, 1880-11-21

zeal and the world is buried still IN ufEnt,
And loud aud lung thy wntchmen warn IN vain
Come, living light!
THE CREEDLEsS FAITH.
Tue DIFFICULTY OF SEPARATING LIFE
FROM DOCTRINE.
Tie ddrataef.
Christianity, not creeds!' Is the motts OF
Prince Bismarck, whose notices are prince
ly, lie believes in his own sayings. Are
they not then his creed? And. If, in spite OF
himself. Lr must still have his personal
"cre,1o,'' how can the rest Of us do without
one But Bismarck explains. The object
Of lis life is 4.thc realization Of Christian
sentiments and Ut Christian habits Of liy-
Ing: So. after all, in the above motto, he is
tn. voicit: {: common assertion Of our day,
that Christianity is not doctrine but
life
Our difficulty is i'll separating Life from
Doctrine. We canliut@ I'll the one hand, con-
cciye how ,,,a,, car he "indoctrlnated,"
that is, taught Of the living Spirit the truth of
anything, without having that truth enter
into his life The spirit of the true doctrine
is itself germ If life. To hold a doctrine
means to us to live by it, as to love our
friends means to love them, and to know God
means all acquaintance with Him. On the
other hand. that which has life must embody
itself in ductrine- 10 love our friends Is
TO say that friendship requires love. as COM
munion with our Father declares that we
have Father. Some doctrine, of necessity,
belongs to all life and sentiment, and ucu
Just as necessarily interpret their true doc
trine-
It must be certain kind Of creed which
offends living Christians We hear OF dead
creeds." There are skeletons Of words and
sSxu k.s srf, ~%N4
be part of living Christianity. or represent
its sentiments and good habits. Yet these
very skeletons were once clothed with flesh
and blood, and these husks projected a vigor-
Gus growth. How have they lost their life
and their connections with actual Christian
iy? Outgrown? Yes; the Christian heart
. became ripe and solid, and needed no moreto
be wrapped in dogmas. Husk after lusk fell
of or was torn away.
The logic of this is alarming. It represents
the history of Christianity as succession Of
living growths coming one after another to
npeness and laying asiae their husks i'll like
order. There are then no permanent doc
trines. ALI are likely to tall into the husE
state and pass away. Inspiration. -" Atone
ment," Resurrection ~ the Being of God"
Everlasting punishment" and "Everlast-
ing Bliss are not they, too, forms of words
which we must 4'outgrow Will not the
sentiments and habits of Christianity reach
50 far beyond them as to require other ami
batter doctrines: Shall we not continue to
grow as We have done from the beginning
2nd perhaps end with not needing even the
word - Christianity" to show us what We
are?
We fear the reckless and almost contempt
unus handling Of the creeds which we VIII
ness. Almost as much we dislike that poet
lca Interpretation Of them which resolves
Them Into tinc but eyancscent images OF tile
Truth. 1t is almost an equal trltiinE to pare
our c1eeds down i'll council TO suit the doc
tnnal wilins of the time, as il they had no
nltre perlnanence than our political plat
TOMS. WE can understand how resolute
nlnd should always prefer the substance OF
asnS h sentiment and habit to any terms ,,,;; "
eyer be nore 1i,an the r:,innent, as Cllristsaid.
Aut He Himself was the Word. and through
tne Word revealed Col and the true life Dy
Turts We know Christ The true word is
taeh necessary and sacred. 4 creed is form
q q words. 1t, va,te is in its relation to life
nt'e careless in forming, Or changing, or
lotEettll. crteds is 1u yi,,iate this relation
..Or b'!Sltnrl said he would subscribe to alt
0e cigs:ds- Ten,lysun beautifully wrote:
ana 10 thc Wni.l bad breath. and wrought
WIN h1lnian hands !ne creed Of cFeeds
IN dwellings, ri perfect deeds.
En,cr>ol, ws't,l give the 'sbest interpreta-
th noh IL all rfecds. At last cunies the man OF
Gfu
christianity, not rlectisv' But If the sug-
sssucls u laese lmen are true, and we may
.rits'li rtTiast'li from them, our conclusion is that
.s.ua,,ssllatity must reCxpress itself entirely
sua pht il1,e doctrines upon its actual senti-
msits raei, and habits For which task who is
H. There are those who are more than ready.
thau!e -! u!e Tnlds ri Il friend, they "want no more
'"iosy' o,..' On the other side are the stre1l,.-
r, sSs uc1cnders Of every jot and title Of cate
ea. ea.sll anu Calylnisn. Between are many
eare! el 1or M lew truth. aud many anxious be-
ia 1i"ess Old truth is disturbed. We have little
n1say 10 controversiaiists Of either extreme.
a.nIo aus 10 Ill who desire Il truth in religion botl.
tnGs taesl anu firm, we suggest a cautious at1i-
stat Het as the best. The old crceds have been
hsf many pronses which st fM SaSs Sass
need ptei ta, demonstrated in logic or fact. We
fat;naaa aau demonstration before giving up or
iisf iinE H., On new article as substantial be-
e, i. o,N we may, therefore, hold the old creeds
~ long proved aud nsfallisheIi nnfii nav