The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-20
IN FAVOR OF REVISION.
DIR. MCosH'5 POSITION ON SOME
THEOLOGICAL QUESTIONS.

I
The Presbyterisns Should Take Five
Years for the Revision of Their New
and simple Credible Last Two
Works Which Will Complete and
Close DR.. McCosh's Fhilosophy-An
Explanation of Christian Evolution
A Word About College Sports.
Copyright 1901
PRINCETON, n. j., July 19.-The vener-
able ex-president Of Princeton college, Dr.
McCosh, sat in his easy chair at the large
library window of his beautiful colonial
residence on Prospect avenue, Princeton,
looking out on one of the finest views in
New Jersey. There was something about
| the broad expause on which that famous
face waa turned that seemed in keeping
with the breadth and periphery of mind for
which this distinguished metaphysician has
been always, and especially of late, notable
not only in mental science, but also in the
councils of the church and the revision of her
creeds. Near by sat Mrs. McCosh, the niece of
tie great preacher Guthrie. whose maternal
interest in sick and needy students of the
| institution during her husbands presidency
was so blessed and beautiful The students
had gone. The bell was still, The large
elms that stretched down the cool arcade of
'McCosh Walk" wee breathing lingering
tarewells to the great class of graduated
men. And there in the mid st of reminiscent
classics, as the sun went slowly down, sat
the s:lver-haired scholar at the close of his
long and illustrious professional and institu-
| tlonal career.
doctor" said !, as soon as was seated in
he
vision of your creedP
Il can only say" replied the doctor,
that did, and for some time have been
doing, all that l could to smooth down
some of the severe expressions of doctrine
In the creed, and to have a shorter and
simpler creed. While I would not take one
Jot or little from the great cardinals of re-
llgious truth as they are formulated in our
confession, l would seek to give especial
prominence to the love of God for his chill
dren. Creeds are fences. They are not
fields, or houses, or goods. They are defini-
tive. They mark off the great mea ing
of the word Of God. This blessed
word was given to elevate men. 1t
must not be lowered to suit a mere
worldly sentiment AT the same time the
formulas of our faith should not be bur
dened with what the Romans would call
1mpedlments-' We should see to It that
our standards are made just as perfect rs
possible. II the scholars of the seventeenth
century have made any imperfect state
ments it is for the scholars of the nineteenth
century to correct them. 1t would be
strange indie I'd if a creed had beel made
which should be fiual for all time. Arevis-
ion of confession carefully and slowly made
by wise and go lily men is never dangerous so
long as such a consensus of men believe in
that confession. In the formation of a new
creed there is need of great carefulness, deli
cacy and tenderness. There are tNo all
important points: First-Excessiye care
must be taken that every article In thought
aud language lie founded on the word of
God and be in strict accordance with it,
There must be no inferential theology, no
speculative process or interpretation
Second-Those who subscribe to creed must
do so in good faith. Ministers must be able
to believe absolutely what they preach and
teach. They must feel the truth of it vitally
III their own hearts, Otherwise they cannot
do much, if anything, in making others
feel or believe 1t. This is the whole source
of that tremendous earnestness which
makes great simple, Soul-saviug preachers
and marks a successful ministry. 1t is a
sacredly solemn thing to sign a creed. Itis
in its way sort of marriage certificate be-
tween the soul of tue preacher and the bride
OF the Savior. So much then for creeds.
The great truths OF tee gospel, the sover-
eighty of God, the deity of Christ, a
full and free atonement, human
freedom as the very ground
of human responsibility, FER
sonal holiness as the only evidence of saw
ing faith. these truths are indestructibe
Men may talk about creels, theologians
may differ about them or dissent from
them, but were theologians all dead and the
ology tradition, instead of what it is,
sacred science, were every gun on the walls
of our defenses silenced, still there would
rise above those re1oubts the strong and
blessed face of the chiaf among ten thou
SAM aud the one altogether lovely crying
out in a voice that should shake the heavens
and the earth as skepticism and infidelity
rear pigmy forms before it. This fortress
is lmpreg lable'"
will GU say anything doctor, about the
federation of churches which you have pro-
posed with view to visible unitys VIII
the movement be carried oulN
II can only say, replied the doctor, "that
l have done all | could to help along that
movement. started a movement in Phila-
delphla years ago. which, by the active Co
operation OF people in Europe and
America, has eliminated in an alliance of
all the Presbyt rian churches in England
Scotland, Ireland, on the Continent OF Eu-
rope in Australia and the British colonies,
in the United States and Ca 9ada. I crossed
the ocean three or four times in furtherence
Va OuaI ~ SAbei PRISE, Glll UI1b WIN hill
listers in all parts of the Old World. The
result has been, am convinced, great good
in many ways 10 the church at large
Further than this Presby terian Pan-Alli-
ance, Ihave aimed at and hoped for feder-
alton of all the evangelical CHI riches which,
while it shall leave them as they are in
their own ecclesiastical doctrines on forms
of polity, shall so blend them visibly before
men as one great body of believers in
the unity of one faith, one God, one
Christ and one common brotherhood of
christian workers together, that larger and
far more effective preaching of the gospel
may he the result of sucn an undivided
church. l hold this to be the highest devel-
opnent of that church on earth in that
large, broad and benevolent spirit which
| should characterize its life. Where the
spirit of the Lord is there is liberty Such
federation secures the universal spread of
the gospel in a way in which now it is not
and cannot be attained. 1t 6nds the
faithful minister with more ground
than he can possibly cover. 1t
helps and honors him. 1t allots a district,
say of 500 or 1000, or 1000 to every re-
sponsible and pious evangelical minister
who is willing to take it. 1t secures the
gospel to every creature. The advantage
of this system is that without infringing on
the rights of any church or individual, the
ground is covered, the people are cared for,
the command of Christ is obeyed. To this
I