The sun., 1900-06-10
The Divisioas and Dissensions Of Christianity.

| elRnE, ooh.' D'''''
| PRINCETON, June6
The Divisions and Dissensions Of Christianity.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SrN-Sir' The pa
thetically beautiful. but sadly Utopian. vision
Of Christian work Of the Rev, William d. Grant
would have the merit Of being instructive could
he have introduced in their relative positions to
the great trio some OF the humble sitters In the
dark places-not necessarily very imposing
Joss or Mohammedan or Hindoo. but SUM-
GENTLY so to act as supporter and to render
Intelligent TO the outsiders and few others
Isaiah's adjuration: But now, o Lord. Thou
art our Father we are the clay and Thou our
potter. and we are all the work Of Thy hand"
Further we are assured that, Christianity did
not come TO erect barriers between men. but
10 break them down" What does history teach
us but that ever since Christianity started as
distinct religion di sensions have existed and
| barriers erected by the protesting Christians
themselves have done more to encourage the
so-called heather to remain content with his
own belief than any other logical cause? Take,
for instance. the Apostles creed. Dupin says;
There are reasons which may induce US to question
whether the Apostles composed any such creed as
| this First neither 81 LUXE In the Acts nor any
other eccle esastcal writer before the nth century
makes any mention OF assembly OF the Apostles In
| order 10 the composing Of the creed. Second. the
fathers Of the three nrst centuries In disputing
| against the heretcs endeavorrd 70 prove that the
doctrine contained In this creed was the same which
the Apostles taught but they never pretend that the
Apostles composed II. Third. II the Apostles had
made this creed Il would have been the same In all
ages and all authors would have cited II after the
same manner But the case Is quite otherwise. In
the second and third ages Of the Church there were
many creeds as authors and and the same author
sets down the creed after different manner In several
places Of his works. which Is an evidence that there
was not at that time any creed that rpued 70 bs
the Apostles
Again, In the fourth century Ruiflnus COM
pares together the three ancient creeds OF
Aquileia. Rome and the East which differ very
considerably In the terms. Besides. the creeds
differed not only in the terms and expressions.
but even In the articles. some Of which were
omitted In one or other OF them. such as those
OF the descent into hell" the Communion Of
saints" and the ''life everlasting" We may
gather that the doctrines contained In this
creed were those OF the Apostles, but We cannot
refer to them a. the authors without great
element OF doubt. The author was probably
st. Ambrose, who hourished In the hird CEN
tury. Now. in these matter-of-fact days. when
men insist on knowing. so far as their ability
goes the why and wherefore OF things. and the
ever increasing impetus OF broadening educa-
tional facilities are offered them. can the teach
ers OF dogmas wonder that their old-time argu-
ments are losing force when they begin to think
for themselves.
There are men plenty" says the reverend
gentleman. who will readily so to foreign
lands In the interest Of commerce and personal
, | 0air u-hr> M ho Al fnr
sideration to GO to the same peoples and endure
the same privatons In the interest Of the King
, dom OF God and the salvation OF men" Can
any reasoning human being wonder at this'
, Outside OF the very ignorant masses. who are
generally poor enough to profess anything for
food and clothing what chance would even the
, most fervent and erudite missionary have OF
converting a Parsee. Mohammsdan or Hindoo
, gentleman In India. or such representative Con-
fucians and Taoists As we have among us from
, | time TO time and whose name is legion In their
own countryi An intelligent Mohammedan,
well-behaved and educated. even by our stand
ard, Ia coun. elled In the Koran: 1T Is
: | not Righteousness that ye turn your
| faces In prayer toward the east and
! the west. but righteousness is Of him who
believeth In God and the last day. and the
: angels. and the Scriptures, and the prophets;
| who giveth money for Gods sake unto his kin
. dred. and unto orphans. and the needy. and the
stranger and those who ask and for redemp-
3 ton OF captives: who Il constant at prayer and
! giveth aims. and OF those who perform their
covenant. where they have covenanted, and
/ | who behave themselves patiently In adversely,
> and bardships and In time OF violence: these
/ | are they who are true. and these are they who
! fear God" Kno wing how rigidly His religion ID
observed. do We offer such an one much better
= exchange In Christianity as presented to-
| day3 And those who come in con.
, | tact with their fellows OF the Hebrew
. religion. do they find Judaism-ever Jealousy-
. | asking who gave thee authority" Surely
not they let other people alone and expect only
what 10 Just In return. non-intervention in theil
Z belief. more general application OF the true
I reading Of the preospt laid down IN Acts xiii %
;. | God, who made Of one blood the whole human
race to psspls all de fsos OF the earth. marked
. out tAs tims fofs-allstted to each. and ~
9 boundaries sf tASr hAbitAtons." might rsssl,
. In philssspAioal superinduotien whereby u
. cAristian tsAia wsuld realiss that tAsir sioksr
q 4 inU md iAternselns 1assasisns sall upsn then
n that rsprSsf Il Hagsai. "Ys havv Uwn nuua
and The Increase b little. - sas bst ~ ere ~,
q l nllsd 70 drnhkut net h shundanoa - ol>tA1