The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-11-27


until things are settled right. Mere
temporizing can never adjust the claims
of truth and justice. We believe that
this very point of moral integrity in
creed subscription will yet become SC
sensitive as to create torm-center in
the religious world. The embarrass-
ment attending the attempt to put the
new wire of progressive thought into
the old bottles of medieval dogma: the
painful insinuations of denominational
treason cannot be borne for ever. The
daily press is full of the tribulations of
noble heretcs in transit out of the the
illogical frying-pan into the ecclesiast-
cal fire.
What shall we say about the example
of this pulpit infidelity? What must be
the effect upon those whose faith is al
ready straitened between the scientific
agnosticism and the wide spread ma
terialism of our day? Perhaps the very
apathy in religion among the masses
has some connection with this juggling
with words and playing tricks with
creeds. How else can it appear to peo-
pie unframed in Andover antics but a
kind of counterfeiting? We are living
in time when premium is put upon
| intellectual acuteness. A mans very
livelihood depends upon the sharpness
of his wits,t even if moral principal is
strained somewhat There is need of
every safeguard against weakening of
the moral fiber of community. Hence
the demand for perfect manliness and
unequivocal speech on the part of re-
| ligious teachers All concerned in this
| RI vii a,,J.,
dangerous heresy is insincerity. The
minister will be respected and have in
| fluence only as he is open minded and
as candid in speech as the scientist,
| Laymen have right to clear IDEAS re-
| specting religious questions, but if doc
| tors of divinity are in mist, where
shall the sinner and the ungodly APP
pear? If the souls of the latter to say
nothing of the former, are "in eu1ardf
every hour, what must he the cnnfu
sion when so many diverse and uncer-
tain gospel trumpets are blowing "this
is the way; walk We in it,"
1t is said that during the period of
reEsious decadence in Ron the Priests
of Jupiter smiled in each others faces
when offering the sacrifices. Something
like this occurs when the nearer of the
illogical novelties puts his tongue in his
cheek as the smart modern preacher
makes reasonable thrusts at the old
faiths of churches with long denomi-
national name.
Do the creeds allow progress? The
Outlook says: Liberty freedom of
growth) is explicitly and in terms pro
vided for by all such as have creeds to
ioL Il.
a most astonishing statement. 1t Is
contradicted by the creeds themselves,
by history of all persecution, and the
heresy trials we know so we'll The
central reason for having a creed is to
make belief uniform and permanent--to
prevent changes of faith Doctrines
are formulated to be maintained and
not to be set aside. The Augsburg and
Westminster divines did not intend to
manufacture vehicle of religious de-
velopment that would carry the church
beyond their own theological positions.
They We're not creating method for
the outgrowth of their own ideas. The
Protestant principle of the right of pri
waite judgment involved vastly more
than they intended-it did not really
mean to them freedom of opinion
Their creed-making and their prosecu-
ton of those who disagreed from them
amply prove this. In all the creeds of
Christendom not one contains the pro-
vision-"All those who subscribe to this
creed may grow out of it as soon as
possible, and still be consistent men,
Der of the church that holds it," Did
you ever hear recited in an orthodox
church. believe in the freedom of the
soul to outgrow the established forms
of religious faith? Creeds are not hos
pitable to progress, as progressive Bib
lical scholarship has proven to say
nothing of other lines OF inquiry.
Like priest, like people" who Is re-
sponsibe for the popular sentiment, ut
don't make much difference what you |
believe If your heart is right?' How |
often people of weak convictions are
thus beguiled into churches whose
creeds, skeleton-like, are kept in clos |
cts How convenient 1t is for the min
ister anxious to swell his membership |
list, to whisper this soothing sophism |
into the private ear of the unref1ecting |
soul. "If your life is right, never mind |
the creeds." AS if conduct could be d. |
vorced from principles If the inquirer |
should happen to have convictions and |
he might reply to the clerical
II will follow my heart
then, rather than the discounted church
es and creeds." We know. full well,
that mans emotions and life may be
more often in the right than creed
in superstition and fear But
we do not admit that it makes no diff
ference to character what a man be-
ieves or disbelieves If there be no
logical or ethical relation between faith
and conduct. we do not need a New
Theology, but new psychology to az
count for the recent changes in brain
structure that inhibit moral reasoning
when applied to religious faith, but
Jermit normal discriminate in secu-
ar ethics. The responsibility of this
moral confusion and religious apathy
10 widespread, rests with those who
practice the art of doctrinal equivoca-
ion. 1t is too late to call for a revival
If religion, for the religion of to-day is
)oneless. 1t is matter of culture, es- ]
heticsm. The crying need is revival I
# moral earnestness among ministers, !
Who Tong ago have parted company with
dogmas, but still persist in ]
lsing their symbols and wearing their {
igns and badges. 8
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