The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-10-08
THE NICRNE CREED.

THE NICENE CREED,
Its Adoption BY the Protestant Episcopal
Convention m Important ACt-Ths En-
tSrtAining Debats-Inter eating Historical
Information,
The debate in the Protestant EpisCo
pal convention last week regarding The
changes in the Book Of Common Prayer
was OF a most interesting character, The
adoption Of theresolution providing tia
the Apostles or Nicene Greed snail be
read in the administration olthe Lord'i
Supper was one Of the most important
actions ever taken by the church In
this country, and the discussion OF the
resolution developed some strong argu'
ments both for and against the prop
ositlon, 1t was made clear that the
church is by no means united ip favor OIL
the creed, although the hual vote set
tied the question, and the church ap'
peaB to have finally arrayed itself on the
side oil the Latin church,
In opposing the resolution Rev. James
yaulI, OF Arkansas, said;
~ oppose the passage Of this resolu-
ton, The creed which We are compel,
ed by it to use Is not the church'S creed.
It Is not a Catholic creed. It will be use.
less for me to 20 into the history Of this
creed, know that II was forced upon
the church In the frat instance by the
civil authority, II is the Crowns creed
and not the Church's. 1t is not right
that we should be compelled in this free
American church TO use any creed which
Is not creed Of the Catholic church, 1t
is the Roman creed, and 1t is obligatory
upon us OF the American church Just SO
far as creed Of Pope Plus TX Is. 1t is
obligatory upon us to be believed juLt as
much as the creed which declares tho
infallibility Of the Pope Of Rome, and no
further. Even when tho Church OF
England places 1t in her Communion Of.
fee, she does not call II the Nicene
Greed, ], for one, think that the Holy
Spirit has directed and governed us Ia
thismatter, aud nowhere has the church
called it the Nicene Greed,
Nowhere has the church branded 1t
as the Catholic creed. We speak much
Of unity in these days, Are we to lay
the yoke upon the members OF this
church and require them to use that
which the Ecumenical Councils have
never set forth as the creed? l know
that some persons say thatit is necessary
that the whole Anglican communion
uhnuII ttNAlFn tha aNFn mi kFK ~, Ia
ter. Is that requiredH Where would
the missionary spirit Of the church Of
the Anglican communion be to-day II II
had not been for the onward march Of
the American church? She has taken
the lead. Are we, the sons
Of Bishop seaburY, to follow still after
the State Church OF England? Free
American citizens, In free American
country, are we still to be bound BY
that State Church Of EnglandP l call
upon you as free men, as Anglo.Saxons,
whose destiny Is greater than that OF any
nation which has been, to preserve the
liberty which you have as American
ChurChmen."
The Rev. DR.. ]. S. vedney, Of Mime.
sofa, professor OF theology In the Sea.
bury Divinity school, FaTibault, MIMI,
addressed the house in an able speech.
Of which the following extracts give an
idea:
II do not think that this body is the
place in which to argue theological
points, but inasmuCh as the objection To
tho use Of thiscreed is founded upon the
fact Of the existence within it OF the doc.
trine OF the double procession OF the
"6lloque" clause, II is necessary TO some
extent to refer this question. There are
those who hold as strenuously as their
opponents that this Is the Catholic creed,
that 1t can be proved by most certain
warrant Of Holy Scripture, that the rival
creed which asserts the single procession
cannot be proved by Holy Scripture. I
think that every thoughtful theologian
In all Western Christendom, In our own
church, the Roman church, among the
different Protestant bodies on the Con-
tinent, In England and in this country
Is an advocate OF the scheme OF the
double procession. l know that very
few thoughtful theologians have com.
mitted themselves 10 the other alterna-
tive, not only because they regard this
as tue manifest teaching OF Holy
Scripture, as the sons OF the Catholic
Church, but because they find them.
selves absolutely obliged so to think.
The Scripture argument for this is very
simple. Had 1t not been for the one
phrase found in the gospel OF st. John
(which proceedeth from the Father"
there never could have been any con.
test upon this question. Everywhere
else, throughout the whole New Tesla.
meht, the evidence is Just as strong In
favor Of the doctrine OF the double pro.
Cession Of the Holy Ghost. We have
the same phrases, the spirit Of the
Father the spirit Of the Son; aud II
tho word 'ProCeedeth' be taken TO mean
what is meant by this proposition, II IL
be true that the spirit Of the Father
means that he proceeds from the Father,
II 10 also true that OF the phrase spirit
Of the Son the meaning Is that he pro.
ceedeth from the Son. There was no
occasion that our Lord In that case
should say which proceedeth from the
Father and the Son, any more than
there was that he should have said "the
Holy Spirit Cometh, who Is sent by the
Father and the Son." II we take the
other alternative and oppose the doc.
trlne OF the double procession, we are, |
fear, attacking the very foundation OF
the Catholic faith, We are saying some.
thing which may destroy In all thought.
ful minds the doctrine Of the Trinity.
The Rev, DR.. r. A, Holland, OF Mis-.
sour, said substantially:
u do not think II competent for Us
with all our brains and eruditlon 10 dis.
Cnss and decide the theology OF tue
NlCene creed. We have mot the time
nor the patience. The NiCene creed IL
the creed Of this church. II is author.
lied. Ills said before lie altars. II has
been said by the English church from
ile beginning, It's inherited from that
Western church which cannot be IN.
CalhollCiSed by calling II Roman. We
should not undertake, coming together
as We do, many Dfug, onGe In q lifetime,
10 settle RiFeBh for ourselves, by our
common sense, doHmaB that have been
pondered by the wisdom Of the ages, Tor.
INFLATED Ia councils representing the
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