Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-05
FOR SUNDAY READING.
All Sorts Of opinions.
URGES THE CREED OF CHRIST.

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URGES THE CREED OF CHRIST.
[Rev. r. w. Rosers.l
As righteousness leads to a clearer
understanding Of religion than either
doctrine or opinion. therefore the two
objects of allscreeds should be to school
man in the divine art Of right doing"
and to instill trust in Christ, the incar-
nation of God and the perfect model Of
the upright life. But in vain has the
scholar limited by finite mind endeav-
lored to build q statement Of doctrine
that should teach these principles in
method ideal in its simplicity, and still
as he has extended his fruitless labors
he has never asked What creed would
the Nazarene formulate for the direc-
ton Of the righteous life?'' Yet the
Christ has given to the world a code Of
rules which in its simplicity will ever
remain the worlds most masterful5
statement Of the necessary doctrine.
A lawyer had asked the Christ for
statement of his doctrine and in answer
he gave to him this creed:
u. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
With ali thy heart, and with all thy soul
and with all thy mind.
y. Thou shalt love thy neighbor az
|Ethyself."
And his argument for presenting this
brief statement was:
On these two commandments hang
eth the whole law and the prophets
This is what might be called the
Christ creed, and tho it may be unwise5
to disturb religious institutions by the
adoption of this brief form, yet lit is;
most apparent that religious thought is
evolving toward this as final state-s
ment.
HEREsIEs OF THE CONFESSION.
lRev H. A. Percival Tells How 1t
Hampers Presbyterians.l
Our doctrinal standards rlgidly en-
forced would divide and scatter and
minify US till only fretted fragments
would remain.
The confession represented the best
thought of the sixteenth century, but
as new light is ever bursting from
Gods holy word and as the revelation
Increases the old standards of human
| handiwork are sadly out of date and
hang as an octopus about our necks.
What we want and must have is a
shorter creed. which pastor elder and
church member can readily accept. II
we reject the confession in part, as We
| do, we are sure to be misunderstood.
! Let US put it away in the ecclesias-
4 5tical museum for the following reasons:
| !. The Westminster confession con-
istains no statement about the love Of
God.
t,- n e
4 that the gospel is a free offer of life
and salvation to all who will accept it
i and turn from their sins.
3. The confession consigns all the
l3heathen to one common perdition,
! whereas We believe today that those
who follow the light they have will find
their way at last. thru Christ s grace,
Into the eternal light of God.
4. And worse yet. chapter 3. sections
ii33 and 4, declares that men are hopeless
lily lost from all eternity by the decree
1 of Cod.
s. And. most terrible of all, by the
4 common Interpretation Of language the
Il confession teaches the doctrine OF i'm
4 FAINT damnation.
q Let US at once get out OF our false pc.
I sition and escape our miserable dilem-
4 mas by formulating a simple creed thai
we can genuinely believe.
THE EDITOR IN THE PULPIT.
i In antithesis to the recent experiment
i made by Rev Charles Sheldon, Rev.
i DIR. Jay Benson Hamilton, in the De-
kalb Avenue Methodist church, read
what he termed a parable entitled
The Editor in the Pulpit 1t was in
part as follows:
Il THE pastor of a strong Methodist
II church in a city within few: hours
i ride Of New I ork. exchanged with a
.lEcollege chum, who was the editor of a
Il daily paper. The editor discarded all
4 traditions in the management of the
d social meetings. The tramps who held
\ no church relations We're forbidden to
II speak long Winded prayers and testi-
h monials We're interrupted and short
4ened. the familiar use of the name OF
4 God was rebuked, the denunciation OF
4 the sins of others instead of the con-
4 fession of ones own sins We're sup
8 pressed. anything contrary to common
. sense in social worship was restrained
4 THE city was canvassed in the in
lterest of religion as men canvassed y
q for business. Every family was faith
.Efully and systematically approached
THE church was thrown wide oper
4 every day. a reading room for mer
I, land women and a playroom for child,
rem established. A social happy time
. was provided every week night in the
audience room. A choice entertain!
Il ment, consisting of lectures, recita-
!. tions. vocal and instrumental music
II was furnished free of charge. Repre-.
a sentatiVes OF the church greeted al
who attended with a word of welcome
ii and dismissed them with a warm invi
l5tation to come again.
THE sermons dealt with sins in thu
4 church. The first sermon revealed TIL,
II alliance of the church with the saloon
Names of prominent members wer,
given who owned property which wa!
rented for saloons, who manufactured
;Ifliquor or who We're addicted to its us
Il and abuse.
! The Sunday evening problem wa
y solved by making the service a popula
& lone by means of pictures, music ant
Vivid addresses on practical question:
r in the light of the Bible truth. The ed
t|itor concluded his ministry by confess
ling that the difficulties encountered b.
\ the minister were revelation. Boil
: minister and editor had learned b.
4 their experience that the press and tn
: pulpit We're not enemies nor rivals. blu
I allies. Each in its own place and in IT
"