Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-07-28
ASSUME NOTHING N
MAKING YOUR CREED
Doubsers Find The jonah And
Whale Story a Stumbling
Block TO Religion
MUST BUILD UPON FAITH

+ Despite the warm weather large
leongregation was present yesterday
InorninK IN the First presbyterian
Church. where the pastor. ReY. Maur-
ice S. White. preached an earnest,
forceful sermon on the subject Max
ing Your Creed. .
The pastor said, in part
Most people are perfectly willing
Ito accept as their creed the teaching
OF their church But many. IN passing
through period of doubt will find d
stumbling block. such for instance as
the Jonah and the whale story and be-
cause they cannot reasonably believe
that. they decide that religion Is super
istition and lost interest In II alto
lgether 1t ii for such enauiring spirits
that wish 10 ofter few suggestions
regarding faith Religion is 10 ex
lfreinely important Ill ones life espe-
scially III time Or trouble and III the
hour of death that one cannot AFFORD
TO be without it, just because q few
Idoubts have entered his mind
Is there not something then. about
the Christian Religion that can be rea
sonably proved that Will pass the
critical scientific test
III starting Id make your creed You
must begin by assuming nothing Take
only that which yon can prove to yours
self to your entire satisfaction Then
you will be building upon solid ground
Make use of good authorities Just as
you would In the study Of chemistry
or any other brand Of science Reason
from effect 10 cause he sure the facts
you reason from are part Of your
own experience, Or al least common to
d great many people upon whom You
can inApliciteIy rely
With these thoroughly scientific
principles III mind, start to make your
creed. Begin at the most important
fact III the Christian religion, that is.
with Jesus Christ himself All viii
admit that he was unique among men
He could not have been i fanatic and
have left us the ideal teachings which
He did How account for His unique
ness? Was ii not this, that He was
that no one has ever been able to-
answer. Which 81 you conyicteth me
of sim He was indeed without sin.
and III this he is different from the
other men Of genius the world has
known
How account for His sinlessness?
To be d scientific reasoner you must
be able to offer some sort Of an ex-
PLANTATION Arguing from effect toI
cause YOU must always be sure that
the cause Is adequate 20 account for
all The facts IN the case There are
two possible explanations for the sins
lessness Of Jesus that seem 10 meet
this test. Either He was miraculously
born. and tiaus differing from other
men, though none the less real Man;
or lit some time iii His life He was en-
lowed with an exceptional control Of
Gods Spirit. Either one of these
conditions makes belief In the super
natural necessary There Is no other
satisfactory way of accounting for the.
uniqueness of Jesus among men. From
this point you can 90 on to believe in
His resurrection from the dead In
deed ii would be surprising If such
Man could be holden Of death You
can 20 further and believe IN His
power To heal and 70 save But make
your own creed, As no one else has a
right to force His upon you have
merely tried 10 give you the starting
point for belief In the supernatural
and on ground that will stand the
test Of experience. scientific reasoning
and common sense Again let me re-
mind you how important It is to have.
something definite and sure upon
which you can build your religious
faith. 4