The Portland daily press., 1890-11-05
REV. DWIGHT M. PRATT INSTALLED.
WIlIlston's New Pastor States His
Creed.
A Highly Satisfactory Examination
bv the Council.
Representatives From Cumberland
Churches Present.

The pastor-elect CT Williston church, Rev
Dwight NJ. Pratt. Of Pueblo. Colorado, wa
yesterday duly installed. the fellowship o
the churches being expressed by council
composed Of pastors and delegates represent
Ing churches In the Cumberland Conference
The council was called to order at p. M
by Rev. +. I. Bayley Of State street, who
read the letter missive which invited the
churches and indicated the scope Of the mat
ter which the council was to consider, ana
about which 1t was called to advise. At the
conclusion Of the letter the council was or
garlzed by the choice OF Rev. w. II. Fem,
ID. D., pastor. who read the scriptures and
offered prayer.
The council appointed as scribe Rev.
George w. Reynolds of GoIham.
The council was composed Of the follow
Ing pastors and delegates: second Parish,
Rev. Jas. G. Merrill, d. d., aud Deacon 5.
w. Larrabee; High street. Rev. W. FL. Fem,
u. d., and W. M. Marks; State street. Rev.
+. i. Bayley and A. G.. Dewey; st. Law
renee street, Rev. A. FL. Wright and Charlie 5
Merrill; West church, Rev. s. K. Perkins
and Erastus True; Bethel. Rev. +. South
| worth and Daniel King; AbyssiniaD, Rev. j..
| g. Wilson and Thomas Brown: Woodfords,
Rev. K. P. Wilson and Fred V. Matthews; ;
Cumberland Mills, Rev. Z. M. Cousens and
Deacon Elisha Newcomb; Saccarappa, Rev
e. E. Bacon and A. F. Small Gorham, Rev.
George Il. Reynolds and Stephen Hinkley {;
Cape Elizabeth. Deacon George III. Hanna
ford. With representatives of the home
churches the council included Rev. Graham
Taylor, d. D., Of Hartford. and Rev. +. G.
Clark, ID. D., of Boston.
The clerk Of Willlston church, Mr.. FL. b.
Pennell. read from the records the action OF
the church In extending a unanimous call t.
Rev. Dwight M. Pratt. with the letter con-
veying this call, and the response Of MI.
Pratt accepting the invitation to the Willis
ton pastorate. Letters were also read, show
ing the good standing OF the candidate IN the
membership Of the church In Pueblo; and
also commendatory letter from Arkansas
Valley Association, Indicating his worthy
relations as member Of that body.
After giving his Christian experience, Mr..
Pratt read the creed of the Williston church.
declaring himself as most heartily subscrib
ing to this confession Of faith.
He then presented paper giving his views
upon the leading doctrines held by eyangel
cal Christians.
subscribe most heartily to the creed OF
Williston church. 1t Is not my intention,
however. at this time to discuss Individual
doctrines but to refer to some Of the more
vital elments of religious knowledge aud life
To think Is to have a creed. Absence of
creed signifies and necessitates vacancy Of
intellect and soul. The creed may not be
elaborate: but it should be clearly defined
and positive.
My creed is bounded by my experience.
By which l mean that one can teach doc.
trlnally only that which he has discovered
perimentally-whichs he has come to clear
ly discern and understand In his innerm0st
life. believe with st. Bernard that "God
is known only to the extent that he is loved"
and that "God is sought and found more
easily and more worthily by prayer than by
discussion"
Belief. in the sense Of confident conviction
Of what Is true, may lawfully anticipate
ssisrsnes along lines which are already
rightfully include only discovered truth.
Theology, primarily considered, Is not a
systematic compendium OF doctrine, such a.
may be:found, In text book. 1t Is rather
the believers science OF or personal kn0wl-
edge Of God. and Is comprehensive or lin
tied according TO his spiritual discoveries
along the line of revealed truth.
The text book always awakens the en-.
quiry, whose theology? 1t may be profound
accurate and spiritual, yet II is Of no value
to me, except as 1t aids me to make the same
spiritual discoveries, and until / become in
dependent of the text book through the pos
session of its vital truths.
Theology as the realm Of spiritual religion,
begins and ends with Jesus Christ. Properly
speaking theology is beyond the reach Of the
unregenerate. mo man." said Jesus,
''cometh unto the Father but by me-" The
deep things Of God" are neither discovered
nor understood by the natural man. Intel
lectual orthodoxy may not De equivalent tn
the possession Of vital truth-a mans theplo-
gy Is his knowledge Of God and hence Is pro-
portionate In its depth and accuracy to his
personal acquaintance with God through
Jesus Christ In like manner q mans
Christology begins with the new birth. The
Deity of Jesus, which Is the basis OF Chris
tianity and of all spiritual religion, cannot
be accented or understood by the intellect
alone. "No man can say Jesus Is Lord, but
the Holy Spirit" The spiritual limitations
Of the unbelieyer make the Deity Of Jesus to
him absolutely incomprehensible." The
natural man sreceiveth not the things Of the
Spirit Of God-neither can he know them, be-
cause they are spiritually discerned." The
key to truth and to profound accurate
theology Is the personal possession Of life
"In him was life and the life was the light
OF man."
L. Practical theology and practical relig-
ion begin with the teaching Of Jesus as
cept man be born anew he cannot see tue
kingdom Of God" The chapter unQuestiOn-
ably affirms the universal sinfullness Of man
and h s consequent lost condition. IL re-
veals Jesus as the Son OF God. sent as the
expression of the Fathers love for the sal
vation of the world 1t untolds the process
of redemption through the regenerating
power OF the Holy Spirit. Thus, In one
brief chapter, which Is the very heart Of
gospel truth, we are taught from the life Of
Jesus himself the Personality and Father
hood Of God; the Deity sof the Son; the sin
fulness Of man; his possible redemption
through the love Of God as manifest in the
incarnation and work OF Jesus; the person
and mission Of the Holy Spirit; the exist
ence Of q heaven, and thus necessarily the
Immortality Of the soul; and finally the con-
demnation Of those who perish through un-
belief.
There is a logical and necessary connec-
tion between the doctrines which have been
recognized as fundamental by the historic
creeds of the evangelical church. Christian
ity rests upon the Person OF Jesus. III he Is
what He claimed to be and what In our in
Dermost souls we llovingly and contidingly
believe Him to be, then God Is triune per-
SON, man sinner, redemption fact. Hea-
ven and He'll are necessary and as natural
conditions hereafter, as 1.-THE present separa-
tion Of men into lovers and hsters Of God.
To detract In the least from the Person,
authority and work Of Jesus vitlates the
whole system Uf evangelical truth. To
qualify or modify Scripture by any form of
rationalistic philosophy Is to thus deIract
from Christ's authority His miracles. 1t
demonstrates the supernatural, proves man
a sinner and makes his redemption and spir-
itual transformation the most important en-
terprise In human history.
ia mans eschatol0gy, and In fact his
whole system Of theology Is determined by
his philosophy OF sin. His philosophy OF
sin Is profound and accurate TO the degree
that he has been enlightened and has sought
to be enlighted by the Holy Spirit. This
enlightenment Is not an intellectual process
merely but the souls own intelligent and
clear-visIoned discoveries Of profound reali-
ties. "The -cret OF the Lord is with them
that fear Him."
/ He'll Is a reality aud must be as long as
sin is. No matter about the definition Of
hell, 1t, fundamentally Is separation from
God. The whole question of destiny is one
OF character, and the whole question OF
character Is determined by ones relation 70
Christ Revelation tells Of only one way 70
become God-like, viz, bv vital. intelligent.
the Lord Jesus jesus Christ. -, My
| philosophy OF the spiritual NE %
gained by a study Of Gods word and from s11 a11
perience of its vital truths, oyerIuss, az
| speculation regarding the metn9d Dy MuiSn iSa
| the heather are to be saved. NO man py INC
| very necessities of moral ana splIltus T LAW