Show THE DEAD CREEDS OF christendom wn WE clip the annexed paragraph from the philadelphia american fenew new york preachers vie with one ono another la in progressive thin thinking king hing if not in pulpit sensationalism one of them said last lash sunday that old creeds were constantly die dib disappearing appearing and that new ones were springing up there were lind us triai trial and social creeds as well as religious cre ore creeds eds were cradles for intelligence not coffina no combination of men in the nineteenth century could formulate a lasting creed A creed cread was dead when it no longer emitted inspiration light or life dead oreeda creeds were stumbling blocks and upheld by bigotry and fanaticism did infinite mischief the metaphysical portion of all creeds was dead the theory that the fall of adam entailed eternal death on the human race was a dead creed so wa way 3 the theory that the divine laws were so strict that no one could oboy obey them except by appropriating christs christ s righteousness by faith it was a dead creed that heathen infants and idiots could not be saved because they did not know and accept christ the middle of the F seventeenth century was the end of the creed making A time would como come when one harmonious creed would prevail throughout the world according kee kec ice to the above all the creeds of modern christendom are pre dead for they no longer emit or receive inspiration spir atlon A living creed Is progressive gres gre sive salve we do not mean by this that it changes so BO as to deny any ot 0 its formerly established principle I 1 but that it lol lel and imparts added truth as aa fast as its adherents are prepared to them the creeds of the churches are fixed and final when people advance beyond their dogmas a new sect becomes ne nese essary and this in turn has to be rejected with further light because it atia is bound by a certain number of articles or declarations of doctrine it Is ia true that no combination of men in this country can formulate a lasting creed but neither delther could coul they in puy age every creed that is ia made by men no matter how bow wipe wlee or they may be in the thing sot this wo world rid ald is bound to perish no creed but that which Is ia divine will endure and that will never be tied up in a definite number berof of propositions or dogmas it will be progressive but nut the truths added to it will not be destructive of previously revealed doctrines truth is not contradictory of stielf principles may be revealed from god which may be imperfectly understood der stood or not made known at once in their falness tul tui nesb nebb and greater light may correct improper conceptions but there will be no dogma in in a divine creed to discard or principle to throw away as erroneous yet the almighty suits special instructions commandments and counsels to the age and people for whom they are revealed and they chev may not be applicable to future gerl geri gen orations erat ions but his doctrines are eternal truths and can never become dead or obsolete the theories named in the quoted paragraph above are dead because they are not divine they were the inventions of men true they were taught as part of the christian faith but neither christ nor his hla apostles proclaimed them as part of the gospel unauthorized ministers deduced them from in an incorrect understanding of the dead letter of scripture but they 0 are are re all opposed to the living word of if go goi god I 1 and the true doctrine ot of redemption no man but adam will be judged fudged for adams transgression christs Chrls ta righteousness will not auf nice flee for any other person no matter how much faith he may have for all will have to answer for their own deeds done in the body infanta fanta will swill not be rejected of god at all for of such Is the kingdom of heavens heAve ho iven nj and all who have arrived atthe at the years of accountability and have not heard the gopel gospel of christ in the flesh will hear it in tho the spirit state so that elvery every man and woman who has descended from adam will at p some ome time have an opportunity to accept or reject christ the contrary of this is to be found in human inhuman creeds but not in the doctrine of christ A lasting creed must be a divine creed the time is at hand when a har harmonious monio u a creed will prevail in all the world it will be ba so because god has revealed its fundamentals and will add line upon line and precept upon precept as experience and obedience prepare his childr children ent erl for their reception and all that he reveals will harmonize each principle with the others accompanying them will be the divine spirit making them olear clear to all who receive and obey them the remnants of the dead creeds will te be swept away as demolished demoll demoli hed shed monuments of human foly folly and mankind will learn leam the great truths that the things of god cannot bo be discerned but by the spirit of god and that it la Is in vain the people worship boing being taught by the precepts of men we are happy and thankful in ia the knowledge that god has coin coln commenced fenced the revelation of a creed harmonious in itself and in accord with all that ho he has formerly made manifest and that though it is now like lika the divine master despised and rejected of men it will become known and understood of all nations and while sects crumble and I 1 dead creeds are buried burled out of sight the living truth of god will arise and shine and send forth its belr abial light till the earth if flooded with its glory and and all people shall bow the unee to the prince of righteousness and shall know goi goj from the least even unto the greatest of them this is the age or iconoclasm but it Is ia also the day of a living creed that gro grows we with mans mana capacities and is irb adapted to all his necessities let the images of manja mans fabrication be destroy destroyed td and in their place shall a church established by divine power that will never penith unwise people now deride it and call it mormonism but ere long iong they will revere it as the work of the eternal the depository of an everlasting creed the guide and glory of all ail who wish to walk in the never fading light of truth |