The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-06-06

ing dlnerant from what YOU know
stranger would connect with your Ian
guagc You sag one thing TO my car.
aud mean a very different thing in YOUR
heart What code of morals justifes
this \? Certainly not that of the Bible.
Mr. Ms next proof that DR.. NJ. was
Pastor to his death, is by the settle
ment ofsMr. Coe. the first junior or as
sistant Pastor" The record Of the pro-
ceedings of the ordaning council he
quotes as follows" July l6, 1874. An
ecclesiastical council called by letters,
met at the Cong. Church in Middlcbury
to examine Rev Samuel g. Coo as can
ddato for associate Pastor Of the Cong
Church aud Society in Middlcbury."
Mr.. NJ. then adds" lie was examined.
approved and ordained as associate Pas
tor-assumng that there was another
| Pastor who could be no other than Dr.
Merrill"
If Mr.. NJ had turned to the next pre-
codihg page in the church record, he
would have found the vote of the church
"that Mr. Samuel &. Coo be invited to
become tie Pastor of this church !" aud
Immediately following, he would have
found it stated that "A communication
was presented from Mr. s. G.. Coe &C.
ceptirg the call to become tie Pastor of
the church" 1t is thus evident, that
the idea Of his being an asS0ciite Pastor
did not cutter the mind either of the
church or Mr.. Coe. The church called
him to be the Pastor, and that call lie
accepted, evidently excluding the idea of
another Pastor, as much as the dcsigna.
tion Of DR.. Labatee as Tie President of
Middlcbury College excludes the idea of
another, or associate President.
Why was not the intention of the
church carried out in tho ordination of
Mr.. Coe2 Who defeated it2 1t was
James Meacham who was member Of
the council, and who moved that MIR
Coo be styled associate Pastor, ubon the
ground that DR.. Mcrrlrs pastoral rela-
ton had not been dissolved by council.
With very little time to consider the
matter in its bearings, the motion vas
carried and 10 tho next day the church
was astonished at the annouucemont.that
the man they had called to be tie Pas.
tor was to be ordained as associate Pas.
tor Nobody of course oh1ecied in that
stage of the proceedings and the ofdin-
never recognized, by any act of theirs,
this associate relation of Mr.. Coe but,
on the contrary, in all their proceedings
referring to him, called him SHE Pas.
tor" Here is specimen. In the first
vote passed after his ordination Judge
Swift and Prof stoddard, together with
hhc Pastor were appointed committee
&c
In the other acts. of the church ex-
tending calls to Ret. Asa D. Smith, in
, 1919 to Mr. Bittlnger, in 1856 to Nj
Myers, in ls52 and to Mr. Kendall, in
1853 the same language has been used
as that quoted from the call to Mr.. Coc
l affirm, unhcsitatingly. that the church
has meter, for moment since the retire.
ment of Dr. Merrill regarded him as
Poa0r of this church, or thought of
treating those called by them to occupy
the PULPIT, AZ GsSOctatc Pastors.
The council that installed Mr. Ken
, dali probably understood the general
feeling of the cLarcL on this subject
or if they did not, they we'll un-
derstood that DR. NJ. had had nothing
to do with Tie church as its Pastor for
more than ten ycars;ahd though they had
, the precedent of Mr.. Goes ordination
before them. t0Ok care not 10 f0I(0tt II
And in thus doing they acted like scnsi
bic men for what could be more absurd
} than to ordain or install man as al
, associate Pastor with one who did moth
. ing, and intended to do nothing, as Pas
, tor An associate in a mere nominal
. Pastorship An associate in-doinl
nothing repeat they were sensible
men who avoided repetition of this alb
, surdity.
, Mr.. NJ. next saws that have a:knowl
6 edged that MIR. Kendall was informed
: after his examination, "that DIR. NJ
= was Senior Pastor" Acknowledged nc
such thing. I said that, after his ex
animation. Mr. X. was informed tba'
Dr. NJ. claimed to retain the nominal
relation Of Pastor. I will add. that he
!, was assured by his informant that thu
relation was merely nominal, and wa'
, so regarded and treated by everybody
= even by Dr. NJ himself
a Finally Mr.. Meacham says that Tho
act Of the Society in February last, "sct
}. ting apart pew No. II Cor tho acting
' Pastor and pew No 7 re! to DR.. NJ
Q during his life" is proof that the Society
, regarded DR. n. as Senior Pastor. Mr.
G 81 italicises the word acting" as fhougl
. it applied exclusively to Mr.. Kendall
I and made him a subordinate to DR.. Mer
a ill. This is his inference, Bot the in
f ference from the whole, is mauifestly The
e other way. for if subordination had beer
D intended, DR.. NJ. would have been call
n ed Senior Pastor; whereas, he is called
;. simply, DR.. Merrill" If Mr. NJ. bad
. asked tue mover of the Resolution or an,
member Of the meeting, what was meant
. by " acting Pastor" he would have beer
), told that the intention was. not to set n
part pew II, to Mr.. Kendall merely but
;. permanently to the cDiciati"g Pastor
a Tie same Resolution set apart pew No
, IL to the use of INDECENT females, which
, was also Intended as a permanent ar
4 rangepent,
/, am obliged to Mr. NJ. for referring
/ to this act of the Society, for he thereby
$ acknowledges that the acts of the Socie
i. ~, and of e,of the Church are gooC
. aut bority in this matter lie did mol