
nothing of sneer or OF subacldulous
wrath in those fine old preachers,
whose pulpits were set up in the
streets, and whose congregations were made
up of those who happened to come by. The
waggery of the Scotch clergy is well known
to those who have read Dean Ramsay's
charming book. or any other book about
Scotch manners The Puritan minister of
New England was by no means so grave as
we commonly suppose, though his wit might
sometimes be of the dryest and sharpest.
Whoever would know the truth of the mat
ter shonld look over DR.. Sprague's Annals
"of the American Pulpit"-a bulky work
which will prove not half formidable as IL
appears.
There are churches which from the begin
ming. or from near the beginning, have rec
ognized the social nature of mankind, and
have promoted by all the means in their
poyer innocent gregarious pleasures. But at
1T 4 Il IL, II
be an exception aud an anomaly In many OF
the sacred ediices now built, provision is
made for gatherings not strictly religious. Then,
for the Sunday schools, there are the plcnlcs,
or the steamboat excursions, or the little runs
into the country by rail, the miscellaneous
libraries, pictures, flowers, singing with the
piano-forte, charades, tableaus-what not !
There may be ancient members who look with
gravity. upon these innovations, but they are
not many, and they are usually converted in
time TO a religion of chcerfulness.
Religious conventions, Of course, have always
existed in one form or another. Very grim
and dreary bodies they may have been In the
long ago ; but we have changed all that and,
so we have missed no real and healthy ear
nestness, for the better. Council or conference,
synod or convention or assembly - what
matter what we call it, so its work be
lovingly conceived and affectionatcly done
OF all denominations perhaps the Unitarian
needed such meetings, much as they must do
for the promotion of conference and unanimity
of doctrine. Intellectual ability in the pulpit
the society has never lacked, but in breaking
away from the trammels of ecclesiastical dis
cipline, possibly Unitarianism may have
carried the principle of independency too far
for general united effort 1t feels the need of
a certain wholesome leaven of enthusiasm,
which it is possible that great meetings like
that at Snrntoga may do something to supply.