USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > The New church and Chicago; a history > Part 17
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VIEW FROM THE VESTIBULE OF HUMBOLDT PARK CHURCH.
THE CHICAGO SOCIETY-CONTINUED.
The meeting of the executive committee Jan. 6, 1877, granted to Mr. Benson permission to make improvements in the North Clark street chapel, subject to the approval of a supervising sub-committee, and after the money to pay for same shall have been collected.
The annual meeting of the Society, January 15th, in New Church hall, which adjourned to January 29th, same place, adopted as part of its record the following preamble and resolutions, which were signed by thirty- two of the young people of the Society:
Whereas, the Rev. J. R. Hibbard has so kindly and so earnestly taught us, for the past three years, the truth of the Lord, as revealed to the New Church, thus promoting our spiritual and natural welfare, therefore be it
Resolved, that we, as members and junior members of The Chicago Society of the New Jerusalem, do hereby tender him our heartfelt thanks for his labor among us, and,
Resolved, that we hope the pleasant relations now existing between him and us, which is attended with so much profit, may continue with increased benefit to all.
A considerable number of those whose names are attached as signers are among the most earnest and faithful members of the Church at this time.
In his report for 1876, Mr. Hibbard gives a long list of the names of those whom he had baptized in Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio, of confirmations, and marriages; among the latter being some who are now prosperous citizens and grandparents. He says the average attendance at New Church hall was sixty-five, there being one hundred and six at the Easter service; at the Union Park temple
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the average being seventy-four; at Easter, one hundred and fifty-six.
He shows that the three Sunday-schools are flourish- ing, and that there is steady growth in the Church, and concludes with these words, "Faith, love, labor, prayer, patience, and perseverance will assure steady improve- ment and final success."
From the report of the executive committee these sen- tences are taken: "The financial troubles that have befallen our community since the great conflagration of 1871 have been keenly felt in our small circle and are still showing their effects. We have reason to be thankful, though the burden that rests upon us is hard to bear dur- ing these hard times. The willingness to give towards church uses, as manifested by some persons of small means, is worthy of the highest praise. The desire of the Sunday-school children to contribute towards the main- tenance of the school is a good sign."
Speaking of the debt of fifteen thousand dollars which the Society had incurred, and had covered by loans obtained in consideration of the action of the meeting of Jan. 19, 1874, the committee says: "This mistake was made not expecting the great financial trouble, and the friends who had charge should not be blamed for it. What is done is done; it was done for the best of the Church, and we ought not to waste time in finding fault, but struggle on for greater spiritual results.
April 1, 1875, Mr. Hibbard's salary was stopped, as has been noted; he was given house rent and the offerings taken at services, the latter amounting to one hundred and thirty-five dollars per month, for sixteen months, being to the time of the report of the committee. These collections were from the service in New Church hall in the morning and the Union Park temple in the afternoon.
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The indebtedness to Mr. Hibbard on account of salary amounted to six hundred and eighty-seven dollars; there was interest due amounting to five hundred and twenty- five dollars, and unpaid taxes were piling up annually.
Money was being raised by subscription, but not enough to meet demands. This was during the univer- sally hard times which followed the financial panic of 1873, lasting five years. It was consequent upon the rapid reduction of the great inflation of values that occurred during the civil war and which collapsed in the early seventies.
The committee says: "Dr. Alvan E. Small, who took charge of the New Church bookstore in August, 1873, which was then at 281 Cottage Grove avenue, in August, 1875, declined to continue in charge, and the executive committee ordered the books to be taken to New Church hall and placed under the charge of Mr. Hibbard. The maintenance of a bookstore has proved an expensive enterprise to the Society." (See note, page 226.)
In a very carefully prepared report of the Sunday- school at New Church hall, the superintendent, Mrs. J. R. Hibbard, gives the number of enrolled pupils to be fifty- two, and the average attendance thirty.
The report of the Union Park Sunday-school shows an enrollment of one hundred and thirty-three, and an aver- age attendance of eighty-one.
The report of the mission Sunday-school, North Clark street, by Mr. Olaf Benson, superintendent, shows that the money and material necessary for the improvement of the chapel were being obtained, and the improvements being made. The average attendance of pupils was seventy-five.
Each of the Sunday-schools had a suitable library.
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The attitude of the Society towards the movement which resulted in establishing the Union Swedenborgian Church is set forth in the following preamble and resolu- tions, taken from the record of the annual meeting of 1877. There were thirty-eight members present, which shows that the meeting was fairly representative, among the number being several who, within a very short time, became active in the Sherman house meetings, and mem- bers of the Union Swedenborgian Church.
Preamble and resolutions offered by Mr. J. Young Scammon at the meeting of the Society held Jan. 15, 1877, and the report of the committee to which they were referred, made Jan. 29, 1877, being the date of the adjourned meeting:
REPORT.
Mr. Loring stated that he had received from Mr. Scammon, who was sick, a letter containing some extracts from the Arcana Cælestia, which he wished to have incor- porated in the preamble, and as the New Church friends who had held meetings at the Sherman house had decided to form a Society, he desired to report back the preamble and resolutions, in their complete form, without comment.
PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS.
Whereas, this Society was organized, and has been maintained for more than thirty-three years as a Society composed only of members of the New Church, who believe that it is a new and distinct dispensation of Divine truth, and that its own peace and harmony and that of its members are best promoted by including in its mem- bership only those who entertain like convictions, without any desire on the part of its members to interfere in any way with the freedom or rational convictions of any other persons, or in any way to criticize their action.
And whereas, it has been represented to different mem- bers of this Society that misapprehensions have existed as to the views of the members of this Society, and their
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disposition to associate with others, it has been thought proper to show from the records, in an authoritative manner, that we entertain the kindest feelings towards all persons who are seeking to shun their evils, as sins against God, and lead a life of usefulness, and especially towards all such persons as sympathize with us in an acknowledgment of the Divine Humanity of the Lord and the new dispensation of Divine truth, and desire to associate with them in church relations so far as such association can be promoted of true spiritual use and growth.
To avoid all misapprehension, we desire to state that we have never taken any action tending towards a separa- tion of the members of the New Church, but have always sought in charity and kindness to overlook apparent causes of offense, and we have desired to imitate in our conduct the example of the angels who, we are informed, "Those who are principled in faith grounded in charity observe what is good in others, and if they see anything evil and false, they excuse it, and as far as they are able, endeavor to amend it. Where there is no charity there is self-love, consequently hatred towards all who do not favor themselves; and hence it is, that such persons do not see anything in their neighbor but his evils, and if they do see anything good, they either regard it as noth- ing or construe it into something evil. With such, also, there dwells a continual contempt of others, or a contin- ual derision of others, together with a disposition to pub- lish their errors whenever occasion offers."
"With those who are in charity it is altogether other- wise, and hereby these two kinds of persons are distin- guished, especially when they come into the other life. Then, with those who are in no charity, a spirit of hatred appears in all they do; they wish to examine every one, yea, to judge every one, and desire nothing more earnestly than to discover what is evil, continually proposing in their minds to condemn, to punish, and to torment. But they who are in charity hardly see another's evil, but observe all that is good and true in him, and what is evil and false they strive to construe into good. Such are all the angels, and this they have from the Lord, who bends
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all evil to good." (A. C. 1079-90.) That with this view we have endeavored to treat such of our former members as found it expedient to separate from us and form a separate Society, with the same kindness and charity which we desire extended to us, and as an example of the same we recite here the action taken by the executive committee of this Society, when we were first advised of the formation of a Second Society, and subsequently when the pastor had left said Second Society.
Resolved, That the secretary be requested to acknowl- edge in behalf of the executive committee, the reception of these papers, and to express to the Second Sweden- borgian Society through their secretary, the fraternal regard of the members, and desire to welcome them as a sister society in true Christian fellowship into the Lord's New Church. (See page 219).
Resolved, That the secretary request of the secretary of the Second Society, the names of those who have joined it or become members from The Chicago Society of the New Jerusalem.
Nov. 14, 1874, it was voted unanimously that the secretary be instructed to invite the Second Swedenbor- gian Society to unite with us in public worship and send their children to our Sabbath-school while they had not completed their arrangements for a new pastor.
We further desire to state, that in our opinion the time is not far distant when there will be at least four separate English-speaking congregations of the New Church in Chicago and vicinity; one in the West division; one in the South division; one in the North division, and one in Hyde Park; and the action of the Society and its execu- tive committee has kept this fact constantly in view, and endeavored fairly, justly, and equitably to provide for the Church in each division. While so doing we have thought it was best to keep the Society a unit as much as possible, at the same time providing for the formation of separate societies or congregations when needed or desired, but with neither desire nor intention to retain any portion of the Church in our Society any longer than the members freely and voluntarily desired to belong to it. With this view the following action was taken by the executive com- mittee and made a matter of record.
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Resolved, that in connection with the subject the execu- tive committee express the opinion that we should regard as probable and desirable that distinct societies should exist on each side of the river, so soon as there should be the necessary members and pecuniary strength to sustain two or more societies. And in the meantime it is desira- ble that all matters connected with public worship and the care of the property in the respective east and west sides of the river, should be attended to by the members of the Society residing on such sides respectively, either through their congregations or in such other manner as they may find best. Such action to be reported to the executive com- mittee for approval until other provision shall be made.
And whereas, it has been communicated to us that movements have taken place with a view to unite in.com- mon action all of the receivers of the doctrines of the New Church in Chicago, or to take such action as will best promote the interests of the Church in this city, it has seemed good to us, in order to give time for friendly intercourse and more intimate acquaintance, and better understanding of the views and feelings of New Church friends in this city, to postpone our annual meeting a rea- sonable time, so that its action shall in no wise prejudice any future action, and to provide for such friendly reunions as were interrupted on the south side of the river by the great fire of October, 1871, therefore,
Resolved, 1, That the annual meeting stand adjourned for six months from this date.
Resolved, 2, That monthly social meetings be held at the New Church hall on Eighteenth street on the -- Mon- day of each month for the purpose of considering matters of interest to the Society, to which all persons who have ever been members of the Society or sympathize in its ends and uses, are invited. And that such meetings be placed in charge of the church committee, or such other committee as may be designated or appointed by the executive committee.
The attitude of the executive committee seems to have been that of mild indifference. We quote from the record of the meeting of February 3rd:
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On motion of Mr. Officer it was voted that the commu- nications received from Mr. George F. Root, together with other papers that have been received from our New Church friends, who have been holding meetings in the Sherman house, be referred to the secretary, Mr. Carl F. W. Junge, with instructions to answer the same.
THE RESIGNATION OF J. R. HIBBARD, D. D.
The following communication was received by the com- mittee July 14, 1877, the resignation therein offered being accepted:
Dear Brethren :- It has already become known to most or all of you that at the late meeting of the General Con- vention, held in Cincinnati, measures were adopted with great unanimity desiring me to devote all my time for a year to come, to the duties of my office as General super- intendent of the work of Church extension, if I could be relieved from my special work as pastor of the Chicago Society.
After maturely considering the subject it appears to me that the call is one of Divine Providence, and that I ought to accept it as such. I therefore tender to you and to the Chicago Society, which you represent, my resignation of the office of pastor of the Society, to take effect the first of December next, or at such subsequent time as you may elect, and request that I may be relieved from pastoral duties after the first Sunday in the approaching August.
Upon that day I shall probably take occasion to express to the Society and congregation connected with it, at greater length than would be proper in this communica- tion, those feelings of spiritual love and esteem which have been the growth of a ministerial and pastoral relation from the organization of the Society thirty-four years ago.
Praying for the Divine blessing upon each of you, and upon every member of the Society, I remain, in all friend- ship and devotion to the Church, your brother and servant in the New Jerusalem. [Signed] J. R. HIBBARD.
Chicago, July 4, 1877.
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The following preamble and statement were adopted by the same meeting, on motion of Mr. Officer, unani- mously:
Whereas, our esteemed and worthy pastor, John Ran- dolph Hibbard, D. D., has been appointed by the Gen- eral Convention of the New Jerusalem, in the United States of America, superintendent of missions, and has accepted this appointment and tendered his resignation as pastor of The Chicago Society of the New Jerusalem, with a request that he be released from his duties as such pastor after Aug. 5, 1877, to which request the executive committee, on behalf of the Society, has acceded and ac- cepted the said resignation, to take effect on the first day of December, 1877, the end of the current year.
In view of the Providential termination of the pastoral relations of Dr. Hibbard with this Society, the executive committee deems it proper to make the following state- ment:
1. Mr. Hibbard was invited by the oldest and first member of this Society to visit this state in the fall of the year 1843, and attend the meeting of the Illinois Associa- tion, with a view of becoming the minister of the New Church in Illinois and vicinity, if, on acquaintance, such an arrangement should be desired by both parties.
2. The result was that Mr. Hibbard came to Illinois, making his home with our New Church brethren at Can- ton, Fulton county, and vicinity, in the fall of 1843, and became the minister of the Association. Subsequently he became pastor of the Chicago Society, remaining super- intendent of the Association, and through his zeal, devo- tion, and labors, what there is of the Church in this state has been mainly built up, and its interests protected.
3. During all this time the Church has been in great harmony in this state, and there have been no dissensions in the meetings of the Association or its operations.
4. That in the year 1849 the Chicago Society invited Mr. Hibbard to become its pastor so long as should be agreeable to both parties, or until there should be a Provi- dential indication that such relation should be terminated. He has served us in this capacity for more than twenty-
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eight years with great acceptability and success, while at the same time he has so far as he could consistently with his duties to the Society, performed missionary work and looked after the interests of the Church in the whole country, especially those in the West.
5. That in our opinion it is due to his watchful care, guardianship, and sound teaching, that the Chicago Soci- ety and the Church in Illinois have been especially pro- tected from those deleterious spiritualistic and disorderly influences, which have produced so much injury and deso- lation in various other places and Societies.
6. That during all this time he has been willing to live with and share the good or ill fortunes of his brethren, while he has shown an untiring zeal and devotion to his duties as a minister of the Church, and to both the spirit- ual and temporal well-being of his brethren.
7. That such services had so endeared him to the Soci- ety that when, in 1871, by reason of ill health, he felt obliged to ask for leave of absence that he might travel to the old world in hope of restoration, the Society being unwilling to separate from him, granted to him such leave and such aid as we could tender him; and when we were desolate and scattered by the great fire of Oct. 9, 1871, we looked to his return with hope and encouragement, expecting that his relations as pastor to the Society would remain so long as he should be able to perform such duties.
In consequence of the great hopes and trials
8. through which the members of the Society have passed since the woeful disaster of 1871, we have been unable to give him such support as he is justly entitled to, and although he and his accomplished, devoted wife have been willing to serve us for such compensation as we could give, and have labored earnestly and efficiently in the con- gregations and Sabbath-schools of the Society, we can but regard his appointment by the General Convention as a call to come up higher in the Church's service, and as affording him an enlarged opportunity for the exercise of those abilities which distinguished him as our pastor and as the superintendent of the Illinois Association, and one which we have no right to refuse.
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9. We are deeply and warmly attached to our pastor. He has remained with us longer than any other pastor of any church of any denomination in Chicago, and has always been willing to accept such returns for his services as we could make, whether small or otherwise. He has worn well and performed great uses for us. We part from him with affection and regret.
10. We tender to him this testimony of our esteem and affection. We can but regard him as the spiritual father of the Church in Illinois while we recognize the labors and devotion of Mrs. Hibbard, and ask her to accept our most grateful and affectionate acknowledgments for her zeal, labor, and devotion for the Church in Chicago.
11. We have ever endeavored as a Society to get into the stream of the Divine Providence and actually float upon its waters. In yielding to the wishes of the General Convention and the request of Mr. Hibbard we feel that we are guided by that same wise and merciful Providence for Whose care we can never be sufficiently grateful.
12. Finally, we rejoice that for the present, at least, the relations of Dr. and Mrs. Hibbard to the Society as mem- bers will remain undisturbed, and that his new duties will not deprive us of frequent visits and official services from him.
In this hour of separation we close our words with the motto of our Society, "Dominus Providebit" (the Lord will provide).
On behalf of the Society,
[Signed] A. E. SMALL, Chairman. O. BENSON, Secretary of the Executive Committee.
Mr. Scammon was requested to read Mr. Hibbard's resignation and the preamble and statement as adopted, at Mr. Hibbard's farewell service on the South side and Mr. Junge was appointed to read the same on the West side.
The record of the executive committee meeting of Dec. 15, 1877, makes note of the perfection of a loan with Mr. Martin C. Bissell of Joliet, by which the Society obtained
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the use of a sum of money very much needed to pay press- ing claims. The amount borrowed is not stated, but in a statement of the financial condition of the Society, dated Jan. 1, 1880, the amount due Mr. Bissell is shown to be seven thousand dollars. The rate of interest on the obli- gation was ten per cent. per annum.
During 1877 there were twenty-two meetings of the . executive committee.
1878.
By the record of the meeting of the committee for Aug. 22, 1878, it is seen that the subject of uniting, which was being discussed by committees representing the Chicago Society, and the Union Swedenborgian Church, had been dropped by mutual agreement, the conclusion prevailing that union was not yet practicable.
That week-day devotional meetings were held on the South and West sides, conducted by Rev. Mr. Mercer, is learned from the same record.
September 25th the committee accepted the proposition of Rev. Orson Lloyd Barler to rent the Eighteenth street parsonage for four hundred and fifty dollars per year to May 1, 1880, and to give him charge of the book room there, it being his intention to engage in missionary work within the immediate vicinity of Chicago .*
1879.
The annual meeting of the Society for 1879 was held January 29th in the New Church hall. Dr. Alvan E. Small presided and Mr. Rollin A. Keyes was secretary. There were nineteen members present.
*NOTE .- Meetings of the executive committee at this time, 1878, and possibly later, were held in Mr. Scammon's office, southeast corner Clark and Lake streets. This was the site of the Saloon building which Mr. Scammon owned and in which was his office more than thirty-five years before.
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REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FOR THE YEAR 1878.
It is hardly necessary for us to report the present con- dition of our Society and the causes which have led thereto, as they are familiar to most of our members. Suffice it to say that our condition is anything but en- couraging.
Our scattered membership and the impoverished con- dition of members, causing a lack of interest and ability to promote the interests of the Society, still prevent us from employing a regular pastor for the Society.
Under these circumstances we could not do otherwise than leave the three congregations in entire freedom to make such provision for Divine worship and religious instruction as their means and inclinations would suggest, being compelled from the necessity of the case to confine our efforts to take care of and save the property.
Our financial outlook is not now so bad as to cause us serious apprehension. Our South side brethren have provided for the payment of the interest on the South side loan, and now there is some prospect that we may be able to sell, this spring, a portion of our real estate adjoining the West side temple, and relieve ourselves of the burden which our West side brethren are unable to carry.
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