New-York tribune., 1882-02-07
THE REV. Mr.. MILN's CHANGE OF VIEWS

| THE REV. Mr.. MILN'S CHANGE OF VIEWS.
- Inc announcement made yesterday that the Rev
george I. Min, pastor of Unity Church, Chicago of
Wnlcn the Rev. Robert COllyer was formerly tLe
pastor, IN his sermon on Sunday morning ahan-
doned his belief in personal Deity and IN the i'm.
loItaIlty OF man, ava ke ned considerable interest
among Cnitarans OF this city. Mr.. MIln was for
merry pastor OF the Last Congregational Church IN
brooklyn, where he Is said to have had some
uouple win ms congregation owing 10 his liberal
lcHuencIes, a TRIBUNE reporter yesterday m
CURED OF MI CoHyer as to what would be the prob
aole result OF Mr Minis change Of views so far as
ms relations 10 the Unity Church were concerned
81 know nothing about the matter" he repl,ed
except what have seen IN the dispatch printed in
IHE TRIBUNE. Members OF my former congrega.
ton whom have seen recently have said nothing
to mo in regard to Mr. Minis liberal views 1 SEQ
it stated that there is great comm0tion among The
congregation of Unity Church IN regard to TINS
matter, and suppose lt must necessarily lead to a
severance Of relations with Nr Min as pastor
During the many years preached in that church. my
congregation never restricted me in any way as TO
my views, or gave any indication Of disagreement
with me. Perhaps | shOuld make one exception
In sermon on the freedom of the press | con-
demned General Burnsde's action in se.zlng Tie
thcdg0 imes during the war Some members Of
my congregation SAID that they agreed with me rs
to the freedom of the press, but they thought Cen
etai burnside dld right IN seizng The Chcago Iimes
"Conld Mr.. Min hold his present views and still
remain within fhe Unitarian ChurchP y
:" No. We have no creed and are not fettPred by
any doctrine, but there is a general agreement on
some points of belief in the Church which We arc
expected to conform 10. If Mr.. Min does not be-
leve IN God or the Immortality of man, then he
does not conform to the Unitarian belief II there
should be n division in his church on the question,
then those opposed to him could tall back on the
charter of the church. which was obtained on tho
ground that Unity Church to be devoted to the
promotion and maintenance of the Unitarian
ship. Certainly Mr.. Mn's teachings would not con-
form to that. His present views must lead him TO
materlaISm. There was somewhat similar
in Massachusetts which has recently been decided
by the courts. A church was endowed for the pro-
motion OF the Unitarian worship, bnt the minister
alterward announced views similar to those of Mr..
Min. lie was denied the right to any use of tho
endowment, and the courts sustained this view
" l. there any tendency in the Church generally
to more liberal or advanced views on religion ~
" Not mOie than in other denominations. Perhaps
not so much indication of any change. We :
far in advance of the other denominations that We
afford to stop and take breath waiting for them
to catch up There has been an advance in other
denominations IN recent years"
" II the Unitarian denomination increasing in
numbers rapidly or nCtW
" Not very fast. 1t is comparatively new. as il
first began to exist as separate body IN 1920, and
of course has grown "A good deal since then. The
growth or maintenance OF any partlcnlar church
depends "A good deal upon who Is IN charge OF 1t.
Ii the church has the right man then its mainto.
nance or growth is assured
" Then it does not always depend upon the right
man 10 maintain church some of the other de-
nominations W suggested the reporter
d" No." replied Mr.. COyer smiling; and not al
ways with u.s. One of Our churches in Troy got It's
back M, so to speak and was a year without any
regular pastor During that time II paid "h tho
dent on the church fitted II mp IN n better manner,
fIeScOcd the walls and rented ten more peWs than
had been rented before"