The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-06-06

in "things of the spirit" The story of many
of the councils IL a tale of violent and acri-
moniOus disputes; of metaphysical hair
splitting and Theological Iugglery; OF poiit-
icaI intrigue and ecclesiastical mummery; of
bitter passions breaking forth into words of
execratiOn, with anathemas instead of ben
edictions; scene of clenched fists and
drawn swords; Of soldiers keeping bish-
OPS from each others throats; OF
bloody massacres and stealthy assassina-
tions. The DEGREES of such councils are
plainly not matters of plenary inspiration
by any spirit whose dominating character
istic Is holiness. One thing is thus made
providentially clear, that the truth OF the
creed rests not on the authority of the body
setting 1t forth; but on its own intrinsic
truthfuIness-its Interpretation of the Chris
ian consciousness. Its authority Will last
so long and only so long as it continues TO
express the Christian consciousness, and to
interpret satisfactorily the problems OF
nature and man In the light of the spirit OF
Jesus Christ.
All creed is read Alright as 1t is continually
carried back to Its sources. The Sicene
creed was an attempt to state logically and
philosophically the teachings of the New
Testament. 1t can only continue to stand
as Il is seen to rest unmistakably on this
foundation. This forces on the church the
continual duty of showing that every af1r-
nation Of the creed can be proven from
scripture, and not OF stretching her author
ity gently whenever there is any question
on this point The scriptures are not the
d-rock OF the foundation of the faith.
Reason and conscience tested them and
stamped them as divine. A creed must be
ever brought back to this mint Of man for
assaying II must be shown not to have de-
prsciatcd, No creed can long stand which
does not square with fact; which does not
rest on the granite rock of reason which
does not stand plumb with the line OF eter-
nal Righteousness
A creed to be read Alright must be read
in the light of the larger life Of faith out OF
which its springs, and of which IL is part
As YOU see the truth in your neighbor's
creed you will better see the truth In your
own creed To know the creeds of other re-
ligions il to gain many clew to the mean
ing of our Christian creeds- What is the
prospect for an intellectual understanding
of its great creeds, II a church practically
reissues that edict of the fourth council of
Carthage: mo bishop shall read Gentle
book"
creed Is to be read as dealing with
themes transcending all human thought,
and therefore its affirmatiOns are not to be
read as exact statements. The themes with
which a creed deals are the profoundest
problems which can tax a mans mind; the
intellect the riddles over which successive
generations have puzzled themselves wear
ily What then must be the nature of all
his thoughts upon such high things!
Words thrown out at transcendent mys-
teries" Attempts to express the incxpres-
sible, to define the indefnable. to know the
unknowable. The true meaning of a creed
il to be found not in what 1t states, but in
what il suggests. A dictionary will not ade-
quately interpret creed.
creed is to be read as including phil
losophy, which can he rightly Interpreted
only by the philosophically- minded The
language of the Scene creed concerning the
incarnation is pure philosophy. We know
this from the character OF the words en-
ployed- They are the technical terms OF
metaphysics. They can be traced up to the
philosophers of pnganism by whom they
were mnted. In the works Of the Sicene
fathers We see men of acute and sometimes
deem metaphy sical powers. wrestling with
the very problems which have always furn
ished the materials for philosophy, reaching
philosophical conclusions by philosophical
methods and expressing them In philosoph-
Ical terms. Technical terms of a science oil
OF a philosophy turned out of their native
region and used In the everyday speech OF
men must not be expected to convey much
meaning. The popular prejudice against
the doctrine of the Trinity is mainly due e
this failure to recognize it as philosophy.
A creed is to be read as a form of sound
words, which may not only be said but sung
A creed dealing with transcendent themes
must not only philosophize,it must poetize-
thus to interpret through the imagination
the mysteries of the faith. God Is declared
to be '.the Maker of Heaven and earth We
the Almighty Is no celestial carpenter
Creating is not a manufacture, but a growth
OF Christ II is declared that He
ascended into Heaven and sitteth OF
the right hand Of the Father
The Most High has no righ
hand. The throne Of Christ is o
naught which can be seen. II
Is poetic statement Of the trutl
that Christ is enthroned in power In thu
| spirit spheres Such metaphors are plainly
| to be read. not literally. but figuratively. A
sensible man does not charge a child with
Insincerity in using the language of imasi'
nation. such intelligence and ameni
ties are reserved for the saints In dealing
| with one another's faiths. Every truth II
the creed is all and more than all II Is taker
| for in the literal sense by the men who have
| nothing IL they have not fact
Every great creed Is a symbol, Its sign
somewhat which it does not fully disclose
1t is a picture writing. sacred hieroglyph
| creed is to be read differently by differen
| minds A mathematical formula does no
| admit Of different renderings A philosoph
ical and poetic statement concerning tran
| scendent mysteries not only allows o
different meanings by different mind
it necessItates such various render
lngs We must always take into accoun
the parallel In our observation OF celestis
| phenomena. II Ii by their changing mean
ings, that the words of a great creed prov
to be beams from that God who Is ever be
fore the human soul as the Infinite Truth
whose light falls on the myriad spirits turn
ing heavenward toward him, breaking int
the myriad hued beauties OF the thought
which are arrested in the minds sunnin
themselves In his rays
When the apostles speak under inspira
tion, every man hears them speaking in hi
own language" When you find a cree
which has only one meaning. you may b
sure there Is no deep meaning In it whatso
ever. To Insist on one and the same read
ing Of a creed 10 possible only in the case {
| machine men reading q machine creed .
chain gang Is not the type of the march O
man after the spirit of truth.
creed must be read as having CROWN
| meanings. The creed which Is to max
| room for a growing man must be room.
must have large thoughts to grow mp int
and elastic words to admit OF such expar
sion. fixed and inal creed IL a contradi'
tion of terms. 1t assumes the infallibl
which its origin discisins, and denies itse
as the living growth of the human spir
which is Its only Justification 1t must
re-read with every new knowledge tn
need not necessitate a change OF creed
Before n country boys new trousers Al
| bought, his mother lets down the tucks
the old ones. A creed cobbIcr's work ms
| be dispensed with only by a creed's bein
| not a thin: to lie IncndeI, bat an organsl
| n grow and by itself putting forth Ne