The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-06-28
THE CREED WE ALL NEED
SERMON BY REV. A. c. DIXON, OF
BROOKLYN, N. Y.

I
"As a Man Thinketh, so He ls."
Text. For God so loved the world
that lie gave His only begotten Son,
that whosocver belicveth in Him
should not perish, but have everlast-
ing life John ill.,, 10.
While thousands of people were
crowding Carnegie Hall and overflow
ing its spacious auditorium into the
churches around, eager to hear the dis
cusslon of themes that interested the
world, and the report of the triumphs
of the Gospel in all lands. IA bill poster
was pasting Il placard on the bulletin
board near the entrance to the hall,
announcing that certain freethinker
would speak Sunday afternoon on the
"Crumbling Creeds of Christianity"
How many people came to hear him
do not know but it would doubtless
not have been difficult to count the
number of his audience
The fact is the creeds of Christianity,
instead Of crumbling. are becoming
more definite and compact. \ creed is
definite statement of belief Every
man of sense has creed of some kind.
If he rejects all Crccds, he simply
holds Il creed of no creed. His belief
Is that a man should have no belief
And find that the believers in no be-
lief are the most credulous believers I'm
the world They refuse to accept
| Christianity because of some little
gnats of difficulty, while they swallow
camcls of absurdities by the caravan
If one advocates that all crceds should
be put in pile and burned up, that
we may find in the ashes the gold of
n creed worth having, he simply as
scrts that all others should give up
their creed for his creed
There Is an opinion afoat that the
Christian Church is growing tired of
crecds. 1t Is a mistake. The Christian
Church is really demanding more def
niteness in creed, and these discussions
among our Presbyterian brethren
about the Westminster Confession of
Faith indicate growing sentiment
in favor of creed If no one cared
anything about n creed, there would
he no demand for creed revision. 1t
also shows healthy growth in ethical
stamina. Ministers are waking up to
/ the fact that 1t is dishonest to sub
scribe to Il creed they do not believe.
| At regular intervals the professors Of
certain theological seminary are re-
/ Quired to sign their names to the creed
| which the founders of the seminary be-
| lieved. and gave their money to per-
! petuate. and yet is a wcll-known fact
| that some of its professors openly
avow that they do not believe parts Of
! the creed which they have endorsed
The avowal of their unbclief, after
| they have signed the creed. does not re-
/ lievc them of responsibility. but rather
/ increases IT, while it publishes to the
world their double dealing. The en-
/ lightencd Christian conscience of this
age will not tolerate the successors of
the pagan priests who ministered at
the altar for pay, while they whispered
to each other their contempt for what
! they were doing. The god Janus, who
faces both ways for peace, is ceasing
to be popular deity. Reality, SINGER
ity and frankness are demanded Of
Christ'S teachers.
The importance of ones creed can
not he overestimated. "As man think.
eth. so he is" Greed makes character.
What man believes will sooner or
later mould Il mans character. Char
acter is also test of creed. Learn a
mans character and you have learned
his creed. Men of bad characters some
times hold "A good creed, and men of
good characters may hold bad creed.
But they do not believe what they
hold 1t is to them like an apple in the
hand. But n creed one really believes
is like the apple eaten, having be.
come Il part of blood, nerve, bone and
muscle Creeds are mental, moral and
spiritual food They become part OF
the man, who, sooner or later, rises or
falls to the level of his creed Heresy
in the pulpit is always Il sign of her
esy I'm the character. If it be moral
heresy. there is defect in moral char
acter. II II be spiritual heresy 1t Is
Il sign of defect in spiritual character.
If it be mental heresy, there is defect
in mental character
The demand for shorter creeds may
be "A sign of decadence in faith. The
critics who would cut the Bible to
pieces with their little penknlves must
have IA short creed because they have
such little Bible. Those who reject
the supernatural want creed that
eliminates God and eXalts man. And
when man leaves God out he may ex
press his belief in few words. He who
doubts his faith, and believes in his
doubts, wants only creed of mega
tions. The poor agnostlc advertises
his belief in his own ignorance in one
short sentencc-"I do not know"
Or the demand for shorter creed
may be sign of intensity of belief
\. There Is such n thing as thought
packed till II becomes solid, The fire
mists of controversy contract as they
soIdify into the granite mountains ol
conviction. \ creed may be an intel
lectual, moral and spiritual multum II
parvo. Intense conviction does no
scatter itself in verbiage. In weal
characters 1t may act like steam escap
ing into the open air making noise ant
fog But in strong characters II rushei
into the narrow cylinder, and, driving
] g,stt. Ia. 4