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 This
is the third in a series of quotes from “Against Creeds,” a
sermon by J.M. Trible, published 1892 in a book called “Trible’s
Sermons.” RFT
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1.
Creeds. as defined in what has been said already, are without
warrant or authority in the word of God.
There
is no appointed authority of interpretation, but every child
of God, every servant of Jesus Christ, has the right, and consequently
the obligation, to interpret the meaning of Scripture for himself.
(Acts 17:11; Lu. 1:1-4; 2 Pet. 1:13-15; 3:1-2 rft)
I
do not wonder that the ablest apologists and advocates of the
creed would restrict within very narrow limits the right of
private judgement. Their course is logical and inevitable. Indeed
the only logical defense of creeds, as it appears to me, is
to say, (1) either that the priest has the power of interpretation
entrusted to him as his exclusive prerogative, as the Romish
Church does say or do, or (2) that God raised up and inspired
special men in different ages of the church to formulate creeds
and deliver to his people the authoritative interpretation of
his word, as some Protestants hold. One thing is plain, there
is no logical defense of creeds consistent with the divinely
guaranteed right of private judgement. Sooner or later either
that or the creeds must go overboard.
2.
Creeds... tend to set aside and make void the word of God, and
substitute for the commandments of God the traditions and interpretations
of men... I will not speak of
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the obvious errors which they
contain, and which. so far as they are received, must annul
the divine truth... If they were all true I should still oppose
them. Because in any case they serve to divert attention from
the truth and fix the mind and thought of the church upon what
is at best a mere interpretation of the truth... It also accomplishes
the perversion of that sacred Word... Every man who subscribes
to a creed promises virtually to read the Bible in the light
of that creed; to construe its meaning according to this human
and fallible statement of doctrine. This checks all independent
investigation and makes him trim down his own apprehensions
of truth to suit the authorized standard. That cannot but result
in the perversion and sacrifice of truth
. . It must be charged against creeds that they tend to arrest
the progress of thought in the minds of those that accept them.
It is true that we are to have no new revelations of truth;
the faith has been once for all delivered to the saints. He
that adds to it or takes from it shall do it at his peril. But
man’s apprehension of the truth should enlarge from age to age.
We are exhorted to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now the effect of the creeds is
to put a period to progress, to stunt or stay the growth of
knowledge, to make the impression that God has no more light
to break from his Word than that which the creed reflects...
They would surround the church with a Chinese wall forbidding
either the egress of error or the entrance of truth.”
(Page
8, for more on this subject.)
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