The Washington herald., 1912-12-22
ROBERT CoLLYER
BELIEVED IN A CHURCH
FOR HUMAN NEEDS

Rev. John Haynes Holmes. pastor OF
the Church of the Messiah, Unitarian.
Of New York. pays this tribute to the
late Robert ColIyer:
No minister. I believe. was ever a
truer teacher and exemplar Of a socially
applied Christianity than Robert Collyer,
who died on November 30 last, rich in
honors and in years. His theology was
all summed up in the simple phrase. the
fatherhood Of Cod his religion was
never interpreted in any other terms than
the brotherhood of man: his life was one
long service OF the needs Of humankind.
His Iowly birth and early experiences
in the mill and at the forge were the
guarantee Of his uncompromising democ-
racy and the source of his lifelong in
terest in. and service OF. the so-called
lower classes Of our two greatest cities
Chicago and New York. His father end
mother were both orphan apprentices in
the factories of Fewston. in Yorkshire,
and in the case of neither parent could
he trace his descent back more than a
single generation. At eight years of age,
owing to the necessities OF the family
he was himself put to work in the fac
tories where he remained for six years
The hours" he tells US in his memoires
were thirteen a day for five days In the
week, and eleven on Ssturday-rising at
s in the morning and out at eight in the
evening, with a hour for dinner. And
il we got a chance TO sit down for a few
moments when the overlooker was not
around with his leather strap to lay on
our small shoulders, We were in luck
Speaking TO me once about living his NE
over again, he said that he would gladly
do it ALL except these six dreadful years,
for which even added blessings could not
compensate.
At fourteen he was apprenticed to a
blacksmith. and from this time until his
entrance into the ministry, in 1888, ne Ia
bored at the forge. At intervals When
the smithy was idle, he made hay IN the
fields. carried a hod for bricklayers, dug
wells, worked on the turnpike. and broke
stones Thus did he know the Joys ana
sorrows of the laboring man II ever
clergyman did, and was uniquely fitted to
serve their needs and voice their aspira-
tions.
Beyond his actual experience, however
was a temperamental attitude toward re-
Iigion which gave him supreme interest
in its social aspects. Il never cared tor
what we called dogma" he writes in his
autobiography; 81 preached about the lie
1ndI no" Is, bGNduot NiAAo -
ways lay near to my heart" 1t Is not
surprising. therefore, to discover that ne
was an ardent Abolitionist in the early
days OF iIlLrepute; that he began his
professional work, not as a preacher, but
as a minister-at-large to the poor; that
he was released from his parochial duties
during the civil war to 60 to the front
as a nurse and agent of the sanitary
commission in the hospitals and on the
battIefields: that he was the offlcial rep
representative of the State, commissioned
by the Governor. in times Of devouring
floods in southern Illinois: that he was
one of the commanding figures in Chi
cago in the terrible days following the
great fre; that throughout his life he was
an untiring servant Of the needs Of men,
whatever their class or condition or
church. Religion means nothing. he al
ways declared, unless II be made prac-
tically useful in the work of individual
and social bettermnet-
The social question, as we know il to-
day In all its complex ramihcations, had
scarcely appeared at the time he was
laying by the active labors Of his min
istry. Our modern scientific methods, our
elaborate machinery of investigation and
accounting and relief. and our radical
movements for the extension Of govern-
mental functions to social needs, would
have bewildered him, had he known
or studied them The social question of
his period Of activity had hardly reached
beyond the question of the helping hand
and and consecrated heart OF the indi-
vidual. But as be was faithful to the
social work OF his day, as defined and un-,
derstood. so he would have been faithful
to the social work Of this day had this
day been his. As II was, even in his ex-
tremeN eNold age. every cry of justice which
reached his ears awoke response In
his heart. Every appeal for human bet
terment had his sympathy. He never
was happier than when l invited tuber-
cuIosis experts, child labor reformers.
peace advocates, &C.. into our pulpit A
church aloof from the world OF men
was to him an abominition-a church in
and for the world Of men, at once an
ideal and reality.