New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-27
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
A STUDY OF THE CREED.

THE W rsr 4P psGS,S Of Is
Archibald Hopkins. Octave. PIP. VII, 2o7 G. P
Putnam's Sons.
Colonel Hopkins. who. by the way is son OF
the great educator. President Mark Hopkins,
sets out in this volume to show that the state
ments Of fact contained in the Apostles Creed
cannot be proved, and that in the case of some
Of them there is an overwhelming presumption
against their truth. The method OF testing their
truth which he adopts is that which lawyer
would employ in testing the truth Of a story.
When the Gospel narratives. on which Of course.
the Apostles Greed rests. are examined in this
way. the author declares that many of their
statements must be discredited This is espe-
cially true Of the miraculous incidents. for
which transcending they do the ordinary
laws Of nature. the evidence should be beyond
all possible dispute
Colonel Hopkins does not find that there is
any such evidence. The four Gospels do not
give the names of their authors. They contra
dict each other in many instances. and their use
Of the supernatural is exactly analogous to that
found in the history Of other religions. Why,
under these circumstances. asks the author,
should be forced to believe statements of
such faI reaching Importance? If God had given
such a revelation TO man, He would have taken
care TO accompany IT with such proofs as would
satisfy the reason. For, President Mark
Hopkins once said:
The laws by which this region spiritual knowl-
edge is governed are the laws Of evidence.
II they require US to believe. We are to believe;
# 10 doubt, are to doubt; II to disbelieve, we
depend upon will. Concerning objects
must be TO intellect. We are never to believe
anything for which there is not more evidence
than there is against it. We are never to be-
lieve anything which il is not more rational 10
believe than not TO believe
It needs not to be said OF course, that conserva-
tive Christian theologians cannot admit the
propriety Of Colonel Hopkinss line Of argument
The statements in the Greed which he assumes
the right to test by the laws Of evidence are
necessarily closed questions to all orthodox
Christians. That Christ was born OF virgin
that during His ministry He did many miracles
that after His death by crucifxion He rose
from the dead and assembled in bodily form to
heaven are 10 be accepted by Christians not
because they can be proved, but because they
are vouched for by the divinely inspired Bible
or the divinely guided Church Such a believer
might reply 10 the authors Investigations thus:
Possibly you have disproved the Apostles
Greed in accordance with what men recognize
as the rules Of evidence. But what Of 1t? We
know that every word Of the Greed is true be
cause God has declared il TO be true in His
revealed Word. Any facts, therefore, which con-
# you say that the Greed is contrary 10 reason,
we reply no. II is above reason"
superfciaIly 1t must be admitted. this is a
complete answer TO attacks like this on the
CID theology. But the conservatives are estopped
from urging il by the fact that when 1t suits
their purpose they do not hesitate to strengthen
their dogmatic statements by historical proof.
and therefore they cannot reject the testimony
% history when it happens TO be inconvenient to
them. Moreover. the number Of intelligent men
and women who demand that the Church shall
give some rational proof Of the historical state
ments Of the Gospel is enormously increasing
every year They refuse to listen 10 the church
mans argument that the dogmas of Christianity
are to be accepted as true because the Bible
and the Church. declare them to be true. If
the Church can give no better reason for its
faith than that they will investigate the creed
in rough and ready fashion themselves. or
they viii accept tAe Investigations Of such men
as Colonel Hopkins. Never again will theo-
logians find the world ready to accept without
question statements that on their face appear to
run counter 10 history and reason.
II would be too much TO say that Colonel
HOPKINS has disproved the truth Of the Apostles
Creed Many of the statements are and will
continue TO be subjectively true for a great
multitude Of devout people. Tie author. for in
stance makes short work OF the clause Il believe
in the Holy Ghost; and certainly there is no
possibility Of proving to modern men that there
is a being called the Holy Ghost So that OBJ
jectively the author makes his point. But sup
pose some sanity man or woman comes TO him
and says: Sir, believe in the Holy Ghost be-
cause He has revealed Himself 10 my soul again
and again. and by His help I have been strength
ened TO do my duty What has Colonel Hop
kns or any one else 70 say? Nothing. The
personality Of the Spirit is subjectively true for
that believer in spite Of all the historical
guments in the world. But as to the objective
statements in the Greed. the author has ef-
fectiveiy and in good temper stated the argu-
n.ents that may be urged against their cred
Utility.