St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-02-23
George IL. Spalding's Religious
Views.

Rev. George b. Spalding was install
ed pastor at Manchester, n. H., on
Wednesday last. In his examination
Mr.. Spalding stated that he was born
of religious parents, that after he left
college he commenced the study of
law, soon after which his father died,
and that event made so serious an i'm
preston upon bis mind that he resolved
to devote himself to the Christian min
istry. He had ofiiciated as il clergyman
for more than twenty years, beginning
at Vergennes, VT, subsequently at
Hartford, Conn, and for the past four
teen wears at Dover, \. ii. In answer
to IA question, he said that he was not
conscious of any sudden change i'll his
religious feelings and life, and that he
believed that person might be us I'M
conscious of the second birth as of the
first. He then proceeded to read a
statement of his religious belief.
He said that as time had passed since
he commenced the work of the minis
try, ''his knowledge of some things had
decreased and the outer rim of mys-
terry had greatly broadened. Systems
and theories have one by one been CIV
en up as altogether too frail to hold
the infinite spirit which throbs i'll any
one of those truths of God. More and
more have | come to see that there are
some things unknown and unknOwa-
BILE, and that the great apostles atti-
| tude of one peering through glass
darkly must continue to be that OF
most men in their investigation of dl-
vine things. But there has been an
ever deeper and clearer conviction III
respect to truths which | deem to he
fundamental in religion In speaking
of these | shall keep III mind that am
outlining the things which l believe
and which as Il minister OF Christ l aul
to make the basis of my preaching
There is IA margin of ignOrance-lt may
he of doubt, it may be of speculation
which must claim as my own private
grounds, where as an individual mus
be allowed to wander until the light OF
the other life shall illumine all things.
He then gave his theological views
In speaking Of salvation by Christ h'
said;
1t is not IA thing of love, even of inf
mite love, or of power, even Gods pow
er. 1t is also the action of a free, con
senting will ill man himself. am no
sure that | have any warrant for hnd
inc in the mere element of time pom
as if fixed by God, beyond which sal
walton is impossible. 1t seems to M
that this matter of probation finds 1t
limit III the permanency in characte
toward unchecked sin and wlllful re
lection of divine help which are stead
) lily pressing a man. There are ques
tions which can be raised about Ger
tain classes of men to whom Christ Ia
been offered. My answers would b
only speculatiOns, and the question
= themselves are of no moment. The
are impracticable.
The candidate concluded his pape
by saying that with all heartiness an
simplicity he accepted the earliest an
best credit of the church. 1t scars int
no philosophy, but grounds itself upo
the indisputable facts of revelation
He then repeated the apostles cree
which he referred to. In reply to
question by delegate as to his view
of the resurrection of the dead, ID
Spalding said that he did not believ
: in the resurrection of the natural body
but he believed in the doctrine that tn
: soul after death will be clothed III
spiritual body. He was asked If h
believed that the state of probatio
would continue after death, which h
: peremptorily declined to answer unle'
= he was instructed to do so by vote
70 the council. In reply to question,
5 he believed that it is evangelical
= hope that good would ultimately TT
:. umph over evil, DIR. Spalding reptile
that he believed that there is to he
II perpetuation of evil and an everlastin
kingdom of darkness.