The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-11
SOME NEW BOOKa
Tho Crisis Of UnitarianIsna.

hold in this city on tho 18th OF March. over tho
Hedem ptlon from debt Of the Church OF the
Messiah have been recorded In a handsomely
printed and illustrated pamphlet. OF which tho
principal feature In the discourse Of the Rev.
DR.. Henry W. Bellows. With his accustomed
huency and beauty OF expression. DIR. Bellows
ntst explains the circumstances OF the occasion;
then reviews the history OF tho church. whose
happy delverance his hearers had been called
together to celebrate. and concludes with some
excellent advice as to tho character and qualin-
cations Of tho minister needed to mako tho
achievement fruitful OF good results.
According to Dr. Bellowss narrative the
Church OF the Messiah was organized in 1925.
az an offshoot from the Unitarian congregation
thon worshipping in Chambers street. Land
was purchased for II at the corner OF Prince
and Mercer streets. and n building erected.
which was dedicated in 1926. DIR. Claiming
preaching the sermon. After several Intellectual
calls to other clergymen. the church. in 1923.
secured rs pqstcr the Rev. William Parsons
Junt, who remained with II till 1893. In
1885 the Rev. DR.. Orville Dewey succeeded Mr.
Lunt. and continued in tho pastorate till 1sis.
In 1885 tho building in Mercer street was de-
etroyod by fire. and in 1889 now ono. now tho
Globe Theatre opposite tho New York Hotel,
WINS erected in Broadway DR.. Dewey was fol-
lowed. in 1919. by the Rev. Samuel Osgood under
whose leadership the congregation migrated
temporarily. In 1864. 10 tho corner OF Madison
avenue and Twenty eighth street and finally. in
1903 to It's present cdince on the corner Of
Park avenue and Thirty-fourth street The
property on Broadway had been sold for n sum
which left over t150.OO0 to DO expended on the
new location but all this was swallowed up and
adebt was incurred which at the beginning OF
this year. Notwithstanding frequent generous
contributions from nr np1lnvva'a
and others. amounted to t1250OO. In 1869 DR..
OsRood resigned the pastorate and Dr. George
H. Hepworth WAS installed. DIR. Hepworth
was dismissed in 1872. and the Rov. Henry
Powers succeeded him. remaining till 1874,
when the Rev. William r. Alger took the pulpit
and filled 1t till last October. Tho pastorate
then became vacant. and il was believed that the
church property would have 10 be sold and the
organization dissolved. Happily. tho Unta-
rians of New England came to the rescue. and
rousing anew the sympathy OF Dr. Bellows and
his congregation and securing from tho Amor-
can Unitarian Association contribution OF
$95. 600. the entire debt has boon paid or lenv-
ing the building free to be used for the purpose
for which ii was intended.
The magnitude Of the calamity which the
cause OF Unitaranlsm has escaped in thus
Ehving the Church OF the Messiah from ex-
tnction is set forth by pr S-ii',,--s - his most
fiS".-, Us STYLE and the pomp and circumstance
with which the event was celebrated prove
the entire accord OF the denomination in his
sentiments. Tho probable loss Of this historic
Society. with It's conspicuous temple has clouded
over" he says the prospects Of our faith for
ten years past and led many who would never
before have uttered such misgivlnGs to prophcsy
n decline in our Unitarian influence in this
noghborhood-a decline easily extended by its
enemies to tho whole country" The antece-
dent history OF this church. its great dstnc-
ton In tho first half OF its history and its
public msfortunes in the last half. had
given IL n representative character which had
drawn the eyes OF friends and foes to II. until
the noise OF its threatened fall would have re-
sounded through the country rs the doom Of
principles and hopes. whose life and honor
were inexpressibly dear" II was not single
lettering church. 1t was our denominations
honor and repute that were ut stake" This
WINS the conviction. undoubtedly. which stirred
the Unitarlans Of New England and procured
from the American Unitarian Association the
large contribution OF which we have spoken
-one-third. DR.. Bellows tells US. OF the whole
amount of its capital contributed by dead
beneiactors or small societies And Il was
church to surrender the t220OO previously ad-
vanced by them. and wrung from individuals
their liberal donations. All hands seem TO have
felt that the case was one OF life or denth. and
death tor the present. has been averted.
We say. for the present, because. looking
ut the matter disintercstedly, we cannot help
seeing that the disease which has Just 40 nearly
had fatal termination. has only boon arrested
without being cured. H. after a career OF nifty
four years. eliminating in the erection Of an
edilce costing over $500. 900. and situated in a
quarter Of the city inhabited by an intelligent
and highly educated population. Unitarian
church can only DO saved from destruction by
special effort, its life must be too feeble for long
duration. Concede that it's late eInbarrass-
ments have been Immediately due to insufficient
pastoral ability and to bad lay management.
nevertheless tho fact remains that the compe-
tent pastor and the able laymen have not been
forthcoming for the emergency. and that while
the material shell OF the organization has been
rescued from the auctioneers hammer II still
wants the living stones OF a spiritual temple
10 enable II to fulfil its purpose. Wor-
ship may continue TO DO performed. hymns
sung. and sermons preached within its walls,
but whence are the worshippers and hearers TO
como in the future. since they have been lack
ing in the past2 And. to 20 further still. Has
not Unimrianism In general arrived at that Pc
riod Of its development when. by the conditions
q
1t must begin to decline and prepare to pass
away as an ecclesiastical power2 When. in
1910. DR.. Dewey was preaching to the Church OF
the Messiah and DR.. Bellows to All Souls. they
had regular audiences OF not less than 1000
souls each. The entire population OF the city
then was a littio more than 800 600. whereas
now IL is nearly 000 000 Yet as we have seen.
the Church OF the Messiah has dwindled to
almost nothing. and DIR. Bellows breaches In
his ornate basilica in Fourth avenue to not
more than GOO hearers while no third Unitarian
organization. unless we call Mr.. rockingham s
congregation such has sprung up to divert the
attendance from either so far from keeping
pace with tho growth OF tho city Unitarianism
has fallen behind More than this the gray
hairs and wrnkled faces thickiy spread among
the pews OF All Souls give warning that a few
years more will still further thin out the ranks
OF the faithful while no young blood is com
Ing in 10 recruit them. As soon as the Veterans
who now support 1t are gone. the Unitarian Or
CARNATIONS II seems TO US. will take their place
among the things of the past, an hOnored and
useful past to DO sure. but past that is com
plete and ended.