Production Note Cornell University Library produced this volume to replace the irreparably deteriorated original. It was scanned using Xerox software and equipment at 600 dots per inch resolution and compressed prior to storage using CCITT Group 4 compression. The digital data were used to create Cornell's replacement volume on paper that meets the ANSI Standard Z39.48-1984. The production of this volume was supported in part by the New York State Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials and the Xerox Corporation. Digital file copyright by Cornell University Library 1994.Unitarianism in Brooklyn. A SERMON PREACHED BY rev. aa r: eutnam. IN THE Church of the Saviour, Brooklyn, N. Y., AT THE COMMEMORATIVE SERVICES, Held April 25TH, 1869, ON THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONSECRATION OF THE CHURCH, AND THE INSTALLATION OF ITS FIRST MINISTER j WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE SOCIAL FESTIVAL OF THE PRECEDING EVENING, AND VARIOUS ILLUSTRATIVE NOTES. BROOKLYN: ROME BROTHERS, PRINTERS, 369 FULTON STREET, BROOKLYN. 1869.NOTE. The Trustees of the Church of the Saviour having requested the following Sermon for publication, it was thought best to print, in connection with it, an account of the Festival which took place on the day preceding that of the delivery of the discourse. There is also given, in the Appendix, a variety of matter, which serves to illustrate, more fully still, the history of the Society. The facts of that history, so far as it is presented in this pamphlet, have been gleaned from the records of the Church, from interviews and correspondence which I have had with its earlier surviving members, from various published books that bear upon the history of the city, from old files of Brooklyn newspapers, and from occasional sermons by my predecessor, Rev. Dr. Farley, the loan of whose manuscripts is hereby gratefully acknowledged. My thanks are due and given to all the friends, in the Society and out of it, who have so kindly aided me in this “labor of love.” A. P. PUTNAM. Brooklyn, June 8, 1869.Unitarianism in Brooklyn. SERMON. “ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field : which indeed is the least of all seeds : but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.”—Matthew xiii, 31, 32. It has seemed fitting that on this twenty-fifth anniversary of the consecration of this beautiful sanctuary, we should assemble together, as far as possible, not only those who are the present members of the Society worshiping here, but all others who, in the past, have belonged to it, or have specially befriended it, that unitedly we might review the history of the Church which has thus somehow, I trust, become endeared to us all,—revive in our minds the blessed memories and associations which, in a greater or less degree, we share in common,—gather up the lessons and encourage- ments which such an occasion is fitted to impart, — and having once more grasped hands and looked into each other’s eyes, go forth again into life to pursue the ways in which the Lord our God shall call us. A large number of those who were identified with the original formation of the4 Society, or who have been identified with its subsequent career, have, one by one, passed on to higher scenes, and are not visibly with us to-day. But there are not a few who participated in the first organization and worship of this Church, or who, during its earlier years, ministered to its growth and illustrated its life, who still survive ; and we are happy to see a good representation of them now returned from more distant residences, or from other ecclesiastical connections, to the sacred spot, to join their successors in the festivities and services of these anniver- sary days. To each and to all we bid a warm and hearty welcome. My review of the history of the Church must necessarily consist largely of mere detail—but it £hall be as brief as I can well make it. The first Unitarian services that were held in Brooklyn, were in the year 1833. Brooklyn was then a town of some- what more than twenty thousand inhabitants, a full three- fourths of whom were embraced within the limits of the village proper. This village of about a mile square, stretched from the Navy Yard to the South Ferry along by the water, and by# the well-known boundaries of Atlantic street and the Red Hook line on the south and east. Its more thickly built portions were extending rapidly their limits from the vicinity of Fulton Ferry up over the Heights in one direction, and pushing them out beyond Bridge Street in another. Parts of the yet comparatively unoccupied sections of the village, as well as the wider territory that lay beyond it, were dotted here and there with old farm houses or newly built dwellings. The long and busy lines of wharves and warehouses that now skirt the Brooklyn side of the East river were then unknown. The western declivity of the Heights was largely a pasture, shaded with5 trees and resorted to by children for play. All communi- cation between New York and its destined rival was carried on by a few boats, which, for size and convenience, would bear poor comparison with the more swift and commodious craft of our own day. Resident or visitor could hardly have dreamed then that the Brooklyn of that time, with its twenty thousand inhabitants, would, in the course of thirty- five or forty years, become expanded into the Brooklyn which we now behold, with its four hundred thousand people. Yet there are some who hear me now who have lived to witness all this marvellous growth and change. At least twelve organized churches had been established in the town as early as 1833,—one Dutch Reformed, two Episcopal, three Methodist, one Baptist, three Presbyterian, two Roman Catholic. There were known to be in the vil- lage a half-dozen or more families of avowed liberal religi- ous views, some of whom, there being no Church of their own in the place, were accustomed to attend the ministra- tions of Dr. Carroll, in the Presbyterian Church in Cran- berry street, while others were wont to cross the river from Sunday to Sunday, to hear Rev. William Ware, who was at that time pastor of the First Unitarian Society in New York City, then worshiping in Chambers street,—Rev. W. P. Lunt being the minister of the Second, at the corner of Prince and Mercer streets. But it was found very incon- venient for Brooklyn families to attend church in New York, and even more irksome for them to attend at places nearer home, where they were sure to listen to sermons and services which shocked their reason and outraged their best feelings. So, ofie Sunday, as Capt. John Frost, W. H. Cary, and John Jewett, jr., with various members of their families, were returning in the ferry boat from Mr. Ware’s church, the remark, I am told, was made by the first-named gentleman, that it was high time that they should begin to6 have Unitarian preaching in Brooklyn, and the suggestion was heartily seconded by the rest of the group. Other families in the town5 of like views and sympathies, were con- sulted in regard to the matter, and steps were immediately taken to secure the object desired. In response to an in- vitation from Mr. Josiah Dow,* nine gentlemen, Mr. Dow himself making the tenth, met at his residence on the 19th of June, 1833, to counsel with each other concerning this subject, and take such action as might seem best. The names of them all are, Josiah Dow, Seth Low, John Frost, W. H. Cary, Alexander H. Smith, Wm. H. Hale, Chas. Woodward, Henry Leeds, Thomas Woodward, and Geo. Blackburn. Only two of this number now survive, — Capt. Frost, who resides at Durham, N.H., at the advanced age of more than four-score years, and our venerable fellow-citi- zen, Thomas Woodward, who was present last evening at the Festival as the only representative there of those who first met to organize Unitarian Christianity in Brooklyn. At this first meeting, Mr. Dow made some opening re- marks and read a psalm, and Mr. Seth Low offered prayer. These two prominent friends of the new enterprise were then chosen, respectively, the chairman and secretary of the meeting. After a full discussion of the matter under con- sideration, it was voted “that a committee of four persons be appointed to make such inquiries and adopt such measures as they may deem expedient, preparatory to the organization of a Unitarian Society in the village of Brook- * Josiah Dow was born at Wakefield, N.H., December 27, 1782. He commenced his business career in Salem, Mass., and afterward distinguished himself in mercantile pursuits which he carried on in Boston and New York. He was for more than twenty years a resident of Brooklyn. Here, as elsewhere, he illustrated the high public spirit which ever characterized him, and not a few of the most beneficent institutions of this city were either originally projected or largely aided by him. After an active life, whose record of noble struggles and varying fortunes is unstained with dishonor, while it is beautiful with Christian trust and love, he retired to spend the evening of his days at the place of his birth, where he died, November 2, 1850, in the comforting faith which he had so long and so ardently cherished and supported.7 lyn, New York.” Josiah Dow, Seth Low, John Frost and William H. Cary, were constituted this committee. It was at that meeting, held June 19, 1833, at the residence of Josiah Dow, then 106 Nassau street, that Unitarianism first had an organized existence in our city. At a second meeting, held at the same place, and a week later, fifteen persons were present,—George S. Cary, P. G. Taylor, Richard W. Dow,* James Walters, and Joshua Jol- ferd, being the additional five who joined the original ten ; and at a third, convened July 31, the number was increased to eighteen by the presence of George B. Archer and other new friends of the movement. These all were mostly heads of families, and they now pledged themselves to form a Unitarian Society, and appointed for that purpose three committees ; the first to prepare articles of association, the second to engage “ Classical Hall” as a place of worship, and a third to transact the general business of the organiza- tion. After consultation with Rev. Mr. Ware, of New York, a letter was forwarded to Boston, urging the claims of the cause in this vicinity, and asking that a suitable preacher should be sent hither to inaugurate stated Uni- tarian services in Brooklyn, as early as the second Sunday of August, of that year. The reply, written by Rev. Henry Ware, sen., promised all possible encouragement and aid, but expressed a doubt whether a minister could be sent so soon as desired. Indeed it does not appear, for a certainty, when the first service was held in Classical Hall, but I judge, from an examination of some of the files of the Brooklyn Evening Star, that it took place on the third Sunday in August, instead of the second. The Star of August 14th, and the three next succeeding issues of that journal, contained the following insertion : “ We are re- * A worthy son of Josiah Dow. With Rev. Dr. Follen and the rest of the passengers, he perished on board of the ill-fated Lexington, 1840.8 quested to give notice that a Unitarian Society has been . formed in this village, and that the spacious room in Wash- ington street, known as Eames’ & Putnam’s English and Classical Hall, has been engaged. Divine worship may be expected every Sunday, at half-past 10 o’clock, a.m., and at 4 o’clock, p.m. All persons disposed to attend, are in- vited.” The notice thus inserted for four weeks, was under date of Wednesday, August 14, indicating that the first ser- vice was held Sunday, August 17. Although it is not dis- tinctly remembered by whom the opening sermon was preached, it is believed by many that it was by Rev. William Ware. It is also believed by some, but discredited by others, that various meetings were held for worship at pri- vate houses, prior to the more public ones in Classical Hall, and that, no clergyman being present, the exercises were all conducted by laymen. However this may be, there seems to be no doubt that, subsequently, on one occasion at least, Mr. Seth Low, in the absence of a minister, read a sermon and offered prayer. It does not appear just when Rev. David Hatch Barlow, the first pastor of the new Society, began to preach here. We only find that on the nth of September, 1833, at a meeting called at the Hall for business, the standing com- mittee were instructed to engage him to supply the desk until April 1st, 1834; and that on March 31st, 1834, he was unanimously called to the pastorate, with the offer of a salary of $1,250, and of a “ six weeks furlough in the summer.” Mr. Barlow’s letterof acceptance was announced at a meeting of the Society, on the second day of June following, and was read to the congregation on the next succeeding Sunday. Among those who preached for the rising church, in 1833, the Star gives the names of Rev. John Brazer, of Salem, and Rev. John Pierpont, of Boston. Classical Hall still stands where it was then, opposite9 the Brooklyn Institute, in Washington street. It had been built for educational purposes, through the energy and zeal mainly of New England men, residents in Brook- lyn, and if has ever since been devoted to the snme general objects. Since that day it has been surmounted by another story, and while it has continued to be used for a school during the week, it has also from time to . time been hired, since the Unitarians left it, by various other religious or- ganizations as a place for Sunday worship. It is even now, I understand, thus occupied by a branch of St. Ann’s (Epis- copal) Church. The new Society manifested a good degree of activity in providing for their various wants as a Christian body, taking all needed action with regard to a Sunday School, to the care of the Hall, and to the matter of music. They adopted for use Greenwood’s collection of hymns, which continued its service on through several successive ministries, and gave place in our own church, only last year, to the new Hymn and Tune Book, published recently by the American Unitarian Association. Mr. Barlow was installed on the 17th of Sep- tember, 1834. On that day, the two Churches in New York, the two in Providence, the First Church in Phila- delphia, and the First Church in Medford, Mass., by their pastors and delegates, met in council, and Rev. Wm. Ware was elected Moderator, and Rev. Mr. Farley, of Provi- dence, himself the future minister of the cc Church of the Saviour,” was chosen Scribe. The public services of the occa- sion were as follows :—an Anthem;;* Introductory prayer by Rev. Mr. Arnold, 4minister-at-large in New York : Selec- tions from Scripture, read by Rev. Mr. Farley.; Original hymn written by Rev. Mr. Barlow: Prayer of Installation, by Rev. Mr. Stetson, of Medford, Mass.: Original hymn written by Mrs. Embury: Sermon, by Rev. W. H. Fur7. ness: Charge, by Rev. Wm. Ware: Right Hand of Fel-IO lowship, also by the Scribe: Address to the congregation, by Rev. E. B. Hall, of Providence: Concluding prayer by Rev. Mr. Ware: and benediction by the pastor elect. After the services were concluded, the members of the Society, the friends from abroad, and many from other churches in the city, were invited, by Mr. Josiah Dow, to a sumptuous repast in his garden. Within a central area, which was surrounded by a trellis covered with vines and luscious grapes, had been spread a double set of circular tables, with seats for three hundred guests. In the centre rose a pillar, jvhich was decorated with wreaths of flowers and crowned with a pyramid of richest fruits, and from which a canopy was extended to the trellis on every side, giving to the whole an appearance of a magnificent tent. The ac- count which the Star thus gives of the affair, omits to add that the entertainment was, after all, quite a disappointment. A drenching rain presented the company from entering upon these out-of-door festivities, and obliged them to seek such enjoyment and comfort as, under the circum- stances, they might find beneath the friendly roof of their host. The society continued to prosper under the care of Mr. Barlow. The popularity of their minister, and the growth of Brooklyn, which during this very year of 1834 had be- come incorporated as a city, made it desirable that they should secure ampler accommodations for worship, and in 1835 they purchased for $8,000, the Second Presbyterian Church (Dr. Spencer’s) in Adams street, now known as Gothic Hall. The edifice has long been used as an armory, and, as if this were not a sufficient perversion of its original purposes, it is now devoted to balls, liquors and veloci- pedes ! During the same year the Society was incorporated under the name of the cc First Unitarian Church of Brooklynvarious repairs were made upon the newly purchased edifice, and twenty-three of its sixty-eight pews were sold by Josiah Dow at auction, yielding a net amount of $3,729. Soon, however, came the financial crash of 1837. This added greatly to the natural embarrassments of the infant church, and, what with the ill health and depressed spirits of its minister, it resulted in the dissolution, in July of that year, of the tie that connected him with the Society as its pastor,—a relation which he had practically sustained for nearly four years, and which did not cease without an expression of satisfaction from his flock “ for the faithful discharge of his duty.” Mr. Barlow was a graduate of Harvard University. He was first settled at Lynn, Mass., and came from that place to Brooklyn. He was a preacher, and a poet too, of no ordinary gifts. Able, cultured, and graceful, he won sincere respect from his parishioners for his talents, as also their grateful and affectionate esteem for his devotion to their best interests. After a checkered life he has gone to his long home, but there are souls still here who will not easily forget the service which, in the early history of the Society, he rendered them, or who will ever fail to be touch- ed with sympathy as they recall his struggles and trials. In the early autumn of 1837, consultation was had by the officers of the Church with Rev. Drs. Dewey and Fol- len, the successors in New York of Rev. Messrs. Lunt and Ware, and the immediate predecessors of Rev. Drs. Osgood and Bellows. Several ministers supplied the desk during the two or three months that followed, among whom was Rev. Frederick West Holland, whose first services, on the 5th and 12th of November, were so acceptable that he was unanimously invited to preach for a half year or more for the Society, and, having at once accepted the invitation, he began his more permanent ministrations here in Decern-12 ber. He was soon afterward urged by friends to become a minister-at-large in Brooklyn, and to be ordained accord- ingly; but this he declined. Thereupon he was called to be the pastor of the Church, and on the 25th of February, 1838, his letter of acceptance was read at a regularly called meeting of the Parish. His ordination as minister of the Society took place April 11, 1838. The Council assem- bled at the Brooklyn Institute, then known as the Brook- lyn Lyceum, — one of the various useful edifices of the city which were carried forward to completion so largely through the energy and generosity of Mr. Dow. Six Churches were represented by pastors and delegates,—the University Church, Cambridge, Mass.; the Hollis st. and Federal st. Churches, Boston; the First Church, Dorchester, Mass. ; and the First and Second Churches, New York. Rev. Ralph Waldo Emerson was also present, and by invitation sat in the council. Rev. Henry Channing, uncle of Rev. Dr. Channing, was chosen Moderator, and Ferris Pell, esq., of New York, Scribe. The proceedings at the Lyceum hav- ing ended, the public services took place in the church, on Adams street. After the opening anthem, the intro- ductory prayer was offered by Rev. R. W, Emerson. Scripture selections were read by Rev. John Pierpont. A hymn was then sung, and was followed by a sermon from the Rev. Prof. Henry Ware, jn, of Cambridge. The prayer of ordination was by Rev. Dr. Follen. A second hymn was sung, written for the occasion by Rev. Mr. Pierpont. Dr. Dewey gave the charge, and Rev. Nathaniel Hall, of Dor- chester, Mass., the Right Hand of Fellowship. After another anthem, Rev. Mr Pierpont addressed the congre- gation and followed with prayer, Mr. Holland pronouncing the benediction. There succeeded to these public ordination services sev- eral years of energetic and devoted labor on the part of thel3 pastor, and of varying struggle, prosperity and disappoint- ment in the life and fortunes of the church. It was in 1840 that marked signs of disaffection appeared, which rip- ened, on December 2d of that year, in the formation, by a number of seceders, of a second Society. Mr. Holland, always ready for self-sacrifice for the cause which he served, tendered his resignation, on the 12th of December, 1841, for the second time. His resignation was accepted, and it was subsequently arranged that his ministry to the First Church should terminate April 1st, 1842. Mr. Holland, after more than four years of faithful work in Brooklyn, surrendered his charge, bequeathing to his people, as a token of his affectionate interest, cc the beautiful and costly copy of the Bible,” which he had used in the pulpit. Under his charge, Unitarianism had gained new adherents and ac- quired increased power in the city, as it had also done under the influence of his predecessor; and the resolutions which Judge Greenwood offered and which were adopted by the Society, at the time of his withdrawal, strongly testify to his usefulness while he was a resident here, and to the earn- est gratitude and love of his many friends. Mr. Holland was a graduateof Harvard College and of the Divinity School at Cambridge. By excellent natural gifts, varied intellectual attainments, earnest piety and indomit- able energy, he was well fitted for the work to which he was called in life. The same admirable qualities of mind and heart which made his influence felt for good in Brook- lyn, have given him marked success in many other places in which he has since continued his unselfish service of God and man. Perhaps no man in our Liberal Communion has been better qualified for, or has performed more effective service in, certain missionary enterprises of our denomi- nation, than he. If a new church of our faith is to be started, or a dead one is to be resuscitated, Mr. Hollandis, not seldom, the man first thought of for the task. If he fails, it is likely to be regarded as useless to provide a successor. The papers have just informed us that he has recently gone to Jacksonville, 111., to plant a new Liberal Church in that rising town. He is unable, therefore, to be with us to-day*; but I know that I utter the sentiment of many who are in this house, and who lovingly remember him and his deeds, as I say,— Blessings on his name—the blessings of those, on earth and in heaven, who have been quickened in the better life by his word and work. The meeting to which I have referred, as having taken place December 2, 1840, for the formation of the Second Society, was held in the Natural History room of the Brooklyn Lyceum. Twenty-two persons were present. William H. Cary was chosen chairman, and Joseph L. Brigham, secretary. Measures were adopted on the spot to ensure the success of the movement. Joshua Atkins was made treasurer, and George E. Cook, secretary, of the new organization. A provisional committee of seven was appointed for general business, consisting of William H. Cary, John Frost, Charles Woodward, William K. Tucker, Benjamin Flanders, Charles M. Olcott, and George Collins. The committee hired the lecture room of the Lyceum for stated morning and evening services, and Rev. William Ware, who now resided at West Cambridge, Mass., preached at the first meeting held for public worship, January 3, 1841. Rev. F. A. Farley, who was to be the first pastor of the new Society, and who was then minister of the Westminster street Church, Providence, R. I., supplied the desk on the 18th and 25th of April following. The sermons which he then preached were his first in Brooklyn. At the unanimous desire of the provisional committee, and of the parish which * See Appendix, page 46.T5 they represented, he began his more permanent work here on the first Sunday in August of the same year. The Society then numbered forty-five families, most of whom had withdrawn from the First Church, still worshiping in Adams street. On the first of November, it organized under the laws of the State, and under the corporate name of the “Second Unitarian Church of Brooklyn.” Twenty mem- bers were present. William H. Cary, Charles Woodward, Thomas A. Morrison, George Collins, Benjamin Blossom, William K. Tucker, L. W. Thomas, Joshua Atkins, and Joseph L. Brigham, were chosen trustees, and these elected William H. Cary, George E. Cook, and Joshua Atkins, jr., respectively, their president, secretary, and treasurer. As months passed, the numbers of the First Church were found to grow smaller and smaller, while those of the Second constantly increased. It became more and more apparent that the former could not for a long time continue its existence, and that its union with the latter at no distant day would be desirable. Various interviews between mem- bers of the two societies served to show that such a union would be as agreeable to one of the parties as it was necessary to the other. Whatever unhappy feeling might have existed up to this time in the minds of any who belonged to either of the rival organizations, the record which informs us of what sub- sequently occurred is honorable to all alike. On the 27th of January, 1842, the Second Society passed resolutions in which they expressed their willingness to sink all past differences and difficulties for the sake of the great good that might come to the cause from the contemplated union, and voted that a committee of five be appointed to confer with a like committee from the other church. This action, on the part of the Second Society, was happily responded to onthe part of the First. The two committees were composed of good strong men, and they were wisely led : Charles M. Olcott, Randall H. Greene, Thomas P. Bucklin, William H. Cary, and Luke W. Thomas, representing the Second Church; and Henry Russell, Peter G. Taylor, A. A. Low, John Greenwood, and George B. Granniss, the First. Jointly they arranged for the union of the Societies, by both of which their plan was afterwards heartily approved. The two committees were then further charged with carrying this plan into practical effect; and, meeting again on the 22d of March, they unanimously voted that the two societies should assemble in the Lyceum for worship on the first Sunday in April, and regularly afterwards, as one congregation and a new religious body; and that they should also meet on the 19th of the same month for the election of a new Board of Trustees. Thus both the First and Second Churches became merged into one and a new organization. Mr. Farley, hav- ing been duly chosen its minister, preached for the first time to the consolidated Society, as requested, on the first Sunday in April, 1842; and, on the 19th of that month, fifty-nine men met to cement the union thus largely consummated. Their names present a noble list,*which I am almost tempted to read. Some of the number who still survive have moved from Brooklyn, or have become connected with other churches in the city. Eighteen are still with us, and yet belong to the “Church of the Saviour;” but full one half have gone up to the higher worship of the heavenly world, among whom may be mentioned the two, who, representing the two original Societies, were called to preside together over the deliberations of the meeting, and who will ever be held here in reverent esteem and grateful love so long as this vine of God, which in faith they helped to plant, and I'which they nourished by their prayers and sacrifices, shall * See Ap pendix, page 49.continue to live. I refer to Seth Low and William H. Cary.* Thank God, that when they ascended, their mantles fell on those who have proved themselves not unworthy to wear them. Their names headed also the list of the new Board of Trustees, and associated with them were Peter G. Taylor, David Felt, Charles M. Olcott, Luke W. Thomas, Joseph L. Lord, John Greenwood, and George B. Granniss. Subsequently Seth Low was chosen president of the Board, J. L. Brigham, secretary, and William K. Tucker, treas- urer. At the meeting on the 19th of April, moreover, it waa voted, on motion of Henry Russell, that the name of the Society be “The First Unitarian Congregational Church of Brooklyn,” and also on motion of David Felt, that “the trustees give notice of an early day to meet for a choice of minister, to fix his salary, and for the transaction of other business.” Mr. Farley was formally and unanimously elected pastor of the united Society on the 31st of May, 1842, with an offer of a salary of $1,800,—a salary which afterwards, at * Seth Low was born in Gloucester, Mass., March 29, 1782, and died in Brooklyn, June 19, *853, on twentieth anniversary of the day when he met, with nine others, at the house of Josiah Dow, for the first consultation respecting Unitarian worship in Brooklyn. Having passed many years of his business life in Salem, Mass., he came, in 1828, to this city, in order, if possible, to improve his chances for success. During his twenty-five years’ residence here, he was eminently identified with the'educational, benevolent and religious interests of this community, and was distinguished for his purity and dignity of character, his rare wisdom and unsullied honor, his unselfish, affectionate disposition, and his earnest Christian piety. William H. Cary was bom in Boston, Mass., December 23, 1798, and died in Brooklyn, February 27, 1861. He entered into business in his native city, but, while yet a young man, came to seek his fortune in the commercial metropolis of the country, and soon after- ward took up his residence in Brooklyn. From small beginnings he rose to be one of the foremost merchants in New York. The testimony of his associates and rivals in trade is this : “ His name unblemished, his disposition kind and humane, his course and conduct ele- vating the standard of mercantile character, his word ever becoming his bond, his industry being almost beyond parallel, he leaves behind him a worthy example of the life of a good man.’* He was one of Brooklyn’s most useful citizens, and was a steadfast and consistent Christian. After his death, his widow, carrying out what she accidentally discovered to be his purpose while living, presented to the Church of the Saviour the munificent gift of $10,000, The sermons which Dr. Farley preached on the occasion of the death of these excellent men, and in which he paid a fitting tribute to their great worth and services, were after- ward published—the one upon Mr. Low in a pamphlet form, and that which related to Mr. Cary, in the Christian Inquirer of March 9, 1861. The venerable and revered consorts of both of these departed fathers in the faith, still remain with us, as a precious legacy of love and blessing to our church. Cherished forever, in this communion, be the memory of the living and the dead!i8 different times, was raised until at last it reached the amount of $2,500. The pastor elect, having accepted the call, continued to preach in the Lyceum to his thus increased congregation, as he had done to a part of his flock from the first Sunday in August of the preceding year. The first communion service which was held in Lyceum Hall took place on Sunday, January 2d, 1842. Thirty-six persons participated in the rite. The growing body of com- municants was not, however, duly organized until the 28th of the following October, when a committee, consisting of the Pastor, Seth Low, J. L. Lord, William Sayer, and Timothy Clough, reported for adoption a simple Declara- tion of Faith, which was approved and subscribed to by the members, not as a creed in the common acceptation of that word, but as a statement of their religious belief and an expression of their sacred purpose, as disciples of Christ. Its language is: " We believe in one only living and true God, the Father. “ We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God : that he came to be our Teacher, Exemplar, and Lord; and that God hath exalted him to be a Prince and Saviour. “ We receive the Holy Scriptures as the Record of God’s Revelations to mankind, and containing the only perfect rule of faith and practice, while we leave to every individual the entire right of private judgment in the interpretation thereof. “ We resolve, with the divine blessing, to obey the precepts and imitate the example of Jesus Christ, hoping through God’s mercy for forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. And we do hereby, in presence of Almighty God, and as a Christian Church, profess ourselves in charity with all of every name who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth.” But that this statement might not seem to infringe at all upon the most perfect liberty of thought and right of con- science in the case of any one who might desire to belong to this organization, and participate in its observance of the Lord’s Supper, a resolution was passed, saying that — “signing the above Declaration of Faith shall not be con- /*9 sidered as a pre-requisite to admission in this Church to the ordinances of the Gospel.” The import of this resolution marks one of the grand distinctions between the Liberal and the Exclusive churches. The statement was recorded in a book prepared for the purpose, and, having been subscribed to by those who origi- nally formed themselves into this body of communicants, has received the signatures of all who have since formally united with it, the entire number being three hundred and one. The first names on the list are Frederick A. Farley, Seth Low, Wm. Sayer, Joseph L. Lord, Margaret Blossom, James W. Low, Rebecca Ann Low, and Sarah Ann Russell. As it is not generally the practice of Uni- tarian communicants to transfer their names from one record to another as they change their place of residence, the pro- portion of these three hundred and one members that had previously belonged to other churches is small; while the entire list very inadequately represents the whole number of those, who, from time to time during more than a quarter of a century, have, in this particular connection, joined in keeping the Memorial Sacrament. At a meeting of the joint committee of the two original Societies, held February i, 1842, it was unanimously voted, as the sense of those present, that the interests of the cause of Unitarian Christianity, at that time and prospectively, required^ that a new church or place of worship should be erected.” On the 15th of February, the committee re-affirm- ed this opinion. It had been suggested that the church in Adams street should be enlarged, in order to provide the greater accommodation needed; but the trustees of the So- ciety which worshiped there deemed the project inadvisable. It remained to take definite, practical action with regard to a new edifice, and at a meeting of the consolidated Society, on May 31st, the subject was duly considered, and George B.20 Granniss having read an estimate of the probable cost of a lot of land, and of the erection of a suitable church building, it was resolved, on motion of John Greenwood, that ccIt is ex- pedient to erect a church for the use of this Society, and that a committee of five be appointed to take charge of, and procure information upon, the subject of building a church, and to obtain subscriptions upon the plan suggested by George B. Granniss, or upon such other plan as said com- mittee may deem more expedient; and that they report upon the whole matter, with their opinion, at a subsequent meeting of the Society.,, The committee appointed for this purpose were, George B. Granniss, Charles M. Olcott, William H. Cary, A. A, Low, and Luke W. Thomas. To prosecute the important object which was now earnestly en- gaging the thought and zeal of the members of the new Soci- ety, they convened again at the call of A. C. Richards and ten others, on the 27th of Sept., and after some remarks on the history of Unitarianism in Brooklyn from Seth Low, the presiding officer, and also from various other persons on the general subject of the evening, practical and vigorous measures were adopted to add to the subscriptions already pledged, and to push on the enterprise. On October 4, William H. Cary, Charles M. Olcott, A. A. Low, Natha- niel D. Carlile, and Peter G. Taylor, were nominated and elected as a permanent building committee, the previous committee of five having made their report and lfeen dis- charged. The report of the former was duly submitted by A. A. Low, at a meeting of the Society held October 15, and it having been accepted and ordered on file, they were “ authorized and empowered to select and purchase a suit- able spot for a church, and to enter into contracts for the erection thereof, with the least possible delay.” The plot of land, situated on this north-east corner of Pierrepont street and Monroe Place, and measuring seventy-two feet on21 Pierrepont street and ninety-five feet on Monroe Place, was soon purchased, and, under date of October 28, 1842, was conveyed by John B. Graham to Peter G. Taylor, for the use of the Society. Ground was broken in due time, our friend Mr. Taylor himself throwing out the first spadeful. The plan of the structure was made by Minard Lafever,* who was architect also of the Packer Institute and of Holy Trinity of this city, and numerous other sacred and secular edifices in Brooklyn and else- where, and who was one of the most accomplished men of his profession in the country. The good work was begun in earnest and went bravely on. While the church was building, it was decided, largely through the influence of Mr. Felt, that side galleries should be erected, this arrange- ment not having been embraced in the original plan. On March 7, 1844, the pastor and trustees, together with the building committee, were appointed to make all necessary arrangements for the formal dedication of the edifice and installation of the pastor, and on April nth Joseph L. Lord reported what preparations had been made for the ap- proaching occasion. The!* letter missive which had been sent out to the churches deserves a place in this connection. Would that some such epistle, so grave, reverent and fra- ternal, might oftener be used in our denominational rela- tions ! Beginning, under date of March 30, 1844, with the usual form of address, it says : “Greeting : Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ! Having with entire unanimity called the Rev. Frederick A. Farley to the pastoral care of this Church, and he having accepted the call, we have * An interesting sketch of the life and services of Mr. Lafever is contained in the “ Il- lustrative Historical Notes” published in connection with the commemorative discourse which was preached, December 19, 1867, on the completion of the Church of the HolyTrinity, of this city. For a description of the edifice of the Church of the Saviour, as originally built and finished, and for the names of workmen who wrought in its erection and of parties who furnished its upholstery, decorations, etc., see Brooklyn Daily Advertiser of April 24, 1844.22 mutually agreed to set apart Thursday, the 25th day of April next, for his installation, according to the usages of the Congregational Churches. And that all things may be done decently and in order, we hereby affectionately ask your presence and aid, by your pastor and delegate. Brethren : Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” [Signed by Seth Low, Joseph L. Lord, David Felt, and W. H. Cary.] The letter was sent to fifty-six of our Liberal Churches, and another communication, equally cordial and Christian, was sent to the various churches of Brooklyn, asking them to be present. At 11 o’clock, Wednesday, the 24th of April, 1844, the new and elegant Gothic Church, whose brown-stone walls and black-walnut and decorated interior our friends with such eager interest had seen approaching completion, and which now they beheld with such grateful delight, entirely finished, in all its fair proportions and inviting beauty, was well fill- ed with an audience which had assembled from near and from afar to participate in the consecration exercises. The prayer of dedication was offered by Rev. Dr. Parkman, of Boston, and the sermon was preached by the Pastor, from the text, I John, iv., 14; “ And we have seen and do tes- tify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.” After the services* were concluded in the church, the pastors and delegates from abroad dined with the Soci- ety at the Mansion House. A convention was held in the evening, of which Dr. Parkman was president, and Rev. Mr. Osgood was secre- tary. Dr. Burnap, of Baltimore, opened the meeting with prayer, and various resolutions relating to the general cause of Liberal Christianity were ably and earnestly discussed by Rev. Charles Briggs, general secretary of the American* Unitarian Association, Rev. Messrs. S. K. Lothrop, George E. Ellis and Samuel Osgood, Rev. Dr. Burnap, * For the full order of exercises, see Appendix, page 50.23 and Mr. George G. Channing, of Boston. During the evening there fell a heavy rain, to which Mr. Pierpont happily alluded as “ the baptism of the church by Heaven’s own right hand.” The convention re-assembled on Thursday morning, the 25th, when Rev. Messrs. C. F. Barnard, G. W.^Hosmer, J. W. Thompson, and H. W. Bellows, continued the dis- cussion of the day previous, and Rev. Mr. Buckingham, of Trenton, N. J., paid a touching tribute to the memory of the then lately departed Rev. I. P. B. Storer, of Syra- cuse, N.Y. The convention, after the singing of the Dox- ology, was dissolved. It was immediately succeeded by the Services ,of the Installation. The council met in the lecture-room of the church at one o’clock, p.m.; Dr. Parkman was chosen mo- derator, and Rev. Chandler Robbins, of Boston, scribe. Thirty-seven Churches were represented by thirty pastors and forty delegates. The usual proceedings having been entirely harmonious and satisfactory, the council repaired to the church, and united with the waiting crowd in the ap- pointed exercises* of the hour. The sermon was delivered by Rev. Dr. Dewey, who took for his theme “ The True Christian Idea of Greatness.” The Brooklyn Eagle of the next day referred to the preacher’s “magic power of eloquence,” and to the manner in which he held his “ auditory breath- less.” The day itself it described as exceedingly mild and beautiful, while the services seem to have proved most acceptable to all who were present. The members of the Council, and also the trustees of this Society and of, the New York Churches, with many friends beside, were invited to the residence of David Felt, in Strong Place, where they exchanged fraternal greetings and shared the bounteous hospitality of this early and de- voted helper of our cause in Brooklyn. * See order of service in the Appendix, page 51.24 The memorable solemnities and festivities of these two days closed with the observance of the Lord’s Supper on Thursday evening, when Rev. Mr. Thompson, of Salem, offered prayer, Rev. Mr. Furness preached a sermon, and Rev. Mr. Pierpont administered the communion. On Friday evening the church was again opened, in order that the public might have an opportunity of hearing the organ. Mr. Wheeler, of Rev. Mr. Jacobus’ church, presided, and was assisted by Mr. Wilcox; both of them greatly de- lighting the audience with the admirable skill and taste with which they made the new instrument give forth its richest music. The meetings of the week had been largely attended and had been replete with interest. Many distinguished and honored defenders of our faith had been present and had spoken able and eloquent words. The influence of what they said and did here, contributed mightily to the growth of Unitarianism in this city at that time, and it has not yet ceased even in our own day. Unitarianism now began to be a power in Brooklyn. The records show that our friends had more and more felt con- scious of growing strength. The erection and consecration of a church like this, in 1844, attested their faith and deter- mination. A wise master-builder now superintended their spiritual interests, while the city was already giving signs of unprecedented growth. The population had numbered 20,000 in 1833 ; it now numbered 55,000 The extending village of the earlier time had now mounted the Heights, and was reaching out in the three grand directions of its growth, down Henry street, and along'Fulton and Myrtle avenues. The twelve churches were increased to more than thirty. Subsequent years more than justified the fathers in building this