Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1884-05-16

Junior class 80, and few graduate students
have been in attendance doing good work.
Professor Dwight announced that the fellow
ship annually awarded to member of the
graduating class had been awarded to George
NJ. Duncan, of Paterson, N. J. This an
nouncement was greeted With most hearty
applause.
The discussion of the new creed was form
ally opened by Prof. George T. Ladd, mem
Der of the commission which formulated the
creed. He cautioned his hearers in the first
place that in order to understand creed it
Is necessary for q man to place himself In
sjmpathetic attitude toward it. The spirit
and intent of the creed must be considered
aud the degree of success with which the
formers of the creed have carried out that
spirit The main intent of every creed is to
promulgate and conserve the faith as it ia in
Jesus Christ But this one intent has divid-
ed itself into different intents. Some creeds
have been distinctly polemical in character,
others UNCONVENTIONAL, others didactic. But
the best kind of creed is that which has for
its specific purpose the manifestation and
the promotion of the unity of believers. A
unifSing creed, one which states the SUBJ
stance of the truth SO that all really Christian
believers can come together and accept of it,
is the kind of creed for the church at the
present day. Professor Ladd vent on to
enumerate some of The objections which
have been raised against the new creed. He
said there were two Glasses of objectors, one
composed of those who believed that the
| creed is compromising in its charac~
ter, and the other composed of those
who say that the new creed omits too many
things they would have liked to see in it. He
considered these objections briefly and said
| their force falls away when we consider the
creed in the light of its spirit and intent. The
creed was no compromise, it was a fair state
ment of the outlines of the beliefs generally
held by Congregationalists. Not everything
was stated that might have been, and some
| things were left out that some would have
| liked to see in it, but which would have been
| contrary to its spirit. 1t teaches the broad
view of Christ
Rev. J. w. Cooper, of New Britain, was
the next speaker. He said that everything
depended on the point of view from which
you look at the creed. 1t originated in the
| national council. The council appointed
twenty four representative men and gave
| them their instructions. Members of the
! commission differed about the meaning of
| their instr uctiens. The great points were
brevity and catholicity, the essential faith of
all evangelical christianity. On the whole
! he thought the creed rather disappointing.
There was too much of it. 1t should have
| had few more significant omissions. 1t
| lacks spirit, is too careful, should have more
confidence, more of the Pauline fervor.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Cooper's remarks
| there were calls for the chairman" DIR.
Burton said: "I don't care to say anything,
| brethren; it takes all my strength to moder-
| ate this assembly. I should like to hear
| from Prof. Fisher. Brethren are you willing
| to listen to Prof. Fisher?" Gaughter.)
Prof. Fisher responded. He said that if
he could state the discussions of the com.
| mission he could interest the brethren, but
like Hamlet's fathers ghost, he could not re-
i veal the secrets of that prison house.
| CLaughter.) The idea of the commission was
| to present the great and important points on
which all or nearly all can agree. He didn't
/ suppose that ecclesiastical action had much in
| f1uence on the Christian world. We live in
/ critical age WHEN every subject is reconsid
cred and doubts and criticism put forward.
It is we'll to have positive declarations with
| regard to the great truths of Christianity by
| which we live. There was an altogether un-
| expected degree of unsnimity of opinion in
the commission. A difference of judgment
| in regard to the last article prevented the
| creed being unanimously signed, and only
| two members refused on that account
DR.. Burton called upon Rev. DR.. Ander-
son, of Waterbury, for an expression of his
opinion.
l
he had read the creed.
Dr. Burton: "Well, your mind is all the
freer."
DIR. Anderson said he thought there was no
strong demand for a new creed. While in
ST. Louis he learned that the demand was
chiefly western one. The brethren in the
West thought they needed a denomina ional
standard, as they are brought more closely
and in a different way into contact with other
| denominations. So far the creed
went he thought its faults were chief
ly faults of rhetoric, of phraseology.
1t was pitched in too low tone; and lacked
| elevation and majesty. 1t bitches along In
various points and not very successfully
| But it points in the right direction.
The Rev. DIR. Buckingham, of Springfield
Mass, thought it was wonderful that twenty
two men out of twenty-four, representing al
shades of Congregational thought and theolo
gy, should agree SO well He thought the
men were worthy of the highest respect anG
esteem and their creed entitled to general &C.
, ceptAtion.
Rev Mr.. Ross, of South Norwalk, wal
called upon. He apologized for being
graduate of Princeton, but hoped the Greco
might be adopted.
, Rev. Mr.. Blakeslee, the recently installed
pastor of the Second church, Fair Haven
Endorsed the creed and thought it very use
full one for the churches
President Noah Porter made some remarks
, in the course of which he said that it wal
, possible for different men to agree in heldins
the same substantial faith, while differing il
metaphysics or theology, and it was time fol
3 such creed as the commission produced
We should give honor to those who hav'
toiIed so laboriously over this creed, and tt
thank God for what he has done through thG
J commission. The creed was of great value
and significant of the progress of Christian
ity.
Prof Fisher arose to defend the style OIL
the creed. He said the members of the
} commission thought the simple, straightfor
ward way of stating the doctrines the best
They we're not writing hymn, or an Grafton
or devotional prayer.
Rev. DIR. John E. Todd criticised the
! vagueness of some portions of the creed and
said he hadn't much use for creeds anyway.
1t would tako between 5000 and 1000 ar
tieles to define Congregationalism. He didn't
think the creed proper one to administer to
those joining the church, nor to test theolo
gical soundness.
Brief addresses were made by DIR. Newman
Smyth, Rev. Thomas r. Bacon, Prof. Tim
othy Dwight, Rev. DIR. Burton, Rev. MI
Tenney of WalIingford, and others.
After the love feast was over a collation.
was served in one of the lecture rooms of the
East Divinity Hall.
State Correspondence.
VVav