Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-10-08
A NEW MINISTER
Installed over the Unitarian
Church.

The services on "wednesday Evening.
Sermon by Rev. =. ". Crotbers on tn.
Wsv In which RELIGION May he Mad,
vital Element in the Life Of tn. In.
diviaual.
A congregation which filed the church
gathered Wednesday evening 70 witness
the installation Of Rev. I. q ;. Osg1od a.
pastor Of the UnitsTisn church. Ms.
Knowlton presided al the organ and opened
the service with the "Msrche Tri0mphae."
Rev. George Osgood Of Kensington. y.
H., offered the invocation and Rev Il y.
Maxwell. pastor Of the Uuivers zlist Cd urct.
read the Scripture lesson. Z. Il. Miller
sang 20 God, Have Mercy," from IS.
Paul
The sermon was preached by Rev :. ".
Crothers Of Cambridge. Mass. who vas
pastor # the BrztueDOro church from
lssZ % 15s6. Mr.. CrOthers ANNOUNCED bis
subjec; a. The way ia which the great
truths In igion may be made Interesting
aud vital, taking a. bis text Acts ". J.:
"NoE while Peter was much perplexei 10
himself what the vision which be had
seen might mean, behold. the men that
WIZ 1-4t y. III -4-A-'@l la'|'A t-agA- l-l-
gate
Mr.. Crothers's sermon.
In the STORY Of Peter and bis vision. the
speaker sad. We have symbol Of the p9-
gitiun Of the thoughtful man when be BE-
comes conscious Of the larger truths and
relations OF human life. he has glimpse
Of cosmic forces, Of eternal laws. Blu; al
f fret the vision only confuses him. He
/ stands perplexed By the very magnitude Of
F it all. In only one way may his thoughts
I be clarified. and his vision Be turned into
definite purpose That is By some act
I which calls for the immediate application
( Of the truths which have been presented.
/ When the thought becomes an act il is
made clear. Modern religion has broad
ened wonderfully in its theory. We are
familiar with worl5-smbrscing truths. We
Z have emerged from the local into the Uni
versal. We say We believe in God not as
enshrined in one sacred place and revealed
! in one book, but a. every here pres snt,
. the eternal energy that moves the world.
We believe in the brotherhood Of man. in
the cezseless progress of the world, in laws
that are everywhere al work But these
great truths do not stir Us 10 intense feel
ing when they are presented as sbstrsc-
lions.
This comes only when they are illustra,-
ed in some special circumstance. and in
cArnsted in some person. The omnipres-
T ence Of God appeals 70 rs not when We
say God is in the f2rthesi star. lbui when
We say God is here. The brotherhood Of
man is real only when We grasp the hand
Of some brother man who needs our help
The sympathy Of religions means little if
il only makes as tolerant of the religious
convictions Of Parsees and Buddhists on
the other side Of the globe, and does not
teach Is 20 work heartily with Meihodists
and Baptists ia our own town.
The motives Of religion are not remote,
bU immediate and vital. The need OF the
church is 70 have great principles clothed
il concrete and personal forms. Religion
must have expression or II evaporates into
vague aspiration. The preaching of religion
must have this character of definite adapt
ability 10 the people 10 whom il is ad
dressed. This does not mean that the
preacher must point ont ali the application:
TO his hearers, as if he were competent &c
answer all their questions and TO determine
the details of their conduct. But he must
present the truths Of religion in such a way
that each one shall be impelled to make The
application for himself.
The prayer of installation was offered
by Rev. DR.. Joseph Osgood of Cohasset
Mass, the father of the new pastor, and q
man who, although 81 years old, is still en-
gagged in the work of the ministry with
the church whose pastor he has been fol
50 years.
The charge TO the pastor was given b!
} Rev. J. Edward Wright Of Montpelier
who summed up the simple but earnes
words which he had to say in a few
''don'ts' concerning the personal relation:
! of the pastor TO his people.
Rev. Chas. B. Elder of Keene, y. H,
longtime personal friend of Mr.. Osgood
gave the right-hand of fellowship and witt
it cordial welcome 10 the work of tn
ministry in this valley.
Mrs. Z. r. Pratt sang with beautiful ef
> feet the comforting aud uplifting word.
. and music of the solo For the Lord i
Mindful of His Own
Rev. F. L. Phalen, who came from Con
cord, y. H., TO give the address to the peo
pie, said he presumed he had been chosel
! for that service because it was suppose,
: that, as a former pastor, he knew all th
failings of this people, and would theI
, and there expose them. But he should, @
: could, do no such thing His own expe
a rience with the church did not sugges
those failings. In substance he said to lh
= people; Be loyal to your church; atten,
! regularly its services; have your childrel
attend them and see that they are laugh
the religious truths which you believe
give your minister your sympathy; "tal
him up" when opportunity offers; We
come strangers; remember that the success
of your minister's work rests quite as mucl
T on you as on him.
The closing prayer was offered by Rev
t Geo. F. Piper of Mortified, the doxolog
II was sung, and the benedictioD was Pre-
nounced by Mr.. Osgood.
The New Minister.
- Mr. Osgood begins his pastorate in Brat
tleboro under highly favorable auspices
: He first came TO the church in Februar
;, , last. His services were very acceptable
i and he supplied the pulpit regularly unit
June when he was given a formal call t
the pastorate and accepted it.
Rev. Edmund Quincy Sewall Osgoo
S was born in Cohasset, Mass, February p
1851. As already stated, he is the son
e Rev. DR.. Joseph Osgood, who for the pa,
It 50 years has been pastor of the First Pa
p ish Unitarian church of Cohasset. II
was graduated at Harvard college in tn
n class of 1875, and at the Cambridge diviI
n ity school in the class of 1878. His fir;
h parish was the First church of Plymouth