The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-15

1t ia announced that the Rev. ROBERT
CoLLYER, a Unitarian preacher who is much
liked In Chicago, and who has pretty wide
reputation in that denomination as a pulpit
orator is to come TO New York next fall as
pastor OF the Unitarian Church OF the Mes
siah. This church has had a peculiar and
even curious history, and it hopes by the
aid of the Chicago preacher to change its
luck, which has been bad from the day its
edifce on Park avenue was built. But can
he hope TO do what his predecessors in its
pulpit failed to accomplish
After the handsome and expensive meet
ing house it put up in a fashionable neigh
borhood was done the Church OF tho Mes
slab expected to command sufficient rev.
enue from the renting Of its pews to main
tain the most attractive kind OF preaching.
and so attract large congregations. The
Rev DR.. SAMUEL OsoooD was then its pas
tor, and no laid himself out In the writing
OF the most brilliant sermons he was capa-
bic Of composing, and delivered them with
a trained voice and very dlgnifled man
ner Being a fertile writer, DIR. OsGooD
found no difficulty In preparing two SER
mons week which were smooth in their
periods and charged with proper religious
sentiment. Besides, he was personally quite
handsome. OF an impressive port and
faultless clerical demeanor both in and out
OF the pulpit. But DIR. OsGooD was unable
TO draw large number OF people TO listen
10 his Sunday essays; the Church OF the
Messiah struggled with debt and apathy,
and disaster lmpcnded over tho enterprise
When at last no stepped down from the pull
pit and abandoned not only the Church OF
the Messiah but Unitarianism also, his de-
spondent pNrishloners babe him farewell
with mingled emotions.
Thus bereft they set themselves TO work
to get another style OF minister, one who
would cause the dry bones OF the Church OF
the Messiah to rattle and make noise
which would be heard throughout the city
They pitched upon the Rev. GEORGE H.
HEPwoRTH, a lusty Unitarian preacher who
was surprising the people Of Boston. He
was more OF a rough-and-ready man than
that denomination is accustomed TO see In
Its pulpits, and variety piqued their languid
tastes But when Mr.. HEPwoRTH came to
New York he speedily dropped into insigniH-
canoe, his church got deeper into tho mire
than over. and he became so chilled by its
atmosphere that he rushed into orthodoxy
to try and warm himself up.
Then the Church OF the Messiah, In woiul
straits, brought to New York still another
sort of Unitarian preacher, tho Rev VIII
LIAM II. ALGRR, a man OF sentiment. But
the gentle fire in tho heart Of Mr.. ALGER
failed to kindle a namo on Park avenue. In
other words, the people wouldnt go TO hear
his sermons, the pows could not DO rented,
and 1t was not easy to raise money enough
TO pay him his salary. So he left for
Colorado
Now the church have called the Roy. Ron
ERT CoLLYER to minister TO Them a very
different man from any Of the others, and he
is going to try what he can do. He Is said
TO be stronger in intellect and in character
than the three preachers who failed, and It
ia assorted that he Is so stlfI Unitarian
that there is no chance OF his being con-
verified to any other faith. But his having
done well in Chicago affords no guarantee
that he will succeed in New York. Tho Uni
tarians have been dropping behind In this
city, not only on Murray Hill but else
where DR.. BELLOWS, who Is one OF the most
famous preachers in the denomination, IL
not able to crowd the church on the Fourth
avenue. and he and many other Unitarlans