The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-05

creed. While l will not oppose either of
these proposed methods OF meeting the
demand for doctrinal change, l am per-
suaded that the wise method Of procedure
is the courageous and frank one. We
should meet the need OF our day by a
creed made to-day to state the present
faith OF our church
Third. We must do this II we are to
fulil our mission to our own generation
No church can successfully maintain its
right to separate existence in this day Of
emphasis upon Christian unity, unless it
can show that il has distinct mission
We believe We have such a mission
Other churches have their mission, one
10 preserve the dignity of the sacraments,
another to teach the value OF order, an
other to defend the rights OF the emo
perimental religion Our mission is to
magnify the worth of doctrine and secure
its exact and definite statement. We are
creed church, and as such have still
service to render the Church of Christ
and the world. Our testimony has ever
been that men do not necessarily get
nearest to God when they get farthest
from creed. We have refused TO be-
lieve that there Is any antagonism be-
tween exact thinking and holy living. We
have asserted that there is direct connec-
ton between creed and life This is our
message and our mission
But we can neither deliver the one nor
discharge the other, unless We have a
creed that Is real and vital A creed
that we preach. A creed Our members
read A creed that we expound and pro-
claim but do not explain and surely do
not explain away. We make our appeal
to the Intelligence of men, but we must
make ii with truth that we hold and that
n
doctrine may be, nor how true IL may
nave been for those who put II into words.
unless 1t be ours and be taught by us
with insistence il will mot be our mes
sage to the world. We must maintain
the truth by stating II as we see it. Thus
and thus only will we, as church, keep
our place and do our work and widen
our influence in the slsterhood of CHURCH
es.
The form of the new creed il not an un-
important item in this discussion, but IL
must be treated in few sentences.
First. IT should be positive. Our the
oiogy Is vertebral and our creed must be.
We believe something and believe II with
all our heart We ought TO state it with
the emphasis OF clear conviction.
Second 1t should be concrete, not alb
stract; philosophical not a philosophy:
scientific in spirit and method without
NN"NhAhb sNlciitts hitt VI tuuIst, lneOlOE-
ical in substance and expression and al
the same time devoid of technicality
Third. 1t should be ironic We are a
Protestant church as distinguished from
Roman Catholic. We are evangelical ana
we hold the Reformed faith. Our creed
to be true, and may we never profess a
false one, must declare our testimony 10
these doctrines. But our creed can state
these doctrines in terms of love and peace.
Il should be an olive branch and not a
sword; sanctuary of the truth TO which
we invite our Christian brethren, not a
citadel from which we attack them
Fourth. It should be long enough TO
comprehend the system OF doctrine taught
in the Holy Scriptures but short enough
to be convenient for use Fewness of
words, and simplicity of expression, are
most desirable.
Let our church state her present faith,
as she is well able to do, IN clear, positive
and ironic form. and she will be to the in
tellectual life of this age as she has been
TO that of other ages, herald of the
truth of God in language that men will
understand and, with a power before
which they will reverently bow.