Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-04-20
OLD CREED MADE NEW.

new departure In the statement of
faith mas been made by the Maple
wood Congregational church. Of
Maiden. Mass The old and elaborate
confession, to which members former
ly were to subscribe has been aban-
doned for the following:
Il believe in God, the loving Father
Of the race,
Il believe in the universal brother
hood OF man, as taught by Jesus
Christ.
II believe in Jesus Christ as the STU
preme Revealer Of divine character, as
the moral and religious Teacher, the
spiritual Guide, and the Redeemer OF
men.
In uniting with this church, l prom
ise 10 give myself TO its service, to
work FOR It's upbulldlng. and to walk
with all Its members and with all men
in a spirit Of charity and faithful
ness"
The first notable point in this is the
fact that faith in universal brother
hood" is placed between faith in the
First and Second Person of the Deity
The old confessions Of faith always give
our Lord the next place after the Eter-
nal Father. both Of whom they declare
to be of the same essence, equal in pow
er and in glory. Here the Son is given
a rank next to universal brotherhood"
Another notable point is that the Sec
ond Person Of the Deity is not declared
to be God Of God" but merely the
Supreme Reyealer Of divine character"
the Teacher" the Guide" and "the
Redeemer' His divine attributes and
character are evidently not recognized
though the first place is accorded Him
among the worlds Jewellers" teach.
ers,' guides and II, deemers," much I'm
the same way as the first place among
prophets Is by Mohammedans accorded
to the Arabian prophet and reformer.
stu another remarkable feature OF
the declaration Of faith is the absence
OF all reference to the Holy Spirit. by
orthodoxy always regarded as the third
Person of the tribune God. A great
change of sentiment in regard to the
orthodox conception Of the Deity must
have taken place in certain quarters
OF the Christian" world. We are aware
that Congregatlonalists do not claim
authority for their declarations OF
faith They do not believe in creeds as
bond OF union; still such statements
must be intended to convey an idea
Of what is commonly believed among
their members, Otherwise there would
be no object whatever in formulating
and publishing such statements.
There is no doubt that the thought
Of the religious world is slowly under
going a transformation. The tenden-
cy is TO recede from the old creeds and
standards Of faith, many Of which are
wholly unintelliglble and to find some
simpler and more practical definitions
Of doctrine. There is quite a strug-
gle between the old and the new. In
this struggle many are lost to the
churches. Their faith falls when the
ancient foundations are shaken. It
seems TO us that what the entire re-
ligious world just now needs is to adopt
and TO act upon some such declara-
ton Of faith as this;
we believe all that God has re.
vealed, all that He does now reveal
and we believe that He will yet reveal
manv great and important things per.
tanning to the Kingdom OF Cod"
II is impossible to find a way out Of
all error. except through the light OF
revelation. 1t Is not possible to prog
ress IN the right direction unless that
light be continually with us. Most OF
the churches are now where they we're
ages ago, in knowledge. They are
stationary, while In other respects the
world has advanced. From every large
body fractions have broken loose, be.
cause they could no longer bear the
armour OF the generations long ago
past, but felt the irresistible need OF
new modes Of thought and methods.
But they, too. have become stationary,