The Republican journal., 1910-02-03
An Unmuzzled Minister.

From the sermon OF ReV. Dr Z. +. farker
on Sunday, January 18th, at the close of
the semi-centennial of his paStorate.
We often hear or read about the sub
servience of the Gospel ministry to the
opinions and sentiments of Leading men
and women in the pews; that ministers
are muzzled and dare not speak out freely
and boldly as they think and believe. l
want to bear testimony to the fact that
the people of this parish have never even
attempted to interfere with the liberty
of prophesying on the part of their min
lister, during the last forty-five years. 1t
has been perfectly understood between
us that he should speak his mind here
freely, and he has done so, often indls-
creetly, no doubt, but without let or HIM
drance; and in this connection your MN
lister cherishes the conviction that his
continuance here is partly due to the fact
that, with few exceptions, he has preach
ed his beliefs, and not his unbeliefs. His
doubts have been many and serious, and
are by no means yet dissolved, but they
have not been the topics of his sermons
in this sanctuary. 1t is good old say
ing, Il believed, therefore have l
spoken" Negations are not nutritious.
| came to Hartford, a young man, with
Io experience VI t1e WoIlu, anu Wiel io
suspicion of unorthodoXy attaching to
me. Had | been conversant with the
theological controversies and conditions
in Connecticut, and particularly with the
relation sustained by this church to those
controversies and conditions, nothing
could have induced me to come here. 1t
was Taylor VS.. Tyler, New Haven VS..
East Windsor, and Bushnell against the
field generally Few can remember or,
if remembering, can realize the state OF
things in this State in 1860. Even DR..
HAYES was accused of unsoundness. DR..
Burton was described to me as little bet
ter than an infidel He had scandalized
this community by preaching in the Uni
versalist church! Besides, he was an
Abolitionist, and |, the son of an Adolf
zionist, wondered at the religious rancor
against him. In those days, preceding
the outbreak Of the Civil War, to speak
a word against slavery In sermon or
prayer-meeting was almost as helnous
an offense as to express doubt concern
ing the Instability of the Calvinistic
body of divinity To attain to a pastor
ate, one had to run the gauntlet between
files of Christian warriors armed with
theological tomahawks.
Your minister found himself in that
predicament in the council called for his
ordination. But one unforeseen and
blessed result of that ordeal was to open
his eyes and enable him somewhat to see
the unreality, the narroWness and the
impossibilty, for him, of the sort Of the
ology then and there manifested. That
council did more to shake his confidence
in the current Calvinism Of the day than
anything else in his experience. 1t put
before him an open door. How almost
incredible it now seems that one should
have been accused as savoring of bias
phemy in saying, Il believe that God
will give every man fair chance As
if God could do less than that! That, to-
day, is the minimum of faith. How
equally incredible that one should be
charged with deadly heresy in expressing
the hope of salvation for some who in
this life had never heard OF Jesus Christ?
How long and furiously controversies
ragged about that ''larger hope" first
brought to notice in that ordination!
Spotted with these and other marks of
reprobation, your minister began his
work here, a stranger, and a youth, I'M
der continued suspicion and accusation.
No one knows the hard and bitter expe-
riences of those first years-the salt
OIEdi IiCtStEllcl VIII tCdl0 WHICH Ills
young wife and he silently and sorrow
fully crunched and swallowed. The
memory of that period is all in strange
confusion, only recalled as dreary kind
of suffering from shipwreck. in which
only the hardest kind Of work, day and
night, saved one.
But it was good discipline for the young
minister. Partially blinded to the gravi-
ty OF the situation by inexperience and
ignorance, he ate his crust and leek, did
not much whimper nor complain nor ask
Tor sympathy or pity, but just pegged
away, pIodded and stumbled on. preach
ing what he believed to be the Gospel,
till somehow the sky cleared and we
came cut into fairer weather and smooth
er water and clearer sailing. Meanwhile
there We're precious compensatlons for
sutferings. Not to speak Of dear souls in
this congregation whose stanch and jul
dicious support was invaluable, what
blessing to become associated with such
persons as Hawley ard Warner and the
Cheneys, and to have DR.. Hawe's eau
tious but constant friendship, and above
all to feel Dr. Bushnells fatherly hand
over one as in benediction, and soon to
find in Twitchell another friend and ally
like dear DR.. Burton.
have referred to those early DAYS be-
cause it affords me all opportunity to say
that, looking back to them, my chief Joy
is that having taken my stand, did not
bulge, finch, hedge or swerve therefrom
did not, as often urged to do, come to
terms and make peace with an arrogant
theology doomed even then to decadence
and decay. In thus simply standing for
and advocating more rational, as well
as Scriptural theology, broader church,
and larger hope, your minister did, it
seems, without knowing it, help many
others, ministers and laymen, into
greater freedom. Then, shortly there
after came one far more efficient, that
great and singularly good man, whom we
buried the other day in New Haven, DR..
Munger, precious friend, to begin and
carry on his magnificent ministry of illu-
mination, his crusade of light and liberty
and love.
The sweetest things that have come to
me in these last few days, too personal
for publication, are the testimonies of
many to this helpfulness of which l have
spoken. Now this was SO chiefly because
l spoke from this pulpit, and in this his
toric church and city. 1t was you who
gave me the position and the opportunity
and to you belongs, in great measure,
the credit which my brethren have at
tributed to me-
For, dear friends, your minister is I'm
der no illusion concerning himself. He
has c1aa Wv md hi,