The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-08
THE APOSTLES, CREED.
Belief, Says SSev. Mr.. Strong, Is an
Act of Trust in What Is Good.

Act of Trust in what Is Good.
Rev. Charles H. Strong began a series
of sermons last night at ST. Johns church
on the subject of the Apostles Creed"
AS text for the first of the sermons he
began with the opening words of the
creed, II believe" sf. 60
He compared that assertion with 81
will" and Il think" but belief he looked
upon as proceeding from the noblest of all
the faculties. The grandest of beliefs was
that in the infnity. 1t is a declaration of
a man, he said, that he is citizen of two
worlds that of sight and sense, and that
of trust and faith. The proclamation of
faith begins with consciousness, and the
creed begins with a statement of mans
consciousness. Man recognizes himself
as thinking, feeling and acting, and can
look at himself, so to speak, doing these
things. This consciousness which is pro-
ductive of faith, he said, Is the rock on
which materialism, that fundamental foe
of Christian faith, dashes in vain. At the
same time he said. man is under no ne
cessity to reject scientific discoveries and
whatever science may teach, even though
it be used to bolster up materialistic argu-
ments.
When engaged IN fndih the objects of
bring to his assistance the grandest of
faculties which God has given him-rea-
son and understanding. The reason
teaches the understanding recognizes what
is taught, and the two merge at last into
faith and not distrust. Rev. Mr.. Strong
gave two interesting examples. Reason,
he said, teaches that God made the world
by evolution; the unders landing recognizes
and believes what the reason has taught.
The other was, the, doctrine Of eternal
punishment. The reason looks over the
scripture, he said, and goes into the sub
ject in all it's branches and ''in regard to
the evidence presented before me says it
is not proven Then the understanding
says that the idea that God in his good
ness and charity should bring a being
into the world and then condemn him to
everlasting punishment would be an I'M
reasonable superstition. Reason and I'M
Outstanding, therefore, have a place in
the formation of faith.
The Apostles Greed, he said, is no mere
collection of theological statements. When
/ say I believe, l mean my mind accepts
the proposition and my heart and soul,
like the blind man in the Bible, give their
light to the truth. Faith is an act of trust
Life and heart give up to the truth in the
proposition, or it is no act of faith. Belief
in a thing and failure to act in accord
ance with 1t, is not an act Of trust There
are plenty of men who search for truth
but how few men there are who think of
life and character. Personality gives an
interest to life. People grow tired of ma
terial things, but in personality all is lfv-
ing, vital. Action, ideas. thoughts, and
every personal relation in the world are
full of suggestiveness.
Faith, he said, is an act Of trust in a good
person, in his goodness and not in an evil
one. Goodness only is adequate to the re-
suit. To deny the goodness of God In any
way is to strike blow at Christian life
Christian faith is an act of trust in the
goodness of Christ inspired by goodness in
ourselves. Divine goodness in the soul of
man inspires divine faith. The open
ing of the creed proclaims manhood and
consciousness. It denies materialism and
shows that in the world to come there is
no limit to our spiritual development.