The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-11
SKATERS ROMAN FAITH
IN THE APOSTLES CREED
DR.. Stans6eld Discredits Popular
Belief in the Origin OF
Inspiration I
SIXTH SENSE EXISTS?

The belief of the Church OF Rome that
the Apostles Greed was composed by the
apostles during the forty days that Christ
was with them and was written piece by
piece under the inspiration of the Holy
Ghost was attacked by DIR. Joshua STAINS
field yesterday morning in the first of a Sc
ries of sermons TO be delivered on The
Greed of Christendom"
He holds that the authorship of the creed
is as yet unestablished. but thinks that
facts are not sufficient TO substantiate the
claims of the Roman Church.
The theology of DIR. Stansfield on the sub
ject of creed is that IL is not a summary
of faith, but a statement of some points
which are fundamental and that a creed
has two-fold purpose-first, TO distinguish
the church from the world, the believer
from the unbeliever. and TO show in the
church those who. are in the true faith
and those who not. Faith faculty. he
insists, is the sixth sense which forms the
large part of the human life.
Man never rises to power and achieve
ment upon mere negations or denials. To
lift much he needs firm standing ground.
Faith Is the declaration of conscious moral
gertrude, and one OF the sublimest mo-
ments in a human consciousness is when
one can truly say. i believe in God. the
Father Almighty.
CHARGES ovERzEALoUs BELIEF.
The series of sermons, the first of which
four Sundays. concluding May /. In part
the Rev. Dr. Stansfeld said:
I'm presenting these sermons on The
Apostles Greed my principal purpose shall
be to emphasize the cardinal doctrines OF
our holy Christianity as therein so sue
ious to establish the authorship Of this
creed of Christendom tell exactly Of its
origin and rise. Suffice ii to say that the
pretentious claim of the Church OF Rome
hat xx-.ar cd nv he
selves during the forty days that Christ
with them after His resurrection and
was given piece by piece under the inspira-
ton of the Holy Ghost by the lips or the
several disciples, is utterly without founda-
ton, except i'm the mind OF some over
jealous believer in the divine origin Of this
remarkable document.
The origin of this creed is lost in an
tiquity, though there is historic reason Tor
the statement that il probably had its
beginning in the third century OF the
church.
why or under what circumstances we
do not know. Ii is mentioned ana quoted
from by such writers as Ambrose and ku-
fnus In the third and fourth centuries.
though IL only became part or the pubic
worship in the Greek and Roman churches
in the eleventh century, and was later
taken up also by the Protestant churches
at the Reformation.
ut should be remembered that a creed 10
not necessarily a complete summary or
faith, but a statement of some points
which are fundamental but which have
been disputed. AS. for instance, the doc
trine OF atonement is not mentioned AT all
in the Apostles Greed, some inferring
therefrom that IL was not taught IN the
early church, the proper inference, now
ever, would be that that doctrine was never
questioned at all.
DOES SIXTH SENSE EXIST?
LAS for the authority of creeds. the
Protestant teaching is that the creed may
be a standard of doctrine, but that the
Bible alone is the rule of faith
THE two-fold purpose of creed is.
first, to distinguish the church from the
world, the believer from the unoelleyer.
and, second, to show I'm the church those
who are I'm the true faith and those who
are not. In the first sense Is the Apostles
Greed: in the second sense IS the Atha-
nasian creed, with its amplihcations and
.iThe Apostles Greed is the only creed that
Is used in baptism in all of christendom.
or al least by Greek Roman. English. Re-
formed, Lutheran, Methodist Episcopal and
Protestant Episcopal churches.
.sThe larser part of human life Is not TO
no known by the five senses Of man. There
is a sixth sense. the faith faculty, SUBJ
lime power whereby he discerns love. and
truth. and justice ana risn ssssd s ana
senses may man know or sense the best OF
his life The largest parts or LIES phe-
nomena are 70 be known only by this
higher faculty or power. Faith is an evil
dence OF strength. Doubt, uncertainty.
hesitancy are enervating. Man never rises
TO mower and achievement upon mere Mega
lions or denials-
..,ro lift much he needs firm standing
ground Faith is the declaration of con-
scious moral certitude- By faith We may
have Abraham and Jacob and Moses and
Davia and Daniel and the prophets.
..-rhere is comfort IN the reflection that
when W. are parted In death we are not
narted forever that our love for those
whom we have cherished on earth is not
a temporary bond which is 20 be broken
ere long in bitterness and despair. but a
of souls-interrupted for a little while -
the separation OF the body. only TO be
again renewed I'm far greater perfection.
Candor compels us 10 admit that an giving
IL up with the other illusions OF our youI.S-
or DAYS. We are resigning a balm for the
wounded spirit for which IL would be hard
TO md an equivalent IN all the repertories
of science and in all the treasures OF
philosophy"