New-York tribune., 1891-05-17
TIE QUESTION OF CREEDs.

Tho religious week has had Only oho 0N0'''
scholar acknowledged by all to be OF .he
highest rank, a student whose sincerity mas
never been questioned, has been ordered 10 ap-
near for trial on charges of heresy POSSIBLY IL
is not enough at any rate 1t IS not "uch' ="
cav that in this case thousands approved the
utterances alleged to be heretical 10 musu DC
frankly admitted that the Greed must stand ana
must be defended by those who accept IL at
all. whether it is questioned by one man or an
other. whether il is disputed in one Item OF
another. ~,
That is one disadvantage Of creeds. Inc
great majority of the Kings Daughters do not
ask each other exactly what they believe. MIL
ions accept the Presbyterian mode OF church
government but with few exceptions lnoeeu
they have never mreservedly accepted in It's
ordinary sense the Presbyterian Creed. Mulu-
tudes adhere to the Presbyterian faith who
nevertheless know nothing whatever OF the
Westminster Confession, and yet 1t has q
definite meaning and is an absolute rule for
those who understandingly accept 1t. Inc
Church is in fact built upon the love OF the
Lord Jesus Christ and belief in Him. 1t is not
in fact built upon the Westminster Confession
nor upon any other Creed. Yet as the world
goes the Church mus have its Greed. A failure
of the Church to have a definite and formulated
Creed would be regarded by other churches and
by the world as proof of the want OF vital inter-
est in Christianity. So it comes to pass that q
clergyman of great scholarship, OF admitted
sincerity of opinion, has been placed on trial
as a hereto because he does not now believe
what the Church long time ago declared IL
then believed.
Without prejudging the case of Dr. Briggs, 1t
NAV also be said that he must be, in technical
sense at least a hereto who does not wholly
accent that which has been definitely formulated
rs the Greed of the Presbyterian Church There
is no occasion here for har-splitting DIR.
Briggs himself and all his earnest adherents
would be the first to admit that their opinions
do not correspond with those expressed IN the
language OF the Westminster Confession, as that
document is ordinarily understood. 1t is true,
they claim that his and their beliefs can be
reconciled with that Creed. 1t Is true, they
| claim that the Westminster Confession is sus-
ceptible of broader and more liberal construc-
ton, which would keep within the pale of the
Church many who indulge in great latitude
of belief. But what is the Confession for?
Why should any Greed whatever be submitted
to candidates for church officers, and especially
to candidates for the ministry? Ii it is not so
submitted as a test because the Church still
holds this Creed to be vital, what sense is there
| in calling upon anybody to subscribe to it
| And yet the whole world knows that the
Greed is not vital Thousands who are as true
and sincere in their Christian faith, and who
decidedly prefer the Presbyterian mode of
church government have no sort of belief in
the Presbyterian Greed as it is ordinarily under
stood by the great majority of its adherents.
The Creed must be interpreted for them with
more or less modification in their thoughts, or
it must be absolutely discarded by consider
able number Of those who have thus far ad-
hered to the Presbyterian faith. This difficulty
is not one which casts discredit upon one Church
alone The same principle appears in connec-
ton with almost every other form of religious
faith which has found expression in definite
Creed Men do not in fact believe all that their
Creeds affirm, and yet they are asked to accept
these Creeds on the score of their historical
value. Is there not growing danger that men
may come to think more of their personal and
present veracity, and may hesitate to subscribe
to a doctrine merely because of historical con-
sistency? Is there not a danger that the course
upon which the opponents of DR.. Briggs have
entered will in the end place the Church in an
attitude of antagonism to the sincere belief of
thousands of men and women, who are ardent
| in their zeal and faithful in their lives and who
give to the Presbyterian Church no small share
of It's energy in Christian work? May it not
come to pass that many of these, more than any
Church can afford to lose Of such men and
women, will feel that they have no home and
are not even entertained as welcome guests in
Church which declares their honest convic-
tions to be heretical?