The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-05-25
DID THE APOSTLES MAKE USE OF
A OREED2
BY REV. JACOB sTRAuB, D. D.

anti creed people there we're no for
mulated articles of faith with the in
i.s;al Christians. But every one be-
took himself to his own way and
served out, without hindrance or di-
rection, what thoughts or imaginings
came to the front for utterance. In
the language of the Liberal Congress
it was the complete autonomy of the
individual and the church. Nobody
was accountable and there was no
authority to account to.
These people being as a rule of the
class who have no use for the Bible
as authority, may be pardoned for not
always having an extensive familiar
ity with it's text. But if there was
no authority and no creed, the follow
ing passages are very difficult to be
understood.
Paul, for example, exhorted Tim
othy saying, "Hold fast the form of
sound words, which thou hast heard
from me" (II Tim. i.13). Whether
written or merely memorized, it was
not merely spirit or a general prin-
ciple Indifferent as to wording, but
form of words which he had delivered
to the young Apostle. They were
words carefully selected and thought
fully put together and made into
form for reference. And this form
was to be firmly retained. "Hold
fast the forml'' is the command and
last word of the dying Paul. His
last deliverance to the church and
mankind was a creed which they
should cling to and be governed and
guided by.
Besides this, sometime previously
he was scarcely less explicit: "Now |
beseech you, brethren, by the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all
speak the same thing, that there be
no divisions among you; but that ye
be perfectly joined together in the
same mind and in the same judgment"
q Cor. i.10. That same thing or state
ment which should have their common
assent and he their common judg-
ment, and about which they should
not be divided, was not simply any
thing they might devise among them
selves, regardless of conformity to
Christian teaching. 1t was what had
come to them by authority. something
too they had all seen or heard and all
understood,-a statement carefully
prepared, form of sound words.
Otherwise the earnest injunction
would be without meaning.
In line with this he wrote to the
Romans, "God be thanked, that ye
were the servants of sin, but We have
obeyed from the heart that form of
doctrine which was given you" Wild.
Again Timothy he besought to re-
main at Ephesus in order to "charge
some that they teach no other doc
trine" q Tim. i.3). Still another ex-
ample from his letter to the Romans:
"Now l beseech you, brethren, to
mark them which cause divisions and
offences contrary to the doctrine
which ye have heard; and avoid
them" (xvi.17.) Nothing is said of
racks or dungeons or prosecutions of
any form. These offenders were
simply to be discontinued from the
list of the faithful, and the church
was to be no longer responsible for
their utterances and demeanors.
They were to beregarded and treated
as outsiders; to whom were ever due
the amenities of Christian friendship
and the offers of the Gospel. Occa
sions for their influencing the church
were, however, to be avoided. The
church was too valuable and precious
to be allowed to be dissipated and
lost through broadening process
that would enfranchise every schem-
ing vagarist that might wish its pres
tige and other advantages.
Besides, to place proper safeguards
about the believing communities or
churches, the apostles and elders at
Jerusalem enacted certain standing
rules or "decrees" for their govern
ment. OF these Paul made use among
his churches. And so his fellow apos-
ties, "As they went through the
cities they delivered them the DEGREES
for to keep, that were ordained of the
apostles and elders which were at Je-
rusalem. And SO were the churches
established in the faith, and increased
in numbers daily" (Acts xvi. 4, 81.
Not alone is the fact of central
church here seen, formed by the apos-
tolic board and their companions in
authority, which Paul and his fellow
laborers delivered to be observed by
their churches, but it is also seen that
by means thereof the churches had