St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-16
NEW OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

At the National Congregational Council
held in st. Louis in 1880, commission was
appointed to prepare a creed, not to be sub
mitted to council for its approval,
but to the churches and to the world through
the public press. The creed is not to be con-
sidered authoritative or binding upon any
church, but it is only to ''carry such weight
of authority as the character of the commits
sion and the intrinsic merit of their expo
siton of truth may command" Though it
is sort of ''go-as-yo u-please' creed, and,
not binding On any church or association,
still religious journal says: ''it is vastly
nearer to the belief of the Congregational
churches, than the Westminster Confession
is to that of the Presbyterian church, or the
Augsburg confession to that of the Lutheran
church, or the Heidelberg to that of the Re-
formed church. And that is because it is
prepared to-day. 1t represents the living,
actual faith that is held in the last quarter
of this century, The old creeds of two
hundred years ago, says an authority, have
become obsolete and nobody believes them
as they now stand. The commission in
The commission appointed under the direction
of the National council of the Congre gational
churches of the United States, ''to prepare, in
the form of creed or catechism, or both,
simple, clear, and comprehensive exposition of
the truths of the glorious Gospel of the blessed
God, for the instruction and edification of our
churches herewith submit to the churches the
following
STATEMENT OF DOCTRINE:
l. We believe in one God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things
visible and invisible;
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son. our Lord,
who is of one substance with the Father: by
whom all things were made;
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of
life, who is sent from the Father and Son. and
who together with the Father and Son is worship
ed and glorifed.
H. We believe that the providence of God, by
which he executes his eternal purposes in the
government of the world, is in and over all
events yet so that the freedom and response
bility of man are not impaired, and sin is the act
of the creature alone.
III. We believe that man was made in the
image of God, that he might know, love, and
obey God, and enjoy him forever; that our first
parents by disobedience fell under the righteous
condemnation of God; and that all men are so
aienated from God that there is no salvation from
the guilt and power of sin except through God s
redeeming grace.
". We believe that God would have all men
return to him; that to this end he has made
himself known, not only through the works of
nature, the course Of his providence, and the
consciences of men, but also through super
natural revelation made especially to chosen
people, and above ALL when the fullness of time
was come, through Jesus Christ his son.
v. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old
and New Testaments are the record of Gods
revelation of himself in the work of redemption;
that they were written by men under the special
guidance of the Holy Spirit that they are able
to make wise unto salvation; and that they COM