Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-10-20
The following is the list Of letters remain
ing in the Brattleboro post Office. Oct %.
INSTALLATION SERVICE
REV. s. NJ cRoTHEBs FORMALLY INSTALLED IN
THE woEK OF THE MINISTRY N THE UNIrA.
EIAN cHrncH

REV. s. NJ. cRoTHEBs FORMALLY INSTALLED IN
THE woEK OF THE MINISTRY L; THE uNTTA.
BIAN CHURCH.
Services formally installing Rev. S. NJ
Crothers as minister of the Unitarian church
and society in this place were held in the
church on Wednesday evening The service
opened with an organ voluntary followed by
Dudley Bucks anthem, arise, shine, for thy
Light Is come" admirably rendered by the
quartette choir Of mixed voices The inyoca-
ton was offered and the Scripture lesson i'm
pressively read by Rev. b. Il. Buckley, whose
work with the Unitarian church at Concord.
Mass, "A church rich in its traditions of the
past and no less so in its vigorous life of the
present began Immediately upon his gradu.
alton at the Divinity school in June last. The
hymn, Il love thy church, o God was then
sung, after which the sermon was given by
Prof. F. Ct. Peabody Of the Cambridge Divin-
ity school, from Ephesians VI. II: THE
sword Of the Spirit, which is the word of
God The theme of the discourse was the
moral force, the fighting power, of character.
Paul, said the speaker, pictures life as a
conflict, and like a tried warrior he would
furnish those who follow him with weapons
for the battle. Put on" he says, 1.-THE
whole armor." He points out the several
things they need-''thc breastplate of right
eousness, the tuuic Of truth, the sandals of
tue gospel Of peace, the shield of faith. the
helmet of salvation" But these are only yeap.
ons of defence. Breastplates helmets, shields
will do nothing in offensive war. What shall
serve as spear or sword The armory of
Paul contained but one such weapon-"The
sword of the spirit" Had be said the fight
ing weapon OF Christianity shall be the sword
of opinion or the real sword Of physical force,
the world might easily have understood him.
Very different is the weapon on which he
trusts. He believes in the fighting power of
character. That strange, mysterious infu-
ence that proceeds from every man, the total
effect which the man has on US, through his
purposes and his inner life-this the Bible
calls his spirit-and this, Paul says, may be
htly called the SicOrd by which he shall gain
all his true victories. What man can do in
defence OF any great cause depends on what
the man is-on the spirit that is in him. The
best help man can bring to any cause is the
support which is given by the sweetness, gra-
ciousness and high mindedness of his own
character. II he has this weapon he needs
no others.
The preacher applied this to the work of a
church. Every church must stand for some
intellectual principles but it will be Judged
not so much by these as by its practical fruits.
The conflicts of theology interest a few minds,
but the influence which a church has on life
mind can judge. In just 80 far as a church
Yields the sword of a spirit of true consecra.
ton must it be successful One NAV be as
severe as he will against the system of the
Roman church but he has no defence against
the weapon which it holds in its sisterhoods of
mercy. And 30 there are those who see moth
ing but sterile solitude in the teachings of
liberal Christianity, but they must confess to
unantlcipated possibilities when they see
haE -, ha1,, 4.
Is true of church is true of every single life
A mans opinions are powerful only when en-
forced and defended by his life The weap-
ons of rhetoric or protestation avail little
against the simplest self-expressions of a
trusted spirit In every community there are
two sets of influential people. The one kind
are drfrfng people They are active, stirring
men, busy with many things, who push and
thrust the community before them. The 9TH
or kind are leading people. They are not dis
tlnguished by their urgency of manner They
simply go their way, and men see that their
way is the best way, and follow them They
are centres of spiritual attraction. They do
not dTt0e but draO. They are the interpre-
tiers of life's mystery, to whom we naturally
look for guidance and inspiration.
But what after all is this powerY What is
this revelation of human character, this total
impression of personality, which we call the
spirit of the life 2 Paul answers-"The sword
of the spirit is the Word of God" 1t seemed
to Paul as though when God had a word TO
speak he found no way SO like a living Ian.
gusge as the inner life of man. The unfold
ing of consecrated spirit, then, is nothing
less than revelation of God This is at the
very heart of Christian doctrine. The word
or God Is spoken through a life. "The Word |
Is made flesh" The power of Christianity il
the power of personality, conscious of itself |
as messenger of God The spirit which
looked at from its human side, is like a sword |
with which to fight our way, from its divine |
side Is the language with which God speaks |
to his world.
Inc discourse was marked throughout by |
a rare simplicity of language, catholicity of |
thought and devoutness of spirit In con- |
Guiding Prof. Peabody spoke as follows:
Brethren of this congregation, l commit |
to you this sword. You have your work TO
do, your course to maintain. You stand for
something defnite-eyen the simplicity that
Is In Christ. But you are called to no work
of controversy and have no duty of conden.
nation or reproach. You have but TO mani
fest in your daily life an increased integrity
and conservation, a new graeiousness born of
your meeting here-and you have won vour
battle. Against this testimony of a purified
llIe there Is no weapon. In this region there
. no room for orthodoxy or heresy. This is
me common end of all the churches, and when
y Is reached all men recognize it and respect
Il.
And to you, my dear young friend, com
NIT TINS word of God. Preach to this people
'loquenliy, graoiously, persuasiyely-as you
mr. mil IL. AtuN Il 4 a