Other People's Miseries

1895

The Man of Letters Heeds Them More Than Does the Orthodox Religionist.

It is quite extraordinary how callous even the most religious persons in the past have often been to the miseries of their fellow creatures, both in this world and the next. They have indeed expressed their gratitude for being safe and sound themselves, but not without a feeling of complacency that others are not so fortunate. It is this callousness, writes James Payn, in the Cornhill Magazine, which has rendered the man of letters — impulsive and sensitive, soft hearted, yet easily moved to indignation and charitable even toward the sins he is not inclined to — unorthodox and something more. There may be in him a want of submissiveness to the divine will and certainly of that unquestioning faith which is the comfort of so many souls, but there is no lack of human love and sympathy, and the man who loves his fellows, we are told, is very near to loving his Creator.

At all events, the feeling I have described seems to me to have more or less pervaded the minds of almost all men of letters with whom I have conversed upon spiritual things. Because literary men are not, as a rule, churchgoers they are often considered irreligious or as complete Gallios in the matter, but this is not at all my experience of them, and I have lived in their midst for nearly half a century.

A very distinguished member of the clergy used to say, with those half shut eyes that always showed when his vein of humor was touched and which caused it to be said of him that he "never saw a happy moment," "What strikes one as so queer is that belief in their particular dogma is made the essential point of all sects, all of which, save one — and perhaps even that — must be wrong."

Who damns every creed but his own
Must look for a limited heaven
And is like a man laying long odds
When the long odds to him should be given.

It never seems to strike a theologian that his calculation is contrary to the doctrine of chances.

The Union of Christendom

1900

Plan and Creed Suggested

If by unity is meant uniformity, then it is plain that Church unity is not desirable. For, men have different tastes and preferences in the worship and service of God, as in other things. God has made them so. There is no reason in the world why the Episcopalian should not worship God in a sonorous liturgy and the Friend in the silence of the spirit. No reason why the Presbyterian should not order things by the government of the Presbytery, and the Congregationalist leave the determination of all business to the vote of the Congregation. And so on. But, there is every reason why all should work together in harmonious co-operation for the glory of God and the good of man.

In our nation we have certain rights that are reserved to the states; and certain other interests that are deputed to federal control. In the national defense — we have the army and the navy. In the army, the infantry, the artillery and the cavalry, but all work together under the President as the supreme head. Why can not the denominations federate? Why can they not allow each body individual autonomy, and on certain broad lines? It can be done. It is being done — notably in the Federation of the Free Churches of England, and in certain restricted localities in this country of ours.

As for a common creed — we have one already in the platform of the Evangelical Alliance, which is satisfactory to all the Evangelical churches of Christendom. This is a platform of nine planks, as follows: (1) The divine inspiration, authority, and sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures. (2) The right and duty of private judgment in the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. (3) The unity of the Godhead, and the trinity of the persons therein. (4) The utter depravity of human nature in consequence of the fall. (5) The incarnation of the Son of God, his work of atonement for sinners and mankind, and his mediatorial intercession and reign. (6) The justification of sinners by faith alone. (7) The worth of the Holy Spirit in the Conversion and sanctification of the sinner. (8) The immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, the judgment of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, with the eternal blessedness of the righteous, and the eternal punishment of the wicked. (9) The divine institution of the Christian Ministry, and the obligation and perpetuity of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. — JOHN DIETRICH LONG

—The Ram's Horn, Nov. 17, 1900, p. 8.

Revising The Presbyterian Creed

1900

Dr. Herrick Johnson says concerning creed revision in the Presbyterian Church: "There are five great points that constitute 'the real issue' in the revision movement. Two of the five points are things in the confession, viz: The decree of reprobation and the 'elect infant' clause; and three of the five points are things not in the confession, viz: The love of God for all men, the duty of discipling all nations, and a formulated doctrine of the Holy Spirit. * * A supplemental creed must restate all our essential doctrines, seeking to give them scriptural perspective and proportion and form, and in absolute loyalty to 'the system' that has been our glory and our joy. Personally, I prefer the supplemental creed as the fullest and completest method of adjustment."

—The Ram's Horn, Nov. 17, 1900, p. 22.

Revising the Westminster Confession

1901

The committee named by the Presbyterian general assembly to deal with the proposed changes in the creed has after a careful analysis of the recommendations of over 200 presbyteries concluded in favor of revision. It will submit this conclusion to the general assembly next May, a conclusion founded on the following facts:

The returns indicate (1) that the church desires some changes in its creedal statement; (2) that no change is desired in any way impairing the integrity of the system of doctrine contained in the Confession of Faith; (3) the desire of a large plurality that changes should be made by some new statement of present doctrines; (4) a desire upon the part of many presbyteries for some revision of the present confession.

It was therefore unanimously agreed by the committee, says The Outlook, to recommend to the general assembly that some revision or change be made in the confessional statements. Substantial but not final agreement was reached as to the method of preparing changes embodying both revision and supplemental statement, but the determining of the whole matter was deferred to a subsequent meeting of the committee.

The Outlook expresses the hope that the result of "revision" may be a brief statement containing only those doctrines essential to Christian faith, leaving Presbyterianism to be, what it really is, distinctive in polity, but not in doctrine.

That the Presbyterian church as a whole is not behind the times, The Outlook says, may be seen from the fact that less than a third of the presbyteries recommended dismissal of the subject, and in many cases, as in New York and Philadelphia, the vote recommending dismissal was a close one. Hence before the meeting of the committee it was evident that it must needs recommend a creedal change.

Apostle's Creed — The Office of The Holy Ghost

Pennsylvania, 1882

St. Paul's German Lutheran

At St. Paul's German Lutheran Church yesterday morning, the Rev. E. H. Gerhardt preached an instructive sermon on the gospel of the day in conjunction with the third article of the Apostle's Creed, as both suggest the office of the Holy Ghost. This is the first sermon of a series of three to be delivered in this church by the pastor on the Sundays preceding Pentecost, and on the third article of the creed in connection with the gospel for the day.

The pastor opened his sermon by calling the attention of the hearers to the expressions concerning the Holy Ghost in the three chief symbols of the church's faith, that there is a Holy Ghost "the Lord and Giver of life." The Holy Ghost is not made, nor created, nor begotten, but eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son, John 15:26. "But when the comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father." That the Holy Ghost is proceeding from the Father and the Son is denied by the Greek church, Irvingites, Old Catholic and Moravians in their Easter Litany. The Holy Ghost is of equal essence and power with the Father and the Son, Acts 5:3,4; 1 Cor. 3:16. This doctrine is denied by the Armenians, Socinians, Unitarians, Universalists, (so called) Protestants, Swedenborgians, Bible Christians, Campbellites, Christians, Quakers, Hicksite Quakers, Mormons, Shakers, Christian Israelites, Seventh Day Adventists and Spiritualists.

It is the office of the Holy Ghost to sanctify us, to bring us to Christ in order that we may be saved. " Neither is there salvation in any other," (Acts 4:12). Jesus Christ became man, suffered and died in order that we might be His, live under Him in His Kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness. To this end salvation appeared that we shall believe in Jesus Christ and come to Him. We cannot by our own reason and strength believe in Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Cor. 2:14; Rom. 7:18,19); but must be led thereto by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). The Holy Spirit is powerful to work sanctification; this has been promised to us (Acts 2:1-18). The Holy Ghost brings us to Christ in no other way but by the Divinely appointed means, the Word and the Sacraments; and this by a fixed order of salvation.

The first in the order of salvation is calling. It is the universal and gracious invitation of God to enter His Kingdom and accept salvation through Christ by faith. All men are called through the Gospel, for that all men shall be saved that believe in Him who has mercy upon all men (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). Calvinists teach that God has decreed from eternity some to be saved, and some to be lost. After man has been called he must be illuminated, by which the Holy Ghost instructs the now called man and imparts to him a knowledge of his sinfulness as well as of Divine grace. To the illumined mind the Holy Ghost now produces deep sorrow on account of sins committed, and that by faith in the merits of Christ he shall be saved. Man attaining this stage will now appear improved, regenerated and born anew by the effectual working of the Holy Ghost through the means of grace, and this coinciding with justification, man upon entering that mystical union with God will experience more and more the presence of God, and His dwelling in him in a special manner. The sanctifying act of the Holy Spirit will be now more and more felt, and the believer continually seeking a higher degree of perfection in faith, love and obedience.

The pastor closed his remarks by earnestly admonishing all present unceasingly to pray to the Holy Ghost to preserve them in true faith unto everlasting life.

The theme for the next sermon will be The Sanctification of the whole Christian Church on earth.

—Chester Times, Chester, Pennsylvania, May 8, 1882.

Hope Crapsey Will See Error of Ways

1906

If He Doesn't His Jurors Decide That Church Shall Suspend Him

Rochester, N. Y., May 15. — The verdict in the heresy trial of Rev. Dr. Algernon S. Crapsey was today delivered to the accused minister. The four jurors state in their opinion sentence should be passed as follows:

"That the respondent should be suspended from exercising functions of the church until such time as he shall satisfy the ecclesiastical authorities of the diocese that his belief and teaching conform to the doctrines of the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed as this church has received the same. However, we express the earnest hope and desire that the respondent may see his way clearly during the thirty days that under the canons of the church must intervene before sentence can be pronounced to fully satisfy the ecclesiastical authorities of such conformity on his part."

The charges against Crapsey grew out of a series of sermons, delivered by him while he was rector of St. Andrew's church at Rochester, and which he subsequently published in book form under the title of "Religion and Politics." In brief the charges declare Crapsey in these writings denies the doctrines of the divinity of Christ, his virgin birth, his resurrection and the doctrine of the Trinity as contained in the Apostles' and Nicene creeds and the Book of Common Prayer of the Protestant Episcopal church of the United States.

Dr. Francis S. Dunham filed a minority report in which he says:

"I find from Crapsey's own statements and evidence submitted for his defense that his defense is that his error consists rather in presuming to define what God has not been pleased to reveal, and to interpret those doctrines in a manner not generally received by the church, rather than in denial and rejection of their truth and authority."

Dr. Eliot Offers a New Religion

1914

Future Church Will Rob Death of Terror

Spurns Biblical Stories and Rejects Miracles as Impossible

Boston, Mass., Jan. 5. — A new interpretation of the Divine Being has been advanced by President Emeritus Charles W. Eliot of Harvard in a continuation of his predictions on the religion of the future.

Dr Eliot would bar the word "God" and substitute "Our Father." Nothing so radical as his ideas on the appellation of the Divine Being has been advanced for many years. This statement has been published by the American Unitarian association. This twentieth century Christianity of Dr. Eliot does not believe in the Garden of Eden. The serpent tempting Eve and then tempting Adam he turns over to the rubbish heap. He says God did not make man out of the dust of the ground; God did not turn stonemason and give into the hands of Moses the ten commandments; neither did the sun stand still for Joshua; neither did Jonah go through his thrilling experience in the closed quarters of the whale.

These and other stories Dr. Eliot would designate pleasant reading, but not for belief. There will be nothing like dogmas or creed in this twentieth century religion. No miracle will be found in it.

"Men of science," Dr. Eliot says, "have no faith in magic or miracle."

Dr. Eliot's religion will stop speculation in theology. It puts a damper on future schools of theology, like that which has been the outgrowth of the nineteenth century in Germany. The church of the future will have more reverence for the personality of Jesus, will prefer liberty to authority, will rob death of its terror.

"No thinking person now accepts as anything but primitive myths of fanciful poetry the story of the Garden of Eden," Dr. Eliot says, "or the portrait of God in the second chapter of Genesis as a being who worked man out of the dust of the ground, as a child fashions an image of snow or clay.

"The creator is for modern men a sleepless, active energy, and will, which yesterday, today and forever actuates all things as the human spirit actuates its own body, so small, and yet so inconceivably complex.

"By savage man the gods were recognized chiefly in the irresistible catastrophes of nature — in the lightning, the earthquake, the flood, and the drought, the volcano, and the mighty wind.

"Twentieth century people recognize God chiefly in the wonderful energies of sound, light and electricity; in the vital processes or plants and animals, in human loves and aspirations, and in the evolution of human society."

Philosophical View of Death Taken by Lane

1921

Writes Before Operation That "Lead Kindly Light" is His Gospel

SAN FRANCISCO, May 18. — Franklin K. Lane viewed death philosophically, and during the period of his apparent convalescence he embodied his thoughts on the subject in a letter he wrote to a few personal friends, among them being Isadore Dockweiller of Los Angeles, Democratic national committeeman. Before going on the operating table at Rochester, Lane said in his letter, he had "come to the conclusion that perhaps the best statement of my creed could be fitted into the words, 'I accept,' which to me meant that if in the law of nature my individual spirit was to go back into the great ocean of spirits, my one duty was to conform. 'Lead, kindly light,' was all the gospel I had. I accepted. I made pretense to put out my hand in submission and lay there."

"I need not tell you that the whole performance was managed with considerable eclat," his letter continued, "and Dr. Will Mayo was to use the knife. * * * On the whole, it was what the society reporter would call a 'recherche' affair. * * *

"I have seen death come to men in various ways, some rather novel and western. I once saw a man hanged. And I have seen several men shot, and came very near going out that way myself two or three times, but always the other fellow aimed poorly. I was being shot at because I was a newspaperman, and I should have been shot at. There must be public be concern in what is printed, as well as its truth to justify it. That is something that newspapers should get to know in this country. After the earthquake in San Francisco, I saw walls topple out upon a man, and I have more intimate glimpses still of the picturesque and of the prosaic ways by which men come to their taking off.

"But never before have I been called upon to deliberately walk into the valley of the shadow, and, say what you will, it is a great act. * * *

"There was a long ray of light leading from my bed to my door. I had opened my eyes. I had not died — I had come through the valley. In the broad part of the ray was my wife smiling, and stretching out to that unreachable door were others whom I recognized, all smiling. Things were dim, but the mind seemed definite."

—Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, May 18, 1921, page 2.

Hard Shell Creeds

1922

By DR. JAMES I. VANCE

It was in the smoker of a Pullman car. There, if anywhere, men speak out their minds without reservation.

We had talked long enough for reserve to vanish, when I said: "Gentlemen, what about politics?" The replies were like a machine gun in action. "Politics is ruined. It is gone to the bad. The country can't be saved by politics."

Then after a moment, I said: "Well, "what about religion?" There was a bit of silence. Then one man said: "Religion is a beautiful thing." Right down the line, each of the others repeated: "Yes, Religion is a beautiful thing." "But," added one, "there is one kind of religion I don't like. It is the kind which says that if you want it, you can't get it, if you get it, you can't lose it; and if you lose it, you never had it." "What kind of religion is that?" I asked. "Hard shell!" I could not blame him.

The creed of the hard shell is not a beautiful thing. To try to feed immortal souls on such a religion is like offering a diet of ground limestone to nursing babes.

It is the creed which puts dogma over life, and sacrifices the welfare of humanity to the interests of party or sect.

—Charleston Daily Mail, Charleston, West Virginia, April 7, 1922, page 13.