New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-30
PULPIT SKETCHES.
THE REV. THEODORE c. WILLIAMS. OF ALI
SOULS UNITARIAN CHURCH.

Tbis occtv was INCORPORATED In ,2l under the tls
of tha First Congregatonalisi Church IL occupied
plain uapretendng house Of worship tn Chainpefs7t
until 1915; when under the pressure of advancing
commerce. a removal was effected. and large anu ef-
pensive Gothic church 10 broBn-stone built az No
544 broadway This subsequently sold TO The Oft
verssli.ts and in 1855 the present ediee Fourth
ave above Union Square completed ard dedicated
At the close Of the dedication sermon tho title Of the
church. which had been known In Broadway a. the
Divine Unity was changed by the preacher. DR. Boz
lows to that which it has since borne Tbis new church
was the aesthetic sensation Of IT. day. Nrey Mould,
the architect was sOundly berated gently oonniser
ated a quite beside himself, or one VINO h@o
affrOnted and scandalized not only the tenet%o11
traditions, but the religious -cnsibbtes OF al
church going people II not quite clear whether ne
had deliberately attempted ,eer and quz the people
by this departure from all current ideals Of Manhattan
ecolesiOlOgy, or whether his genius hsd become
frenzed or crazed. All sorts of ribad sayings and
ncknames were banded about and one might obseryn
any day groups Of wcntentoned persons yisioiy pei,
picked amused scandalized they drew near the III
starred structure. But at length II was reincinperoo
that the Ali Souls congregation were except.0Aa, IN
tegent cultivated people likely to be- duped by
mOuntebank. nor put their money INTO Oeidihs c'-
sendally grOtesque or monstrOus- .
This Dure exquisite Bit Of Byzantine Venetian art was
unhappily a pioneer for the city had hIther'" sees
nothing but it, gum meeting Us temple. Oh 20
based Grecian, its dOOrOus. brown stone, dOtmc PA
giarsIls Here was bold banding Of creamy Caen ana
glowing brick courses; here were groups oil slender
polished shafts Of granite; here was an AIRY spianM
dome almost afOat overhead The novelty was htei'
ally shocking and the people did not readily or grece
fully interpret it Alright. There ~ little question to-day
"a to the briancy and impressVel"ss OF VT Monns
design which however sorey needs for it, yndicatiou
the erection of the tower at the northwest corner Inc
ground pan gives an irregular cuIcifOrm Interior IN
| the broad but shallow transepts OF unequal
depth the northern being considerably larger ahd pro
yiding "A gallery of superb proportions Tor the grea
organ which is cased in admirable keeping The nave
Is broad and this impression IL carried further py me
transept areas which rise gently toward the walls;
the sittings facing each other choncelwEe Inc he@a
| of the cross is shallow, and recedes into Doio
graceful niched recess, which l. lighted ny rs proper
| dome An deliberately wrought pulpit reaches fAful
across this chancel area with is gracefully curved
sounding board bearing it, chocolate brown large
| brilliantly illuminated satin cross
Over the entrance the avenue j. deep gallery,
but not sufficiently appraised to interrupt lno singular
dignity aud spaclotshe's OF t.S -, Caai-
boldly framed in some beautiful timber Work, iieely
ornanented and vsby supporting the hne dome when
crowns the intersection of the nave ana trahsepts'
| The dome IL filled with richly coored glass. hr'
| Mould delights in wide sweeping arches ana ne mas
carried them most effectively over the transepts.
While the northern Is filed with s great organ facade
above the southern presents an unbroken wall surface
pierced by five slender windows, dividing the whole
area in equal spaces and following the cur'ature OF the
great arch in their varying lengths The ayahSplhtJ
of such ground plan for an auditorium shown mere
a. at St Francis Xavier's In West Sixteentn-st, IN
massing a great congregation centrally and IN agree
| able relations with the pulpit The byzantine lnViies
and almost demands lavish mural decoration IN gold
and glowing harmonies Of colors WITH tins addition
and really good stained glass OF the later Ehgnsh
makers for the morbidly toned Window the intention
of the architect would be fully rpened INTO an en-
semble of marvellous beauty and -ymnetry generous
parsonage carried out in the same materials as tho
| church, fills the lot on the east.
| UNITARIANIsM IN NETWORK.
| Cnitarianism represents exotic culture in New
York 1t /. rather an echo of New England adventure
in ecclesastc-m than voicing Of Manhattan religion
| isrc A few sermons from DR. Charming brought TO-
gether the handful Of disciples who had made com
| mercial ventures In the city. and these became
| the nucleus Of a society that has from that day
| ropr scented exceptional refinement, culture and
| the graces of thrifty, well-)rdered elegance Of
living While Cnitarianism has not taken cordially u
the social impulses and trendings of NeY-fork any
more than Protestant EpscOpacy has to the mind and
heart of Boston it has. nevertheless, exercised an IN
fueuce far outreachng ts visible appreciable To-
sources not only in shaping the educational aud be
neyolent energies at work among the people b't IN
times of municipal upbeayal and National crises
this little fellowship has thrown itself into tue hckest
of the desperate conflicts win Spartanlke unreserye
| and herOism Its past record plainly enough shows
that the Unitarians have been neither mere doe
trinaires dealiss. The old predominant type OF
intellectual and moral force distinguishes the eongre
CATION now rsllyug about the new. Young pastor IL
would be difficult to find elsewhere In any congrega
ton greater number of highly bred, attractive per
sonalities Yet ono would not mistake them for con-
pany of devotees committed to the enthusiasm Of an I'M
perative, exacting faith There Is dignity pr9prety
deferentia attention 10 the duties OF the hour almost
infexble and rigid in it, hne decorlni But they are
people plainly who be counted the right side OF
social and public issues as "A matter OF training ana
moral habits rather than result OF mere cnlOtlon
There is liturgo feeling in the worshp-as indeed
nav be easily cOnjectured from the perpetual influences
of the Book Of Common Prayer which IN the old tlme
raid Kings Chapel In Boston, was reluctantly Dat
necessarily retained by the Arian corporation aat slid
INTO the Inheritance deity TO puzzle juIist and
onrat ever since So the tn.tarans are in tenpera-
men and tendency strongly urgic there signs
Of further advancement al All Souls IN this direction
The pasorate Of this society mas been hed Dy men OF
rare distinction. Henry Ware one of the finest
spirits of his generation, man full OF beautiful gIs
and crowned with scholarly accomplishments DIR;
Foen German Of the best European culture followed
him. All the world knows something Of the many
sided gresthearted patriot and preacher 80 lately gone
from among MS Or. Bellows. His ministry indeed,
less congregational than to the people az large.
He seemed rather servant Of the commonwealth than
the salaried functionary of All Souls society
THE YOUTHFUL PASTOR IN THE PULPIT.
The successor of DR.. Bellows strongly anti
thetical in personality purposes, and professional
equipment. He is almost youth, not yer thirty fie
has been licensed preacher hardly two years. He Is
slight Of frame has light, delicate voice and speaks
under some physical constraint lie is without gifts
that conquer and ensave attention. There is nothing
astonishing or mastery the surface Of bis minstra
tons For hardly wear in Of little flock in the
little village of inchester Mass, he u transferred tn
the metropolitan church OF h denomination and STANDS
! IN the place Of acknowledged orator and master
| among his fellows. At first glance the All Souls
people seem have weakly fallen in with the present
ndiscrimnate for young ministers But needs
little consideration 10 vlndcate The essential WISDOM
and soundness of this selection For Mr. iilams in
the outset Is pastor who viii feed well tho mock IA
his own fold before he spends his fodder at large lie
will deal with individuals rather than masse--will
manipulate the only far as he first reaches
| and ministers to individual lives His ambitions
are thus his humes for he Is not straining his eyes
toward an outside constituency al the cost Of thoSe
who are gathered beneath his own pulpit Bi more:
he is as viii surely appear in the event man Of ex
! ceptiona ripeness full Of sinewy surprises, who
! in the morning of his has captured the
marvellous secret of putting things with an unerrng
achromatio simplicity aud suihciency of diom such
few men come achieve. Il is not precocty nor the
| flush of dead yipeness, but a rare. early wisdom
bringing purpose thought and speech IN their highest
relations Indeed the completeness. and tissue of his
art of expression in the outset eude critical Inquiry
| and there L. q lullins impression Of commonplace
trusns--thus any body mght shy the things. IL