The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-11-28

| improbability OF our seeing all the form
and feature Of Christianity disappear, oil
the religion OF Christendom. For 50
vast a revolution would this be, that 1t
would involve the other.
These considerations are Of force, l
think, in regard to all radical change in
Inc language Of the Prsyer.book. II has
created sentiments deeper than we can
ace and measure. Our feeling does not
connect itself with any language about
Righteousness and religion, but with thGt
language. Very much Of II we can all
use in lis literal acceptation. But the
question Is "a to those parts which We
cannot. OF course, those who will still
take them literally will use them: But
for us also, who no longer put the III
eral meaning on them which others 40,
and which we ourselves once did,
they retain a power, and something In Us
yibrates 10 them. And not unjustly.
For these old forms Of expression were
mems sincere attempt to set forth with
due honor what we honor also, and the
sense Of the attempt gives beauty and
an emotion 10 the words and makes
them poetry. The Creeds are in this
way an attempt to exalt to the utmost,
by assigning to him all the characters
which 10 mankind seemed 10 confer ex-
altation, Jesus Christ. have called the
Apostles Greed the popular science Of
Christianity, and the Nicene Creed It's
learned science; and in one view Of them
they are so. But in another and better
view OF them they are, the one It's popu-
lar poetry, the other its learned or-to
borrow the word which Schopeuhauer
applied 10 Hegel's philosophy-its Seho.
ldsiic poetry. The one exalts Jesus by
concrete images, the other by M imag-
NATIVE play OF abstract ideas. They are
the august amplifcations and high eluci.
dations which came naturally to the
human spirit working in love and awe
upon this inexhaustible theme OF pro.
found truth: salvation through Jesus ChriE.
As such they are poetry for Us, and poetry
consecrated, moreover, BY having been
on the tongue Of all our forefathers for
two thousand years, and on our own ever
since we were born. AS such, then, we
can feel them, even when We no
longer take them literally; while, as ap-
proximations to u profound truth, we can
use them. We cannot call them science,
as tho Articles would have US, but we
can still feel them and still use them.
And II we can do this with the crceds,
still more can we do It with the rest, Of
the services in the Prayer.book. As to
the very and true foundations OF the
Christian religion-the belief that saliva
ton is by Righteousness, and that righte-
business is by Jesus Christ-we are, In
fact, at one with the religious world 10
general. As to the true object OF the
Church, that 1t Ia the promotion OF good:
ness, we areat one with them also. And
as to the form and wording Of religion, q
form and wording consecrated by SO many
years and memories. We need not break
with them either. They and,we can re:
main in sympathy. Some changes will
no doubt befall The Prayer,book services
as time goes on. certainthings will drop
away, other things will replace them.
But such change will happen, mot In .
sweeping way; II will come very gradual
ly, and by the general wish. Il will be
brought about, not by spirit Of scrupu-
losity, innovation, and negalion, but by
q prevalent impulse to express In our
Church services somewhat which Is not
sufficiently expressed there already.