Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-04-30
1c Editors IF the P1onir .


pew holder in the Church of the Messiah
but not enjoying Dr. Osgoods preaching
left his church while it was still prosperous
DR. Dewey had built up a splendid congrega
ton, but under DIR. Osgood it gradually dis
| persed. He was never a popular preacher
and the New York Times grossly errs in say
ing that Sin 1si9 DIR, Osgood was the ac
knowledged leader in the Unitarian church 81
1t is no compliment to him to make such a
claim, for even if he had any leadership then
he did not long retain it. He came to New
York with high reputation for learning, and
was considered especially proficient in pa.
tristics. In fact the discourses which gave
| him send off, in New York were upon the
old fathers and heroes of the Catholic church.
recolect his sermons, or more properly lee
lures, on Augustine and Hildebrand as being
especially fine in their way, and more dim
ly remember those upon Jerome, Chrysostom
and Ambrose. Such subjects interested him
because he was as intensely eccesiastic and
perhaps as ambitious as any of those ancient
worthless. The truth is that DR.. Osgood was
altogether too ecclesiastical for the Unitarian
church. His dress had always touch of the
clerical, and the new church built for him,
and whose construction he zealously supern-
tended, bore marks of the ecclesiastical spirit
which dwelt in MIN.
Yet there was curious and almost ludi-
crous contrast between Osgood the man and
Osgood the minister. In his manners AS a
private gentleman he was ut times almost
childishly simple and unsophisticated. There
was often navete in his speech which
evoked both wonder and amusement But
with all this simplicity there was blended a
certain self-assertion and ambition to shine
which proved that the doctor was a firm be-
lever in himself. Indeed, his love OF his own
way was probably the chief stumbling block
to his success. For he did not succeed, and
left the Unitarian church in New York much
weaker than he found it. One cause of this
was the great amount of money spent upon
the new church of the Messiah Had DR.
Osgood been able to fill the new church all
would have been well but unfortunately
the little flock he had kept together in a
small Episcopal church his people had pur.
chased in Madison Avenue, dwindled away
almost insensibly, yet steadily in the stately
edihce on Park Avenue. Perhaps the rea-
sons were not far to seek. Aside from GER
tain unpopularity, and aside from the want of
interest in his sermons, there was a feeling
that DIR. Osgood was not at heart Unitarian
He had delivered a series of doctrinal dis
courses in the old Broadway church which
were not Unitarian but Sabellian A Trini
TARTAN ptntlpnnp WIN l.uVI tho. a
and was unable to see the peculiar character
of modal trinity, assured me that he en-
tirely agreed with DR.. Osgood's views. For
my own part l have no quarrel with Sabel-
lianism. Very possibly it is the bridge
which in the end will unite those Christians
who differ about the Godhead But it was
not comforting to distinctive Unitarians to
hear their clergyman advocate the views of
Sabellius l have been assured 10y friend
that DR. Osgood, after he had Joined the
EpiscOpalians, did not scruple to say that he
had not changed his religious views. That
was probably the fact at least when lie first
called himself an Episcopalian. As early as
1862 he had published Book of Worship"
for the use of Unitarian churches. which con-
'A'AN' - NhANht1 ceANi ltN uliuAlAlSH Tue ArlOTlA
Patri' used by the Episcopal church, which
is quite consistent with SabellianiSm but not
with Unitarianism.
saw good deal of him in Europe in 1869
and to say the least he was then undecided
The English clergyman he most cultivated
was Dean Stanley, and he expressed much ad-
miration for the broad church" At the
same time he visited Sir John Bowring, the
leading lay Unitarian of England. and he
spoke to me of the Unitarian Lord Mayor of
London who had invited him to bishops
dinner Us Zone of rs, you know" After
wards met him on a steamboat at Lucerne,
and we sailed all day together on the beauti
full lake of the Four Cantons While we were
at lunch in the cabin fine looking English
lady honored us with few polite words.
With her was her young daughter, now the
wife of an English peer DR.. Osgood was
nothing if not conversational, and very soon
he was engaged in discussion with the
handsome lady. 1t took a somewhat theo-
logical turn, and then l heard DIR. Osgood
make the statement that the church of Eng
land was upon the whole the most worthy of
this did not seem TO amount to Il statement of
his religious faith But Judge of the doctors
surprise when the lady replied that for her
part she preferred the theological opinions of
Theodore Parker to any others she was ac-
quainted with, and that she always read his
writings with very great pleasure. Premis-
ing that Parker and himself had been class
mates DR.. Osgood, expressed his dissent from
some of Parkers views and the conversation
ended Landing on the quay at Lucerne the
lady was Immediately surrounded by reti-
nue. of liyeried servants, and a magnif-
cent carriage and four drove off with her in
great state.
Dr. Osgood's connection with his church
had ceased before he went to Europe Small
as his congregation had become they proved
their regard for him by presenting him with
a liberal supply of money to meet his travel
ing expenses. When he joined the Episco
palans few of his old associates were sur
prised, and it is not known that he carried any
one with him into his new connection. l
never heard an unkind word uttered at his
change of sect and no GOODNESS ever arose be-
tween him and his old Unitarian friends. On
the contrary the doctor in various ways
showed his good will towards them, as they
also proved theirs towards him. Although
not popular preacher, he was greatly re-
spected as a man and beloved by many as q
pastor, for his pastoral duties were always
performed, This was the more re-
markable because DIR, Osgood devoted much
time to literary pursuits, literary people. and
literary and social societies.
The Episcopal clergy of New York met
last week to do honor to his memory and
yet neither the denomination nor its clergy
ever did justice to the living man. He was
ANONYMOUSLY poked off to preach in little in
significant churches and was seldom heard in
the great and wealthy parishes. In general