Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-03-06
CREED AND LIFE.
Rev DR.. J. L. Stokes Takes Issue
With Rev. r. p. Johnson.

Those people who are always talk
ing about how would Christ do, COM
ments the Charlotte Chronicle, should
take heed to the words Of Rev. r. P.
Johnston pastor of the Fifth Avenue
Baptist church in New York, in a re-
cent sermon preached in Chicago. If
all Christians tried to copy Christs
life exactly, all science, commerce, ag-
riculture and other business would
cease" he said, "and an unprecedent-
ed era Of disintegration would ensue.
1t would be the greatest possible ca
lamity that could happen. Instead Of
copying Christ's life to the letter, live
in the spirit of it." Concluding, he laid
down the proposition that mot many
years ago man would have been call
ed a hereto who said a person was a
Christian and did not belong to any
church. Now it is not the question Of
creed or institution, but of living.
The man with a good life and bad
creed is better than man with good
creed and a bad life" That is an
epigram that deserves to live.
The above clipping, Mr.. Editor, is
from a recent issue of your paper. l
beg the privilege of brief reply, dis
senting most emphatically, though in
all charity and courtesy, from the posi-
tion of the reverend gentleman quoted.
ask this privilege of you all the more
freely because l recognize your excel
lent paper as one of the forces for
righteousness in our midst; and be-
cause l have had personal experiences
of your considerate treatment.
l confess that l am a little mystified
by the first part of the quotation above.
If it means that a commonsense inter-
probation of our Masters teachings
should obtain, l have nothing to say to
that. We use our commonsense in all
other interpretations, and l see no rea-
son why we should leave 1t behind
when we seek to know the real mean
ing of the Divine law. But If the
preacher meant to say that the run
ming of Sunday trains (for one in
stance) is a necessary part of our civil
ization and social well-being, why in
that case demur
But it is with the second part of the
quotation, that touching creed and
life, and the epigram that you COM
mend-it is with this that my answer
has really to do. You will allow me to
| have my say" as follows:
/. | do not know anybody who be-
lieveS that one is lost simply because
he has never had the opportunity of
joining the church. We do not hold
salvation by church in that sense.
But it is surely quite another thing
when a man wilfully neglects Gods best
plan for saving sinners. Granted that
the church. a Divine institution. is
Gods best plan for saving men, and it
| follows that eveI on calculation OF
probabilities-the very lowest ground
| il cannot be matter of Indifference
whether a man is in the church or not.
Possibly, very probably, Rev. Mr..
Johnson did not mean so much. We
will hope so. But his careless state
ment may be, and by many will be,
| thus construed.
2. AS to the epigram AS all api-
grams, it is bright and taking-but not
| true. II rests upon a fa'Se assumption.
We challenge the assumption that fire.
quently a good life goes along with a
bad creed and vice versa. The trouble
| here is that we associate a mans creed
with hypocritical, or at most a mere
| ly formal, profession of it. Certainly
such a creed has little Of help or OF
harm in it. But the real creed is what
a man so truly accepts that it becomes
part of his very being. He is willing
TO live it; he is ready TO die for IT..
Such a creed cannot but be a deter
mining factor I'm a mans life. If it be
an unworthy creed it must lower his
ideals and hamper the noblest exer-
cises of his soul. If it be worthy
creed. it must become the inspiration
of all that is true and beautiful and
good.
1t is often said that 1T makes no
difference what man believes, so his
life is right" But there is the diff
ficulty in that provisO. A mans life
will not be all right If he believes that
Success" for instance), like charity,
covers multitude of sins" if he be-
lieves that money answereth all
things" if. in a word. he commits
himself TO the sOulless brigandage of
"high finance" In that honest hour