The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-21

DhtsDAt Ghhpoi-AuuTbAAGA Dy FEOmt
 nont Speakers Who Were Associated
 With Dr. BushnelI-Prssideut Hadle,
 Presided--The Addresses-Exercise
 Well Attended.
 Two very interesting addresses were
 delivered at 4 o'clock yesterday after
 noon in Battell chapel, the exercises be-
 ing held in conjunction with the Yale
 divinity schools commencement ano
 also in observance of the tooth anniver-
 sary of the birth of Rev. Dr. Horace
 Bushnell, probably the most eminent
 graduate of the theological department
 of Yale. President Hadley presided at
 the meeting, which was well attended
 After the opening service of song and
 prayer pr. Munger of the United
 church offering prayer. President Had
 ley introduced Professor George B.
 Stevens, who now holds the chair in
 theology which was for many years
 held by Dr. Bushnell. Professor Stew
 ems spoke upon "The Theology of Bush-
 nell" his address, in abstract, follow
 ing:
 'The three great characteristics of of Horace Bushnell were intensity, in dependence and comprehensiveness. He was more noted for his intuitiveness as preacher than as a logical minister,
 and yet his sermons and writings were not by any means without logic. He lived in a time when fire and force were the great elements in the delivering of sermons. His writings repudiated the theory that in regeneration God moves men upward. Bushnell maintained that religion was as important to the life Of man as are mind and thought. Bush- nell believed that the natural and su- pernatural should not and could not De kept apart. He believed in the human soul as naturally Christian. The cate chism of Bushnell's day taught that man was born into the world in sin and evil Bushnell's teachings and writings were like an exploding shell in the midst of such thoughts and beliefs.
 Bushnell unfolded the theory of the- ological knowledge by wonderful pow CT of language. His contention was that when a f1gurative method of speech was applied to fact in theology @ person was liable to forget or over- look the fact in it's finely colored word painting. He made his protests in the interests of history. He placed little trust in the theology as taught and practiced in his times. He believed while there is but one truth. there are many theologies. He showed how cas- fly the theologian is misled by mere figures of speech. Bushnell challenged theology to support and defend it's pre- suppositions.
 Nature and spirit are distinct: the first being more mechanical while the latter is distinctly spiritual, Yet these two have one common basis or founda- ton. Bushnell was fond of asserting that man is supernatural. the physical of man being that in and through which is found the spiritual. He believed that the better nature in man would and did by nature predominate and that man, himself, was responsible for any condi- tion other than this.
 Bushnell believed that the writings of men who claimed that Christ was to be taken strictly as an example were defective because man needs something more than an example: man needs a desire to follow an example and to pat tern after model This desire, accord ing to Bushnell, is found in love, even in the love of the cross, and such Christ-love affecting the spiritual in man cannot but be influential in the natural and therefore man the better the world the better for such love. Bushnell to be appreciated must be | read. Great as his influence has been | it has not yet reached it's zenith and I | believe that history will accord him no l second place but will honor him as the | greatest oe his kind in Gods work"
 Dr. E. P. Parker, who now breaches | in Dr. Bushnells historical pulpit in | Hartford, was the second speaker. Dr. l Parker spoke of Dr. Bushnell as prophet" Tn part he said;
 "We have described Horace Bushnell | as a servant of God. called to be a prophet The prophet must be man of great power and influence and these were found in pr. Bush nell He was Intellectually susceptible l., ir spirations He was not more spec ulative than susceptible and intuitive. He foresaw and predicted the use of as a motive power. And then he possessed that crowning gift of a noble imagination. He fulfilled the law that the prophet must be subject to the spirit of the prophet. Bushnell's great struggle throughout his entire career was one to believe: was one to lind something believable. This great battle going on within his heart and mind was due to his inability to recon ,ile himself to the teachings of the day. The prophetic gift came to him and he began to prophecy in vol ds and books to the pleasure and of many and to the utter )erplexity of others. < "BushnelPs theologizing was critical mo negative, yet positive and fulfilling All of his theological works seems to be l means, however. to the end. which vas truth. He gave to old truths new and above all he gave to Ill truth vividness, clearness and con- I ,ciousness that have placed truth truly ( md fairly before us, vested with all it's { Christian and religious glory. "Dr. Bushnell was a providentia ( man. taking into careful consideration l { what he was and where he was, and ully appreciating the conditions, situa- ions and circumstances of the time. He { ormulated no new dogma or Trinity, , mi he created and contributed 1nrgelv '