May 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
279
The Essential Creed of a Christian A Symposium, to be read in connection with “ The Necessity of Dogma” Page 274
JT a recent meeting of the Southern California Pre- millennial Association (an organization composed of about a hundred and fifty ministers from the leading denominations, meeting once a month at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles), Rev. Henry C. Buell, pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church of Long Beach, California, gave an exceedingly interesting paper on “ The Essential Creed of a Christian.” This was in the nature of a symposium, Dr. Buell having taken occasion recently to write to a number of well known ministers, theological professors and editors of religious periodicals, calling attention to the popular demand for a briefer creed and asking their views at to what things they deemed essential to be included in such a creed. The editor has taken the liberty of briefly commenting on certain of these utterances. Lack of space forbids quoting in full all the replies received by Dr. Buell, but among those recognized as representative “ Modernists” Mr. Nolan R. Best of “ The Continent” gives a creed upon which he thinks all evangelical denominations could unite, as follows: “ The Church of the living God in the world, worthy to he called Christian is that household of our Heavenly Father wherein, united with Him, dwell all those children of His, who, from their hearts, believe that our Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Elder Brother of the household, came into the world to save sinners and who, in the power of the Spirit of God, dedicate their lives to illustrate and extend amid the brotherhood of humanity, the good news of that faith ful saying.” This is a very vague and indefinite statement. A Unitar ian could call Jesus “ The Divine Elder Brother” hut He is nowhere called that in the Srripture, and the expression is inconsistent with the fact that Jesus Christ was “ God manifest in the flesh.” . Dr. William P. Merrill, Pastor Brick Presbyterian Church, New York City, gives as the creed which he con siders essential the following: 1. The personality and fatherhood of God. 2. Faith in Christ, as the revelation of God, and the eternal Master of human life, both individually and col lectively. 3. Confidence in the Bible as the best guide in religious faith and in the conduct of life. 4. The kingdom of God as the hope of the world, includ ing faith in the universal brotherhood. 5. The church as the essential means to that kingdom. 6. The hope or assurance of eternal life. 7. The validity and necessity of prayer. Dr. Merrill’s enumeration of things to be believed con cerning Christ and the Bible are superficial, meaningless terms, calculated to deceive the elect. Now listen to Dr. Robert Freeman, pastor of First Pres byterian Church, of Pasadena, California: “ A Christian is one who is responding to whatever mean ings of Christ are being brought home to his conscience and intellect. This is pretty latitudinous, I know, but it seems to me to be the only fair ground on which to decide whether a man be or be not a Christian. Of course, it means that many of us are allowed different thoughts, for the measure of our comprehension must vary, but I should be satisfied to receive anyone into the Christian church who could affirmatively answer the question of his sincere en deavor to respond to whatever meanings of Christ are brought home to him.” Evidently, Dr. Freeman would receive into Christian fel lowship one who said that, to his conscience, the things of Christ were meaningless, for that would be his “ sincere response.”
Contrast with these vague, ■'indefinite statements, the reply of Dr. A. Gordon MacLennan, pastor of Bethany Pres byterian Church, Philadelphia, and now famous for his stand against the (so-called) Fosdick resolution in the last General Assembly. Dr. MacLennan says: “ To become a Christian two things are essential. First,— a consciousness of sin and the impending wrath of God. Second, a turning in faith to Jesus Christ as the propitia tion for sin, through whose blood and righteousness he may be made acceptable to God. That such a faith may be acceptable, it is necessary that certain things be true, e. g., a Saviour who is God, becoming man by Virgin Birth; a vicarious atonement for sin thereby meeting the demands of Divine justice; a resurrection from the dead thereby au thenticating the work of atonement,— all of which rest upon an infallible revelation— the Word of God. If one is to have a creed, these facts must find a place in it, or it is not Christian.” To this definite, unequivocal statement of essential doc trines every loyal follower of Jesus Christ will say “ Amen” and “ Amen.” Robert E. Speer, Secretary of the Board of Foreign Mis sions of the Presbyterian Church, says: “ Perhaps the best answer that could be given to your question as to what a simple essential creed should include would be the answer which is found in the creed of the Church of Christ in Japan, which is as follows: ‘The Lord Jesus Christ, whom we worship as God, the only begotten Son of God, for us men and for our salvation was made man and suffered. He offered up a perfect sacri fice for sin; and all who are one with Him by faith are par doned and accounted righteous; and faith in Him, working by love, purifies the heart. The Holy Ghost who, with the Father and the Son, is worshipped and glorified, reveals Jesus Christ to the soul; and without His grace man, being dead in sin, cannot enter the kingdom of God. By Him, the prophets and apostles and holy men of old were in spired. And He, speaking in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament is the supreme and infallible judge in all things pertaining to faith and living. From these Holy Scriptures the ancient Church of Christ drew its confession; and we, holding the faith once delivered to the saints, join in that confession with praise and thanksgiving: “ I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; the third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Church universal, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resur rection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.” At the close of the interesting discussion which followed Dr. Buell’s presentation of the results of his investigation, Dr. Frederic W. Farr, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Los Angeles, gave a splendid argument on “ The Necessity for Dogma” which is printed in the form of a separate ar ticle in this issue, and which will later be issued in tract form for wide distribution. m & From England “ I find The King’s Business most indispensable for my work, especially in helping me to write notes for ‘The Bible Call’ which I do monthly. * * * * May the Lord give you much blessing and help in your noble stand against the Modernists and the “ sceptical-critical” rascality. (Pastor J. C. J.)
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker