Morning journal and courier., 1885-11-20
A NEW PASTOR.

United society to examine Dr. Theodore T. Munger, who has been called to the pastorate of the United church, met in the chapel of the church yesterday afternoon at o'clock | The council was called to order by Rev. MI. 1 Willard, of Westville. Rev. MT. Blakeslee | was appointed scribe. President Porter was l nominated moderator, but excused himself on account of an indisposition, and Presi- dent Franklin Carter of Williams, formerly of Yale, was nominated. However, as he could not remain through the session, Presi- dent Porter was elected. Rev. Dr. Newman Smyth, of this city, moved that the council adjourn to the church for the accommodation of the large number of people, and after the rell was completed the council adjourned The churches were represented as follows: First church, pastor and Mr. T. R. Trow- bridge; church in Yaie college, pastor and
 Professor J. k. Hoppin; Church of the Re deen1er, pastor and MT. F. O. sherman; Col lege street church, pastor and MT. Il. A. Car rington; Temple street church, pastor and Mr. J. R. Godette; Dwight Place church. Rev. J. K. Twioheli, D. D.; Davenport church, pastor and Deacon F. w. Pardee; Humphrey street church, Rev. s. H. Bray; Taylor church, Rev. John Allender; Howard avenue church, J. W.
 
 tor and MT. Samuel Gilbert; Second church
 of Fair Haven, MT. Lucius Rowe; church in Westville, pastor and MT. L. w. Fish; church in West Haven, the pastor, Mir Squires, and Mir. Lyman P. Peet. Dr. Todd objected to the pastor from West Haven be- ing member of the council, because he was not an installed pastor. It was so ruled The church in North Adams was represented by Deacon George B. Terry and the church in Mount Vernon by Rev. Dr. s. B. Herrick, it's pastor, a warm friend of MT. Munger. The following gentlemen were also present: President Porter, Rev. Drs samuel Harris, Lewis O. Brastow and George T. Ladd of the Yale Divinity school and President Carter Of Williams college.
 The exercises in the church were opened with prayer by President Porter. Professor S. E. Baldwin read the papers given by the United church and society in calling Dr. Munger to the pastorate of the church and the reply of Dr. Munger. The papers were accepted Then Rev. E. Blakeslee, of Fair Haven, read the papers giving the action of the North Adams church the subject Then Dr. Munger made statement of his beliefs, speaking in part somewhat as fol lows: I assent to the creed of the church cor dially and shall use it sincerely; and the Nicene creed, especially that part relating to the Trinity doctrine of God; that belief in the existence of God isthe primary condition of all knowledge of God; then in our own nature as moral beings we find knowledge as grounds of existence. Being can not be revealed by what it does, or makes. Man is more than a being. He is moral being, partaker of the divine ma ture God reveals himself as Father. Son ! and Holy Ghost in a progressive revelation that conforms to the history of the world. l ! believe in Christ as a perfect manifestation of the Father. Belief in the Holy Spirit ac- cords with moral necessity. In time the doe of4 41a 1Da I c,o1,1 ! losophy and as 8 postulate of knowledge. A belief in Christ is necessary, he being the source of all spiritual knowledge, life and power. Man is created in the image of God, but is allied to the world through temptation and sin. History is burdened with heredity. The race is sinful and lost and is in need of deliverance and salvation. Guilt is not commensurate with evil, for, properly, there is sin only where there is conscious disobedience. The world needs to be saved, yet every individual needs deliverapce. Man is immortal yet his immortality is not an achievement or condi- tion only as it is a spiritual achievement through grace. The revelation of God is real and by process; though imperfect and sometimes illusive, it is progressive. The full revelation is in Christ, the head of hu | manity. The Bible is history of revelation, ! the Old Testament being the unfolding ot God in history in the Hebrew nation, and l tue NeW 16SGdIu0uI OoluS tAS AlSIVly Cl the revelation of God in Jesus Christ by men inspired of God. The
 scripture is for instruction in righteousness 1t finds us, for it is addressed to our nature Evil is mystery; iii ana JhF6ugn US e11st- ence is the field for vindication of right | eousness. God delivers man by revelation l in Christ, which must accord with the Sreali- | ty of the world and of human life. Revela- ton began with the incarnation and never ends. By transformation of character we get out of evil and the life of the world unto | the life of God; faith must always play in the Christ ideal, for in him dwells all fullness. The regeneration of society is in cluded in faith to Christ. The practical one l ness with Christ calls for the moral and spiritual likeness to Christ in l our own lives. It was necessary that Christ should suffer, for all good comes by suffer ing. He was more than human-he was the love of God in the world for the world s sake. He lived and died that we might be reconciled to God, that human life might be
 reconciled to Gods life. The process of reconciliation is moral, for the separation is | moral Its practical work by which it brings man out of sin to the righteousness of God is it's best explanation and is it's vim dication.
 RegeneratiOn--Every man needs to be re- The operation of the Hely Spirit
 has the widest scope and is the spiritual source of all good; when the will acts in cooperation with it the man is led to sancsifcation, for Gin him we live
 and move and have our being" The Holy Spirit broods over the world and is the source of all good not strictly moral good,
 though it attains its real end only when it
 leads to God. The work of the Holy spirit
 is the spiritual work of Christ.
 The teachings of the scriptures are radical
 The great root idea in the revelation of God
 is that he is our father and sent his son to
 save the world. Under the laws of the con-
 duct and nature of man the movement of God is toward rescue and salvation. The
 practical field for thought and action is here
 and now. There is no life until we cease to
 sin. Judgment is a continuous process, though that does not exclude it's being final
 Heaven is oneness with God, and hell is sep
 aration from God. I disbelieve in any loca- ton of these places. The church is the wit
 ness of God in humanity; it is Christ's body.
 In conclusion Dr. Munger said: do not offer these as mere matters of speculation and dogma, but as truths personally exper- fenced by myself-truths felt by myself in my whole life. My personal experience is a relation of the truths I have here experienced 1 have also abundant testimony in the lives of others that they are truths of the gospel to lead men from evil.
 Rev. Dr. Barbour, Rev. Dr. Todd and Rev. MT. hart eacn Drleny questioned MT. Nun ger; also President Porter. In reply to Dr.
 Barbour, MT. Munger said: Man was par taker of the divine nature; and in answer to a supplementary query replied, am not a Pantheist. In answer to other questions he
 said 8 creed is necessity, and without reason do not see how we could know we have revelation. AS to the possibility of a future state of probation Dr. Munger said substantially that was question as to Gods mercy, but there was no express foundation for it in revelation; mans probation was here.
 MT. Munger further said: As I am man
 l hope most emphatically that all men may
 be eventually saved; pray so.
 Dr. Munger has an intellectual cast of fea-
 lures, is of spare figure, quick in movement
 and alert, with hair and whiskers gray
 tinged. He appears to be about fifty years
 of age. His replies to questions were ready,
 apt and pointed, and the United church peo-
 pie after the meeting expressed much satisfac-
 tion with the way Dr. Munger had acquitted
 himself. There was quite sharp tilt between
 Dr. Todd and Dr. Munger, the latter dis
 claiming the remotest intent to provoke mer-
 riment by his replies, or produce sensation
 al effect, but having uttered his replies as the
 words came to him. Dr. Todd had referred
 to the manifestations of pleasure given by
 the audience at some of the quick, sharp re-
 plies to questions.
 pr. Todd had previously improved the op-