The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1901-11-08
town over Sunday.
ROXBURY.
ORDIN OF MIR THISTLETON,

The ordination OF Alfred E. Thistle
ton: who has been recently called to
the pulpit of the ROXbury Congrega-
tiOnal church, was held on Tuesday,
October %. The services consisted of
a morning and an afternoon session,
the first devoted to an examination of
the candidate, and the second to the
service of ordination. Most beautiful
weather graced the whole affair. The
public examination of the candidate
revealed the dominant notes of what
has been called "the new theology, "
and was significant as indicating the
trend of theological instruction in the
modern seminary curriculum. The
omnipotence of God was spoken of as
preaching its highest manifestation in
Gods self-limitation in the creation Of
free moral agents capable Of obeying
or breaking His laws" The scriptures
were called ''infalIible and sufficient
with regard to the various periods of
time and circumstances in which they
appeared. They are still the source
of authority, inasmuch as they furnish
the trueSt revela ton of noble charac-
ter and lofty purpose" With regard
to the birth of Jesus, the candidate
said that "the way in which such a
life came to exist was unimportant in
the face of the fact that it did exist.
The manner of it's coming was of little
Importance, SO long as it came" He
believed chat Jesus did not deliver
men from the wrath of God, but that
He did deliver them from the tyranny
and wrath of SIM The examining
council INDUCED in a few questions,
but very friendly spirit pervaded the
whole services, and it seemed to be a
pleasure to all concerned.
After the morning service was over
the candidate was called in, and noti-
fed of the unanimous agreement of the
council with regard to his theological
fitness: and all adjourned to dinner at
the house of Dea E. G. Seeley, adjoin-
ing the church. Here SPLENDID din
ner had been provided by the ladies of
the parish, a dinner in which the ROx-
bury reputation for ordination dinners
was beautifully sustained.
At 1.3O the afternoon service began.
The Rev Mr. Williams of South Britain
offered the invocation, and Frederick
W. Raymond, acting pastor of the
Bridgewater church, read the Scrip
ture. After that, Rev DR. Braston of
Yale Divinity school, from which Mr.
Thistleton graduated in May, deliver
ed the ordination sermon, clear, ring
ing appeal for spiritual life in what
the preacher styled "a commercial
age" His text was: THE things that
are seen are temporal, but the things
that are unseen are eternal" DR.
Braston reviewed the appeal which is
made to men in business, in physical
life, and even in things that make for
comfort and culture. in favor of the
seen and temporal. 81 suppose" he
said, ''that if we could know what is
in the minds of a great many of the
men about uS,-and it is more often
thought than spoken-it would run
ooAAAN
due respect to you who are preaching,
we submit that there's great deal of
romancing about what you say; and
that you are dealing with things that
we know as much about as you do, and
which nobody knows anything about"
But, nevertheless, if men believe in
the things that are seen, they must, if
they respect their own intellectual
faculties, believe in the unseen which
creates and gives character to that
tumble out into order There was an
intelligent and Ineligible plan back
OF it. A house cannot be built with
out plan back of it, which remains
unseen while the house becomes viSi-
BILE. What makes a book? 1t is not
the printers job, nor the binding nor
the ink-prntS on the white paper The
reality of the book is the mind of the
author, unseen yet potent, which acts
On the mind of the reader, also unseen.
In this way DR. Braston demonstrated
that the things that are I'M
seen are the real things, the eternal
things, the things of greatest value.
For of what value is a fortune that |
nay be snatched away in moment, or |
physical form that may be quickly |
AIKEN from us? Without a perception
IT the eternal unseen verities, life is
)ut
or shadow forms that come and co.
And finally, the unseen things are the
commanding things, and ought to be
'beyed. 'This young brother, who
ONES to you out of the unseen realm
# the theological seminary will have
itficult task to make real to you the
Kings that are unseen'' The speak
r closed with a few words of kindly
upon the new minister.
Rev F. A. johnson of New Milford
1ade the ordaining prayer, and Rev
,obert e. Carter of Washington gave
he charge to the pastor. He SAID:
irst, be man; second, be a citizen;
bird, be a friend, and fourth, be a
reacher, interested and interesting
,ev J. a. Freeman Of Woodbury. First
hurch, extended the right hand of fel-
'wship with few words of kindly
and cordial fellowship, and
ne service was dismissed with bene- ,
lotion by the new pastor of the ROx- 7
ury Congrega tional church. I
A FINE ENTERTAINMENT ASSURED