| Show TENDENCY OF RELIGIOUS 8 THOUGHT THE idea of effecting an organic union of all or at least the leading protestant denominations seems lar largely gely utopian yet it is being earnestly advocated by many of the more prominent religious writers and thinkers of the day especially in the united states the weakness of Chris christendom tendo in and of the influence of the churches consequent upon the division and contention which exist among the body of believers I 1 is keenly felt as is also the fact that the church protestantism is steadily losing ground on en account of its inability to cope successfully with skepticism and agnosticism in no age has mankind ever displayed a more practical tactical rac belief in the adam adage in union there is strength than they do now the tendency of cognate elements in human society to oury minor differences and consolidate is a marked feature of our times time 8 if it to la the age of anarchy it is also the ageos age of organization and consolidation antipodal forces are moving human society to its profoundest depths that forms of relie religious ous belief in all civilized coan countries tries are under undergoing going rapid and material changes Is one eles ales la in the way of effecting the organic unity of protestant sects is admitted to be the difficulty in framing a creed sufficiently expansive and elastic to be adapted to the growth or changes chances which are in progress upon this point the new york christian union U nion one of the ablest and most Influent influential ia I 1 religious publications in the country comments as follows no creed can embody the christian belief of the present cen century j and aad as ledu education catIon becomes more general and alth more An individual this will grow more and more impossible the creed thai undertakes to represent many minds must be like a photo photograph krap amany that undertakes to rep represent sent many faces ar somewhat foggy ai best and it can represent All ll only by very imperfectly imperfect Iv representing any the creed that I 1 is a bond of 0 0 union must mast be very short and n d chort very simple the creed that it is long will be only a wedge to di dade da voi for 0 ourselves elv we should be glad to ha have all christian christa churches adopt the apostles apo es creed as their symbol of do doctrine ine it would be a real bond of union it could be subscribed by gr oe co congregationalist baptist n even evangelical ellea unitarians and and ind it would sharply discriminate the chu of christ from all atheists deis feists deists tarle positivists and mere hamall dumani and rationalists it is all the creed la n our oar judgment that the chah church 0 of f christ needs and even that should be accepted only for substance of doctrine 1 but we suppose we shall have hare to wait a long ions while tor for an age so catholic as ap to be satisfied with a creed so 80 simple as this creed af pf of all centuries 01 I 1 probably it will be a long ions time before the heart burnings barnings and prejudices of religious rellar fous controversy are so tar far forgotten that all bible believers can stand upon the same platform but it is interesting to note the tendency of thoughtful religious sentiment upon the subject |
