The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-28
MAKE A BONFIRE OF cREEDs.
MERE OPINIONS OF NO IMPORTANCE
IN FAITHS.

Ground of Union on which All
Christian People Can Meet-The
Apostles Creed Statement of
Facts end Not of other Mems
OpiniOns-Let All Christian People
Unite on That Basis and Leave to
individuals the Belief in EverIast-
ing Punishment, Immersion, Orig
fnaI Sin and Other Matters of That
Kind.
Rev. Charles Fl. Strong of st. Johns
Church is reaching the conclusion of his
series of sermons on the Apostles Greed.
He spoke last night on 1.-The Apostles
Greed as a Basis of Christian Unity"
There were but four more topics left in
the creed for him to discuss, namely the
Church Of Christ, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection from the dead and life
everlasting
Rev. Mr.. Strong said he could not en-
ter upon the discussion of the subject
1.-THE Church of Christ" without preced-
ing that discussion with a few remarks
upon the subject of Christian unity.
AAA~AC eiS many AAANAs AiC SdAOs WIZ
would like to have a church without a
creed. The question is whether a creed
Is necessary to a church and necessary to
the individual. A creed means the objects
of ones belief, not necessarily of ones
Intellectual faith, but of ones personal
trust If man is constantly suspicious
of his fellow man that suspicion becomes
his creed. 1t is so with the church. The
very attitude of a church without a creed
makes that feeling and that belief a creed
within itself. There is no life and no
church without an object of trust
In some churches a creed is held up to
man, and he must accept it, or reject it
at his peril. Men do not want a creed of
that kind. Rev. Mr.. Strong said he had
book of creeds on his desk. One of them
articles. another 49, another IA, and an
other SO articles the latter being the creed
of the Church of England to-day.
That creed, he said speaking of the
creed of the Church of England, all men,
bers are required to subscribe to- He was
thankful that there is no such require
ment in our church of to-day. The only
thing required is belief in the Apostles
creed. What ever lies outside of that
creed person does not have to believe
That creed does not require a church mem
Der to believe that the world was made
in six days, nor in the doctrine of original
sin, nor in many other things TO which
members of many religious sects must
subscribe to. The Apostles creed is a
statement of facts and not of opinions
As objects of faith 1t does not REQUIRE be-
lief in original sin, as the only true bap-
tism and other things of that character.
They may be correct, but belief in them is
not required under the Apostles creed.
All Christian people ought to be able TO
come together on some sort of a Chris
tan basis They should meet together on
the ground of all essential articles of
Christian truth, and leave all about bap-
tism, conversion, everlasting punishment
and matters of that kind to the individuals
who want TO believe in them
A wonderful spirit of unity has built up
Christian lives, Rev Mr. Strong said, End
they are becoming more and more shamed
to be divided on mere questions of opinion.
bonfire should be made of all the creeds
of thirty-two articles, or of thirteen art-
Giles or of fourteen article, or else they
should be preserved as relics of a bygone
past, and all should unite on the basis of
the Apostles creed. There can be no bet
ter creed than that