The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-15
NEW MINISTER IN CHARGE
INSTALLATION OF REV. j. CUMMINGS
SMITH LAST NIGHT.
Impressive Ceremony at Tabernacle
Church-CharGes to the Pastor
and Congregation.

installed as pastor of the IaDernacle ITeS-
byterian Church in accordance with the
rites OF the church. The programme in
cluded Invocation by Rev. Samuel c.
Dckey. followed by Scripture lesson by
Rev. Warren B. Durham. Then came the
sermon of the evening by Rev. NJ IL.
Haines. The sermon led up to the charges
to the pastor and the congregation, which
followed. 1t touched on the views or re-
ligion held by different noted people in
various ages and as a whole was strong
argument for individuality of opinion on
many topics of religion. While not advocat-
ing the idea of a possibility OF a difference
of opinion in regard TO the fundamental
principles on which the Christian religion
is based, il showed wherein there could be
differences between orthodox ministers
that would not affect their right or ability
to preach the gospel. He spoke of the
views of noted people who had in the past
been skeptics and held that religion was in
its declining days, and closed by saying
that the religion of which he had been
speaking was what the new minister had
been called to preach.
After the singing of an anthem the in
stallation ceremony was conducted by Rev.
Frank ii. Hays. This is an impressive GER
riage ceremony. in which both minister
and congregation take part and VOW to
uphold each other and to do their full duty
toward each other. 1t was short and was
soon over.
The ceremony proper was followed by a
charge to the minister by Rev. George L.:
Macintosh. This charge was full OF good
points and is gwen below in full:
1T might fall to my lot TO 90 an easier
task than this l remember that you have
had as much experience as myself and
m al
of it, 1t is difficult for me to say any
thing to you that you will not be able to
better say to yourself. In the Presbyterian
Church the first function of minister is
to preach. AS to what he shall preach
there is no choice 1t must be the gospel.
of which Christ is the substance and CEN
ter. You apprehend. however, that the gos-
pei is no contracted system dealing, as 1t
does, with the duties of man TO his Father
who is in Heaven and all places, and his
brethren who are upon earth; The duty OF
a man to his community, his family and
himself are included in the gospel theory;
1t proposes to deal With the totality of
mans nature and tosregenerate IL. AS you
know very we'll the theme is infinite. II is
Kaleidoscope; always new.
LAS to how a minister should preach the
gOspel-here is vast field for speculation
and endeavOr, for there are all sorts of con-
gregations to speak TO and to pursuade, and
manifestly one must speak 10 MS cOnSre-
cation and not TO some imaginary audience
of critics. The minister must study the
material of his audience as well as the ma
terial of his sermon. and as one studies
his congregation he Will find vast aSSort-
ment of preferences in regard TO preaching.
Some prefer what is sometimes called a
logical discourse. They think a sermon
should rise in orderly process from the
foundation TO the conclusion. Some delight
in anecdotes and "reminiscences. others tire
of illustration and their thoughts fly to the
conclusion, deSpiSlng all SLOW MEDIUMS.
There are others who are stirred by the
beautiful and poetic, and last or all those
who prefer an almanac joke the older the
ion hos
end of a sermon 10 any other part, as you
may notice by the light of their counte-
nances when the last word is spoken.
1T is not the part OF a minister TO find
fault with his hearerS-they are what they
are-it is his. by favor of God, to make
them to be something different. If possible.
Perhaps he had better try to preach TO the
average of his congregation. and then all
will hear and understand something. There
have been great prea chers IN all styles-Au-
gustine. Feber the Hermit, Luther. Jeremy
Taylor, WHITEHEAD Jonathan Edwards,
Chalmers and Sturgeon. What a variety,
how different, how great.
You will have an intelligent audience TO
speak to. They will appreciate your best
efforts and condone your feeblest and you
will need this charity. for unless you shall
be more successful than Beecher or Cuth-
RE you will preach some sermons that Will
need to DE propped up by the good will of
your parshioners.
You have come to be the minister to a
large and iourishing church-a people who
have shown themselves to be adequate to
the accomplishment of great things. / may
say that IL is the opinion of the ministers
of the city that you are the right man in
this place. We have congratulated ourselves
that you have been called to this church.
And now the destiny Of this church and
congregation is largely. under God, in your
keeping. 1t will matter very largely for all
the times to come to this church what sort
of man you shall prove yourself 10 be and
how faithfully you shall do the work of a
minister for this congregation. In the name
of God and the ,presbytery | charge you to
hfa fol nj tn oil ioC u
make themselves plain to you. In behalf of
the Presbyterian ministers OF the city and
of this congregation of assembled Presby-
terians, l bid you welcome TO your new
home and field of labor"
The charge to the people Was delivered red
require a seer he said. ito know that the
gentleman who preceded me is a Scotch
man. 1 would know by his name that he
is Scotch. but also by another fact. When
he began l asked him how long he would
talk and he said three minutes. A Scotch
man has no idea of time. Oaughter.)
81 wish to congratulate you and hone
this union will be a hapoy one. | hope ev-
cry Sunday will draw you closer together.
l can't say that ii is a great thing for a
church TO be numerically stronS-lt is
good thing, but not always great. | wish
you success in that this church will be a
great moral and spiritual power. To be
this you must grant your minister freedom.
Don't think you have mortgage on his
intellect that own HIM a
very small part of him. Let him be himself
ana say what ne thinks. one man sees a
truth in one way and another IN another
way. Every minister has the right of a
l2yman 10 be himself and speak the gospel
ne understands it. Don't put him in a
theological straight-jacket.
Don't think you have called a littera-
teur. He is not here to tell you of the
latest and best books. If you want that
information you can get it in your own
homes or from the City Library. Don [
think you have called an ecclesiastical me-
chanic. If you put your minister at the
head of every little committee in the church
you viii wear him out in year. Your
minister should be n fellow-student with
you. He should study with you and give
you the advantage of his studies, but you
should not neglect your part Of this fellow
snip.
You must love him-m ministers need the
love of their congregations. Some of you
will soon be saying you have tie greatest
minister in the city. Some will say you
have the greatest minister in the State.
and seine that you have the greatest minis
ter in the country. Let us hope that YOU
have, but the people will not believe you.
Iaughter.)
He is not perfect. and you must not ex-
pect that He has his faults and YOU will
discover them. II l should take an auger
and bore into him L coul1 take out Il whole
lot OF imperfections.. Don't magnify these
imperfections. for they exist In ali of us,
but love him continually. Love him criti-
caly as wei. Ii he pound too much. tell
him so: if he speak too low tell him so.
Love him critically but love him.
He Will be mfsinterpreted by some. He
will never be great until he is misunder-
stood. l hope he will soon be misunder-
stood for ii is then that the people be gin
10 consider what he is doing and his work
will then become effectual- But when lie is
misinterpreted, you of his church put your
strong arms around him and say to him.
We are with you ard he will succeed"
he rfn..G. hos