The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-05-25

vine Judgment of men: and this, and
this alone. is part of our faith. What does
Our church compel us to believe concerning
the resurrectinnf This. and this alone:
And | look for the resurrection of the dead
The Apostles Creed is to be interpreted by
the Nicene Creed. The phrases in the Apos-
ties Creed the resurrection of the body,
is then TO be interpreted by the larger and
more elastic phrase of the Nicene Creed.
The resurrection of the dead You are
free to interpret this in the most literal
sense of the body laid away In the grave,
If il so helps you. You are free to interpret
it In the larger sense in which most men
must read 1t, ifthey are to believe il at all.
WHAT lust We BELIEVE.
What does our church order rs to be-
iieve concerning the sacramentsf Nothing
beyond that which nay be necessarily
meant by the great phrase of the Nicene
Greed: Il acknowledge one baptism for the
remission of sins.' You are free to read
this as referring TO the instltutive-Lhe
rite itseIf-or you are free to read it with
the vast host in the church, which has al
ways referred this language to the inward
spiritual grace that is shrined In the sac
fament through which is remission of sins.
The Nlcene Creed Is q charter of liberty.
1t frees rs from nine-tenths OF the burning
questions with which professionalism IS on
fire to-day. What the Nicene Creed affirms.
however, is bounden upon every loyal child
of the church. To deny the affirmation of
that creed is to be disloyal. To accept
loyalty as the ehurch's teaching what ones
own individual mind fails to affirm is q
thoroughly honest attitude.
What does the Nicene Creed afirmi 1t
afirms, first of all. the great fundamental
truths of religion in all lands and ages
God and immortality. 1t afirms. further,
the church's belief concerning the great
historic facts of Christianity; the birth of
Jesus, the Virgin Mary. HIS crucitixion I'M
der Pontius Plate, His ascension unto
heaven. His enforcement in power and
His coming to judge the quick and the
dead. To this is added the existence of the
one catholic and apostolic church. 1t sf-
firms, still further, the philosophical form
In which these spiritual truths and this
central historic fact of Jesus Christ. or
God, is cast by the Christian con3ciousness,
by the deepest thought of the church.
through the centuries, These doctrines
are. first. the Trinity, and second. the near
nation.
.sThe doctrine of the Trinity is ordinarily
assumed to be the most impractical of
speculations. the most irrational of dog
matte speculations. the most irrational of
dOgmas, the most narrowing form of faith.
The doctrine of the Trinity is q purely
philosophical formula, q metaphysical
statement in Interpretation of the mystery
of the relation of the divine being to crea-
ton, which. again, is a mystery of the
nature of the Divine Being himself. To in
terpret this doctrine accurately is, there
fore. wholly beyond the power of man. To
as possible to the historic meaning dis
cernable In the Fathers and recognized
through the church is the duty of every
clergyman. i have tried in times past to
give you my Interpretation, believing il to
be in accord with the meaning of the
trainers of the doctrine of the Trinity. a
philosophical formula expressive of the
three conceptions of the Divine Being, each
of which is needful TO supplement the other
thoughts. These three thoughts may be
summed into the words 'tr~anscendence.'
'lmminence,' 'becOming'-the incarnation is
q spiritual truth philosophically stated.
God is in all life. He Is uniquely Q Christ
as Christ is q unique man, q new order of
creation. the nature of which God is to be
enshrined. Jesns Christ Is therefore q man
filled with the indwelling God. God mani
fest in the flesh.
RECONCILIATION OF CHRISTIANITY.
This, our great creed. is a reconciliation
of Christianity with the historic religions
of the past. The ordinary hereto concep-
tion of Christianity finds no Cancellation
between Christianity and the great relig-
ions of humanity in the past. except that of
q substitute of q true for the false. But
the Nicene Creed gives us that conception
of the Christian faith in which. we see, ID
TO be the contamination of the long strain
ing of nan thought and aspiration after
God. Our great creed is the reconciliation
of Christianity with itself. Christendom is
torn and d~ismembered before our eyes. 1t
is p~aralyZed with doubt. 1t is distracted
with the contentious over dogma. Through
every branch of Christendom the strife of
creeds is seen. The mind of man is seeking
aid from his faith, under which he can rest
with intellectual honesty and with spiritual
satisfaction. He cannot find such q shelter
under the reformation confessions of faith,
with their long-drawn metaphysics. their
intolerable opinionativeness, their infalli-
billty in points where knowledge Is bias
phemy. He who reads the signs of the
times sees clearly two alternatives before
our American professionalism, the throwing
overheard of its creeds, or their simplitica-
ton.
could our Protestant churches to-day be
content to part with their reformation con-
LESSONS of faith and fall back upon the
great catholic creed which has come down
through the centuries, and Is by our own
church held forth as the common heritage
of all who profess and call themselves
Christians, there would be an end of strife
and contention. Well nigh every battle
waged in our sister churches would cease
at once. DR.. Bridgman would not have to
leave his Passionate on the question of
future punishment. DR.. Briggs could ex-
cite no contention In his church on the
question of inspiration. The Cancellation
of creeds is to be fOund IN the return to
that common creed of Christendom which
rules out from the form of faith these
dogmas over which men are d~isputing.
Our great creed Is the reconciliation of
Christian faith and modern thought. of
theology and science. There is no conflict
between religion and science, but there is
between theology and science. 1t does not
yet appear how the acceptance of scientific
truth can be squared with the w Westminster
Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism.
But what antagonIsm is there between the
Nlcene Creed and sciencef Read literally.
as o hard, prosaic Dogma, there Is much
every way; but sung, as an express
sion of the worship of mans whole
natufe, his imagination and conscience,
rs wJl as his reason. there is no conflict.
Our great creed is the Cancellation OF
Christianity with all the forms of religion
in the world to-day. Our great creed Is
the conciliation of the faith of to-day with
the truth of the future. To be loyal to the
divine word Is to be loyal to all truth. To
be loyal to the Nicene Creed Is to welcome
every new thought that proves itself true
rs an utterance of hat divine word which
10 speaking through creation to the soul of
man."
FINAL ANNIVERSARY SESSION.