The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-03
Hopkins. containing exhaustive discussion
Of this question. He says: -

i
| Church. looking to the unfcation Of the differ
| ent Christian organizations. one Of the indis-
pensable conditions insisted upon Is the accept
| ance Of what is known as the Apostles Creed;
and in very much Of the theological discussion
, OF the day. it is assumed that whatever else
| may have been shaken, that remains, and must
remain, wholly, unalterably, and forever true.
Now the question is: If all the churches
do sink their differences and unite on that
creed, will they be any more likely TO gain
power over the human race than they were
before?
Mr.. Hopkins takes the ground that if be-
lief is supposed to be necessary TO saliva
ton. there is no use in lodging the ques-
ton of creeds: and that If people are to be
| burned in literal and everlasting hell for
rot accepting the ordinances Of salvation,
| the Church ought to teach definitely and
| uncompromsingly what those ordinances
are. The plain old-fashioned teachings of
the orthodox church, as generally under
stood, are expressed by the remarks of
Rev. Silliman Blagden, an Episcopal cler-
gyman, which are here quoted in part:
Ministers who are poisoned and defed with and
by the Higher Criticism instead of teaching
and warning, in Just go many plain wortL:, that
Gods tells US by St Peter that in His ap-
pointed time He will burn up this world and
all the works therein. and instead of plainly and
in just many exact and precise Biblical words.
| instructng. matchmaking. and warning them re-
| spccting what Christ Almighty Himself warns us
! about hell, the lake OF hre, the second DEATH
eternal punishment. and everlasting burning. and
| where the smoke OF the torment ascendeth up
forever and ever; repeat, that instead of thus
faithfully performing their bounden duty Gods
ambassadors in preaching the whole Word. they,
| on the other hand, being seduced and blinded
and led astray by the satanic Higher Crit
cisrn.'' preach peace, peace, where there is no
peace. like the false prophets Of old: the poor
heather fail to get the true and faithful mis-.
| sionares, and therefore countless thousands will
/ be eternally damned. And il can be clearly
shown, and unquesticnably proven, by both the
letter and spirit Of the whole 'word of Cod"
that there is not the slightest scintillation Of a
shadow OF a forlorn hope for any poor soul that
has ever in the past present died out of Christ.
| or that shall in the future die out OF Christ;
and all else to the contrary, notwithstanding;
| and this can be as exactly and precisely demon
| strated by the "Word OF Cod from Genesis to
Revelation, as can be any mathematical prob
| lem.
| When the reader has disentangled this
somewhat involved but very emphatic
| statement of the Rev Silliman Blagden's
rendering of the gospel of good tidihgs, he
will be able to judge for himself whether
| the higher criticism which contradicts that
gentleman is satanic or not.
| This. however. is a fairly accurate state
nent of the logical conclusion reached by
| perfectly orthodox believer. If eternal
| salvation means anything at all, in the
sense In which it is used by the Church, it
| means salvation from hell; and it behooves
| the Church to define just what one must
| believe to escape hell; what are the es-
| sentials and what the n-essentiais Sup
| posing there is hell. the average man
| certainly ought 10 take as much pains to
| escape going there as he would to escape
the smallpox; and II belief in a revealed
religion is going to save him, there ought
to be absolutely no Goubt as to what that
| revealed religion is. We will assume that
il is summed up in the Apostles Greed.
The average man is first asked to believe
that the creed will save him, and then he
is asked to believe the creed. Is it creed
that one can reasonably accept? That is
the question discussed by Mr. Hopkins.
His discussion is rather elaborate, per-
haps needlessly so. Most mel, after read
ing the statement of faith in question will
be able to decide whether or not they be-
lieve il. But it is interesting, neverthe-
less. to consider all the pros and cons.
The author first explains that the Apos-
;lee Greed is not the work Of the twelve
apostles, as many people think; out was
evolved somewhere about the middle of
the fifth century. and the Greek Church
does not hold it at all. Therefore 1t was not
nearer TO Christ, or the apostles, than We
are to Columbus. Still, supposing the ear
ly Christian church to have been pure in
its spirit, and the makers of the primitive
creed to have been holy men, their work
would yet be worthy Of reverence. But
here is what Gregory Nazianzen said of
the council which met in the fifth century
and declared the Divinity of Jesus:
1t would seem as though herald had convoked
to the assembly all the gluttons, villains, liars,
and false swearers Of the empire.
Not very promising creed factory, GER
tainly
Mr.. Hopkins then proceeds to discuss the
Apostles Greed, article by article. very
much as Paine. lngersoll. Matthew Arno d,
and half a dozen philosophers have done.
He points out the manifest disagreements
OF the writers of the four Gospels as to the
Immaculate Conception, the Resurrection,
and the Ascension. He then enquiries what
reason We have to accept, as testimony on
weigl,ty and important subject, statements
which would not stand In a court OF law
today? Why should we believe that we
shall be eternally lost if we do not credit
statements which come from nobody knows
where, and are, on the face Of them, to7-
trary to reason? Finally, what is one to
do with the fact that these statements.
which We are asked TO believe, do not agree
among themselves? Which is true AMI
which not? The most striking instance Of
this is the statement of the Imma ulate
Conception. The only accounts of this are
found in Matthew and Luke. One says
that the angel appeared to Mary; the other
that he appeared to Joseph. Matthew
cla,nls that Jesus was the son of David,
thiS being the genealogy which would, ac
cording to Jewish belief. be that of the
Messiah. But, he traces the genealogy
through Joseph. Consequently, Jesus was
the son OF the Holy Ghost, and also the
son of Joseph, according TO the teachings
of the church. There seems TO be an extra
miracle here. Moreover, Mary herself is
reported as saying to her son: "Thy father
and / have sought thee sorrowing." Thus
the only testimony she gves-and she
should be the most competent witness-is
directly in favor of the hypothesis that the
Immaculate Conception never took place.
OF this, and Of the Resurrection ard the
Ascension, Mr.. Hopkins naturally remarks:
The simple fact that 1t can be honestly dis
believed and discussed now is Of the strong
est arguments against il.
OF the later statements in the creed he
takes up the communion of saints" AID
here also he has some pertinent things to
say:
Chief Joseph, the noblest red man in history or |
in romance. surpassed by few whites in ability as
a soldier in manly and magnanimous traits of |
character, asked recently in regard to his |
reported opposition 10 the introduction Of schools.
He said:
'No; do no: want schools school houses |
on the Wallowa Reservation"
why do you not want schoos?" asked the |
commissioner.
They will teach us to have churches
And why do you not want churchesY'
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