THE 
 
 Unity Church F'raternity 
 
 A SERMON, 
 
 By Robert Collyer, 
 
 Preached March 14, 1869. 
 
 CHICAGO: 
 
 ROBERT FERGUS' SONS, PRINTERS. 
 i860. 
 
^: 
 
THE 
 
 Unity Church Fraternity 
 
 A SERMON, 
 
 By Robert Collyer, 
 
 Preached March 14, 1869. 
 
 CHICAGO: 
 
 ROBERT FERGUS' SONS. PRINTERS. 
 1869. 
 
 U^ 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2010 with funding from 
 
 CARL!: Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/unitychurchfrateOOcoll 
 
UNITY CHURCH FRATERNITY. 
 
 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together 
 in unity !— Psalms cxxxiii, i. 
 
 And I shall speak to jou from this text, as I gave notice 
 last Sunday, on the " Unity Church Fraternity." 
 
 First — On the reasons for it. 
 
 Second — On the nature of it: and 
 
 Third — On its accomplishment up to this time. 
 
 I. And, first, the Unity Church Fraternity, as I think of 
 it, is rooted in and springs from the longing that was in my 
 heart, and in the hearts of the rest of its memhers, to find out 
 some way to the formation of a society, without an atom of the 
 religious caste that generally distinguishes the societies that 
 spring up within churches; ahle to do a work as good as any of 
 these do, in every way, yet still to be free from all sanctimoni- 
 ous egotism, and think as little of what it had done as would be 
 consistent with its pure welfare. 
 
 I think it is fair to say that the genius of a Church like 
 this does not seek its expression in Societies, while its con- 
 dition, at the same time, imperatively demands them. If I 
 may take my ten years' experience for a guide, I will venture 
 to say, that a great number of men and women, who prefer 
 this Church above all others, miss it when circumstances take 
 them away from the city, and come back to its services with 
 a keen enjoyment, would still be very well content to attend 
 
this one service, once a week, drink in the gocfd of it, walk out 
 the moment it is over, without saying ''how do you do?" to a 
 living soul, and so keep on from years' end to years' end, always 
 cultivating the kindliest heart toward all that come here, hut 
 beyond that, as indifferent as if the Church was a hall, the con- 
 gregation a crowd, and the sermon a lecture on any secular sub- 
 ject. And it is no doubt true tliat this can be done more easily 
 in Unity Church than in almost any Church of which I have 
 any knowledge. Other congregations have a sort of inside and 
 outside membership — a congregation, and then within the con- 
 gregation a Church; and it is expected that the Church shall 
 assume certain duties, as the price of its peculiar endowments. 
 We have, so far, had no such inside membership ; and it has been 
 impossible for the minister, on that ground, to ask his people to 
 do more than be in their places, when he was in the pulpit. 
 For week-night meetings, and Society meetings, for every sort 
 of thing that must be done, the minister can go to the Church 
 proper — when there is one — as the housekeeper goes to her 
 wood-pile. He is the overseer of a company that has pledged 
 itself to labor in what is called the "Lord's Vineyard," in all 
 times, seasons, and circumstances. Now, in such informal 
 membership, as we have found possible, so far, there is no 
 such pledge implied. I cannot go to a man or woman in this 
 Church, and, on the ground that they belong to a peculiar 
 people, ask them to do a single thing. Every stroke of work, 
 all social amenities, and money for all purposes, must come out 
 of your kindly hearts, and by your willing hands, or they can- 
 not come at all. You can come to these Sunday services, go 
 back home clear, and keep clear for the rest of your natural 
 life, from every other soul in the Church ; and yet I shall have 
 no right to say that you are not as intimately a member, so far 
 as our covenant goes, as any other person. This is a free 
 Church, certainly, in that respect; for it lets every man do 
 that which is right in his own eyes, as they did in Israel, in the 
 times of the Judges. 
 
 But, then, nobody can doubt what a Church like this amounts 
 to, if this be all there is to it. Aside from all questions of duty, 
 
it is tke merest rope of sand, tliat can be blown together by tlie 
 breath of a minister; and there is no reason that I know of 
 •why it shouhi not fall to pieces when his breath ceases to blow: 
 and if there should be no more of a Church than that, when I 
 was nearly through, 1 might feel that I had done good to per- 
 sons, but. my ministry, as an organized religious influence, was 
 a failure. 
 
 But not a few have always felt that tliis was wrong; it was 
 not enough to come to Church on Sunday, and then say "that 
 is all I care for;" for, so far as our little Unity Church world 
 goes, that would be as if the great world should be content to 
 eat all the grapes and apples that groAv, but "never give a 
 thought to the vines and trees, or get all the good of them 
 through this whole generation, but provide none for the next. 
 So, the reason for the "Unity Church Fraternity" lies not 
 only in the peculiar organization of this Church, but in its needs 
 — the need to do something toward making that an institu- 
 tion, which might otherwise come to be a destitution. So far 
 as I was concerned in the Fraternity, I longed, especially at 
 the outset, to gather a society of young people, that should in- 
 clude, if possible, all the young people in the Church, and all 
 that might come in, give them a chance to know each other, to 
 render kindness in all ways, gracious and good, to all members, 
 and to open its heart in sympathy and charity lo that human 
 want and sorrow in our city, where the sufferers do not seek 
 assistance, but would die and make no sign if they were not 
 sought out, — the "Lord's poor," as distinguished from our own 
 poor, so nobly cared for now by the Citizens' Relief. Now, I 
 need not recite in this place how, from the beginning. Unity 
 Church has never failed in noble charities, or in a fair social 
 life, that has had its own good influence. If there be any 
 blame, I will take it to myself, because more has not been done. 
 I declare in the face of the sun, that you have done all I have 
 ever asked for, except to send enough teachers into the Sunday 
 School. I will confess that I have sometimes refrained from 
 asking when I feared it would be no use; but what I have 
 really asked for, this Church has done — has done well, when I 
 
have done decently, and, I can hardly doubt, will do better if 
 I only set the example. Still, it seemed especially essential to 
 organize our young people. I longed to see them in a great 
 company together, cultivating this social element, so essential 
 in all good Churches ; to have them cooperate together also in 
 true charities, while their life was still in its first bloom — a 
 period when young people generally care for nothing but to 
 have a good time; and then, in the course of time, when those 
 who are the fathers and founders of the dear good place begin 
 to fail, have a compacted organization growing up to its prime, 
 that would take hold afresh, let us retire into the corners of 
 our pews, and rejoice during what little time we had to live; 
 beside, in seeing them do better than we do, and the little one 
 become a thousand. 
 
 II. This, then, has already indicated the nature of the Fra- 
 ternity. It was to be a society without a creed — free from 
 religious caste and cant — intent on two or three thoroughly 
 wholesome objects — as free, as well organized, and cultivating 
 a love as deep toward its mother, as the commonwealth of 
 Massachusetts; or as well organized and devoted in its own 
 way as any society is in the Church of Rome, without this free- 
 dom. It was not to be just a bundle of good works and social 
 graces, done because this was a society formed for that purpose, 
 but all this, and more, because the Society had a soul. It was 
 my conviction then, as it is still, that those drawn together in 
 Christian worship should be glad to come together for Christian 
 work too. That a congregation can be a society; and the com- 
 mon sentiment, or conviction, be it one or the other, that brings 
 people together round this pulpit on Sunday, should bring them 
 together in followship on week-days. 
 
 So, resting in this belief, we said this "Fraternity" shall 
 have a threefold purpose: — It shall seek, first, to do what Jesus 
 Christ did first in his ministry to man; it shall seek the poor, 
 and the mained, and the halt, and the blind — shall set its for- 
 tune against their misfortune, its gladness against their dole — 
 its good spirit shall penetrate to the heart of the dispirited; the 
 beauty of its youth shall be given for their ashes; its grace shall 
 
be a gospel to their deformity; and by such simple and unbroken 
 light of religion as shines out of unworn hearts, it shall bring 
 to those that sit in darkness a new trust. 
 
 I saw in a newspaper, a few days ago, some account of a 
 hapless woman in London who was just then dead. The writer 
 entered, with some minuteness, into the proof that the poor 
 soul had been driven out of its tenement by the most appalling 
 process of starvation: it was as sad a thing as I ever read in 
 my life; and this was the saddest part of it, that in the room 
 where the woman was found dead, only two things were found 
 beside — a bit of salt, and a tract on the "Goodness of God." 
 The thing was done within a month ; it was in one of the latest 
 London papers — it was horrible to me, beyond expression! it 
 ought to drive every tract society out of London, and bolt the 
 door on them, and take their money to buy bread, until this 
 dreadful hunger of the starving poor in England is satisfied, or 
 until they find a passage in the Gospels that shall read: — "See- 
 ing that the multitudes were hungry, Jesus had compassion on 
 them, and caused them to sit down, took the five barley loaves 
 and two small fishes, and lifted up his eyes and blessed and 
 brake them, and gave them to his disciples; and they eat the 
 loaves and fishes, and gave each of the five thousand a religious 
 tract." Right or wrong, this "Fraternity" was meant to be a 
 society that should break the loaves and fishes first, and give 
 them to the famishing; and let the tract business take care of 
 itself, until there was ample time and money for both. And I 
 don't know that I can do better, by way of illustration of the 
 wisdom of this course, than tell you of the very last thing, so 
 far as I know, that the "Fraternity" has done. Two or three 
 weeks ago, a lady came to see me and tell me of a family that 
 she believed to be in the sorest want. She brought a note 
 about them from a schoolmistress. I went at once to see them, 
 and found what I have never found before in this city, that 
 they were people of our own persuasion, members of one of our 
 well-known Eastern Churches, and had come to this city, and 
 had fallen on evil days. The wife was left a widow ; the son, 
 who would then naturally have taken charge of the home, and 
 
8 
 
 carried it on, with that grand, secluded, New England pride, 
 that always fills my heart with tears — this son, who had already 
 taken hold in that way, and was bearing the burden, was all at 
 once disabled. Then the mother stepped to the front, took his 
 place, and prepared, with one small lad to help her, to fight the 
 battle. For about eight months, when I heard of it, she had 
 stood fast, fighting the wolf with a needle. She called on none 
 to help her, save God. When I went and said, "Do you want 
 any succor?" if I had not been so sure that she did, I could 
 easily have come away and said, "There is no particular need;" 
 but when I sent a member of this "Fraternity," who knows 
 directer ways to a woman's heart than I do, she heard what I 
 will not tell, about that good fight in which the home had been 
 ever more closely besieged: the widow's oil and meal failed 
 utterly, and nothing was left but the unconquerable and un- 
 speakable pride, that would dig while the hand could grasp, but 
 still be ashamed to beg, because it had never been so in their 
 family, and never could be. I said, this, I believe, is the very 
 last thing this "Fraternity" has done, and one of the things it 
 is doing now, to reinforce that forlorn hope, and save that noble 
 and lofty poverty from its worst pain. And it illustrates, as 
 well as anything can, this first thing in the nature of the "Fra- 
 ternity" — its call to aid those to the uttermost who will not go 
 to the Poor-master or the Citizen's Relief — who will not, in 
 truth, go anywhere Avith the tale of their troubles, but are to be 
 heard of in a Avhisper, and aided as though it was the very 
 Christ who had come in this guise, to these that bear his name, 
 as indeed, indeed, it is. 
 
 And just as good in its way is the second thing sought through 
 this "Fraternity" — the power to welcome every stranger, young 
 man or young woman, unknown, and knowing nobody, who may 
 come within our gates. And to take the lowest ground that 
 can be taken for this second aim, it was needful that this should 
 be done for self-defence. It is an open secret, that in this city 
 every effort is made, by some of the so-called orthodox Churches, 
 to secure young men and women who come here to live, no mat- 
 ter whether they belong to them by religious affinity or not. 
 
In these Churclies there are well organized recruiting parties, 
 thoroughly in earnest about their work ; not over particuhir how 
 it is done, so it be done; whispering to young persons the so- 
 cial consequence, and sometimes even the commercial advantage 
 of joining their body ; and a little more glad to get a young 
 person of our persuasion than one of their own, because it is a 
 sort of brand plucked out of the burning — and, then, they get 
 the brand too. 
 
 In years past, the social consideration has told heavily against 
 us. I can find in this city multitudes of men and women who 
 were very good Unitarians, where our faith is popular, in New 
 England, that instantly fell from grace when they got to 
 Chicago, and founil it struggling for life. They were glad to 
 get all the good of the mother Church, where she had influence 
 and affluence, but when they found one of her little ones in the 
 wilderness, struggling to live, they left it to die. One aim, I 
 say, was to meet this necessity among the young men and wo- 
 men. The temptation to desert us because we make a poor 
 show is growing less every year with the growth of our cause ; 
 still, it is there, and other inducements are there, and this 
 "Fraternity" is meant, in its measure, to be a tower of defence 
 against them. 
 
 Then, again, the need was still more sacred to make a 
 home, and give warm welcome to those that could neither 
 be trained away nor tempted away from the Church of their 
 choice. These, with all others, can find here a society to 
 give them welcome and fellowship; and in joining it, also, 
 they join with all the rest in providing, that if any member 
 be sick and in need of anything — nurses, medical attend- 
 ance, attention of any sort — this Association gladly gives 
 it all; simply to let the members know what the need is, is to 
 bring the instant remedy; and if there be no need at all, still, 
 the Committee set apart for this purpose is to watch eagerly 
 for any chance to send fruit, and flowers, and whatever beside 
 that will put a gleam of sunlight into a sick-chamber. I must 
 say, that for myself, I love this feature; it seems to me that, 
 after its care of the shrouded and noblest poor, nothing is 
 
10 
 
 greater or better. So many in a city like this are away from 
 their homes, it is so lonely for them, and hard, if sickness takes 
 them ; and when they are well, it is so good to be identified 
 with a good company of young persons of their own age, and 
 have something of the home feeling, in this kindly relation, that 
 I know of nothing better, anywhere, than such a plan. 
 
 And these two good elements leave little need for me to point 
 out the third — very good in its way, also, and, so far, full of 
 sweet uses — that provision, I mean for the entertainment, in all 
 innocent ways, of those that belong, and of those the members 
 see fit to invite to their entertainments. 
 
 If I venture, just here, to make a criticism, it is the only 
 one I want to make — and I am not sure that there may not be 
 good reason on the other side — but here it is: that, on the 
 whole, the amusements of the "Fraternity" have been confined 
 too much to one thing, that does not, like some books we hear 
 of noAV and then, "blend amusement with instruction," that 
 seems to have no connection at all with the mind, and will prob- 
 ably be dispensed with, except among children in a better state 
 of existence. I only fear that this sort of entertainment has 
 to6 much of a monopoly, in this third feature; and I am glad 
 to believe that something is to be done in other directions. I 
 know that other amusements can be invented just as pjeasant, 
 and certainly as profitable. I would have them all blended to- 
 gether in the sum of the year, and then that aim and element 
 will be as good as the rest; and when we speak of amusements, 
 we shall mean something beside this one form of amusement. 
 
 III. In speaking, thirdly, therefore, of the accomplishment 
 of the "Fraternity" up to this time, I will mention this matter 
 of amusements first. It is very good that there should be such 
 a purpose, and with that single drawback — more apparent this 
 winter than last — this purpose has been well carried out. I 
 have looked in, now and then, on these social gatherings, and 
 they have seemed to me to be the perfection of such entertain- 
 ments, bright, and kindly, courteous, and gracious, with little 
 that was metricious, and all that was modest. I have no statis- 
 tics about this matter; they would not be in place if I had them, 
 
11 
 
 and vre need none. It is enough to say that the "Fraternity" 
 has amused itself to its heart's content, no doubt, and may bo 
 safely left to see to this part o-f its work, of its own instinct. 
 
 Faithfully, again, it has tried to do the second thing for 
 which it came together; it has stood prepared to welcome evcr}^ 
 one that desired its fellowship; to make all feel the welcome of 
 its spirit, and purpose; to pay every attention, in every case, 
 to strangers; and to give of its abundance wherever there was 
 a chance. No man or woman who has cared to join, has been 
 refused membership; no man or woman joining has been re- 
 fused fellowship; and none have been sick, if it was known, 
 and been neglected. Generally, so well to do as to make it 
 impossible to render direct assistance, this Society, I know, has 
 always had a good longing at its heart to supplement all other 
 means by its means of grace, in such things as will bring a bit 
 of sunshine, as I said, into the sick-chamber, and make the suf- 
 ferer feel that he still holds his place in the loving regard of 
 his fellows. I do not say that in this the Society*might not 
 have done better, but it has done well, and Avill do better in the 
 time to come, please God. In this purpose, then, these breth- 
 ren dwell together in unity, and a good and pleasant thing it 
 is. , ' 
 
 But the greatest and best thing, to me, is the accomplishment 
 of the "Fraternity" outside itself. 
 
 The Saturday Sewing School, nov/ in its second winter, looks 
 to this Society for its steady continuance. Good women, not of 
 the "Fraternity," assist in it; but it is not unfair to say, that 
 as things are now, if there was no such organization, there 
 would be no Saturday Sewing School. Last winter, this School 
 mustered 160 pupils, who made, among them, about 300 gar- 
 ments. Early this winter, the gentleman at the head of the 
 North Star Mission came to see me, and to hear what we were 
 doing for the Lord. I told him, among other things, we were 
 teaching ignorant little girls to sew. He thought that was 
 good; said he must have a school like that, and he has got one 
 outnumbering this. I rejoice in it: I cannot see how they can 
 teach any bad theology through the needle — the one great 
 
12 
 
 peculiarity, indeed, of the Baptist persuasion, I believe some of 
 the ladies of the "Fraternity" are trying to instil into their 
 pupils. This great school on Division Street has not reduced 
 our numbers, however, we had 164 pupils yesterday. They 
 meet in this lecture room every Saturday morning ; and I want 
 you to look in upon them. All the expenses of the Sewing 
 School are now paid by this "Fraternity." Altogether, this 
 Society has been able to give for its diflferent objects, seventeen 
 hundred and tAventy-two dollars, twenty-seven cents. Out of 
 this, it has contributed handsomely to the Hospital for Women 
 and Children, in which it now provides for a bed. It has done 
 a little for the Hospital for the Blind; it has bought two sew- 
 ing machines for widows that are widows indeed; started them 
 in that Avay, so that ever since then they have been able to take 
 care of their children, and are paying for the machines by a 
 trifle at a time; no interest, of course, being charged for the 
 money. It has put out about three hundred dollars in tempor- 
 ary loans ♦witliout interest, to good persons who were hard 
 bested, and who are gradually paying back their sums, and will 
 presently be out of debt: and shall I not mention gratefully, 
 just here, that this "Fraternity" gave a hundred dollars to fur- 
 nish the Pastor's study — "Bread cast upon the waters," to be 
 seen, I trust, after many days. Once, I mentioned in this 
 pulpit, a blind woman, deserted by her husband, and left with 
 two children, a small cottage, an unconquerable heart, and a 
 light shining in darkness. This woman has a warm place in 
 the heart of this Society; it gives her generous help, that she 
 can rely on weekly, is pulling her through her troubles: about 
 two lots and a shanty, and before long, will set her on her feet 
 as an independent woman, able to take care of herself, and 
 owing nothing in this world but grateful love. Here is a man 
 who speaks four languages, was in good circumstances, but lost 
 his money, and then his health; has drifted into consumption; 
 had to sell their clothing, furniture, everything to get bread for 
 the wife and four children, and then was to be turned out of 
 doors. The "Fraternity" has paid the rent, clothed the chil- 
 dren, got a place for the eldest boy, and is fending the poor 
 
1^ 
 
 scholar's last days from blank destitution. Here is a man who 
 was a prisoner at Andersonville, and got his death-stroke by 
 the hardship, camQ home to find that he was useless: his wife 
 and two children did Avhat they could; when the "Fraternity" 
 found them, they were destitute, and could do no more ; but if 
 he could get into Missouri, he thought he could work. Then, 
 through the good grace of one in this Church, who always 
 doubles the good of his gift by the abundant cheerfulness with 
 which he gives, the broken man and family were sent to Mis- 
 souri; and he lived until they got a shanty, preempted some 
 land, eight miles from everywhere, and eight miles from every- 
 where the mother was when the husband and father died; and 
 she had to lock the door and leave her two little ones in the 
 house with the white death, and literally to stop her fingers in 
 her ears, so as to shut out their cries, and then to run to the 
 nearest settlement to find help to bury her dead. There they 
 are to-day, with a home and a prospect, such as it is. Some- 
 time, please God, they will be independent ; they are infinitely 
 better than beggars to-day, as they must have been but for 
 their movement into the wilderness. Here is a woman, a widow, 
 with four children, all small, always at work, never complaining, 
 and possessing a cow that cubed wonderfully all she did. But 
 the widow fell sick, could not get well, could buy no feed 
 either, for her able and excellent assistant, and so could get no 
 milk. Then, as I hear, she tried the associations, one by one, 
 for a little aid. They sent their agents, who reported the cow, 
 but not the dry udders; and very desperate things began to 
 look when the "Fraternity" took hold, pulled them through, 
 and now they go alone — cow and all. 
 
 These are some of the things this "Fraternity" has done, 
 and is doing now, through the contributions and care of its one 
 hundred and fifty-three members, or as many of them as take 
 hold in good earnest, and pay up their subscriptions. What 
 beside it does in sympathy, and the succor that comes from the 
 heart, I cannot tell you. I only know this, that it is as wise, 
 and tender, and delicate, in my opinion, as anything this world 
 knows of: and I need only say this word about the whole mat- 
 
1.4 
 
 ter beside, that the wliole work is done without one penny of 
 expense — done by tliese young folks themselves; no ninety per 
 cent, of the charities devoured by the agents — not a solitary 
 farthing. The maximum of assistance, according to our means, 
 at the lowest minimum of expenditure ever attained. These 
 disciples distribute the loaves and fishes, and find themselves. 
 
 Finally, for this "Fraternity," I want to make a brief plea. 
 When it was started, another Society, the Liberal Christian 
 League, was started also, that, I hoped, might take in all that 
 did not join the Young People's Society, and so get the whole 
 Church compacted together in a good, earnest fashion. That 
 League has a most honorable record: it was given up, as every- 
 body knows, in the hope of uniting all the liberal elements in 
 our city in a common work. The result has convinced me that 
 Ave made a great mistake with the best intentions, and spent a 
 great deal of money for a very small result. Now, I know no 
 reason why this "Fraternity" should not consist of all the 
 elder and younger members of the Church together. I think 
 both elements Avould be better for both. I wish it could include 
 now the entire congregation, old and young. All that has been 
 done might thea be done on a larger scale, other things that 
 this Society has not thought of touching might be done also 
 — such things as were done by the League — and then that little 
 touch of isolation that I have observed between the two elements, 
 the elder and younger, in this Church, would instantly disap- 
 pear. Isolation, it is now, but not difference; tlien, the Church 
 would be one body, with one soul. I do not want to start any- 
 thinii: like the leajiue again, if we can all work to2:ether in one 
 society. I would infinitely prefer this plan to any other; and 
 I want to see it, because I do fear that not a few of us are 
 growing careless: we are willing to let those go ahead that will, 
 while we take our ease and mind our own business. But I tell 
 you, that in these mighty times, when our city and country is 
 at white boat, pouring the hot metal into the moulds, and bound 
 to harden by and by, we are not justified, let alone glorified, in 
 sitting still and letting things that have a moral purpose take 
 their course, but in standing steadily by the moulds, and seeing 
 
15 
 
 that the white metal assumes the right shape. Some are work- 
 ing at this new Church — I am proud and thankful for their de- 
 votion — some are working in other ways — these ways are high, 
 and good, and indispensable. Thankfully, I say too, that in 
 the Ladies' Sewing Society, and the Sunday School there are 
 willing hands, and wise heads, and warm hearts; but I think 
 these altogether do not take in half the strength of this Church. 
 I would join hands, and leave nobody out. I count it of my own 
 poverty as a minister that you do not come to me and say, I 
 am not satisfied to hear preaching and pay pew rent, I want to 
 know what I can do to promote the great common purpose of 
 our Church. 0! friends, if ever we come to that, I think I 
 shall be then ready to die, only, I shall want to live, to see 
 what will come of such a devotion. To bid the whole earth 
 "behold how good and pleasant it is for brethern to dwell 
 together in unity," for there the Lord commands his blessing, 
 even life for evermore. To see our Church as "a city set on a 
 hill, that cannot be hid," and our light shining before men, "so 
 that they, seeing our good works, shall glorify our Father which 
 is in Heaven." 
 
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