New-York tribune., 1891-05-25
NEWTON DEFENDS HIMSELF
DISSERTATION ON THE NIcENE CREED
uur ~, ,prrp OF THE cHuRcH's liberty, HE

rur CHARTER OF THE CHURCH'S LIBERTY, HE
CALLS 1r-pourRINAL POINTS ExPouNDED.
,no psv nr r. Heber Newton preached in All
sor,s, proestant Episcopal Church yesterday msrnng
~ rns S,cene Creed the Charter OF Freedom and the
d., % peace His text consisted of the words Hold
tas IN. form of sacred words" and his sermon was
substantially as follows 80
80. Tbs. Is its noblest eulogy Rightly understood,
,,s utterances formed hymn OF thanksgiving This
, h as the Imagination ineprets for the understanding
~. hiches mysteries whereof speaks The Greed is a
c philosophical and mystic truth and therefore be
sung Fancy Westminster Confession of Faith being
spps, / should to be the composer to write
,hs music How the Greed is honored in this parish is
sunoenty sttesed by the fact that years before the
General Convention directed its days
were wont 10 sing IL on all communion Sundays
propose speak this morning OF the Nicene Creed as
the charter OF the Church's liberty. The Nieenc Greed
and the Apostles Greed commonly spoken Catholic
creed They are the two creeds which have been handed
down from antiquity accepted by the Church az large
The Nicene Greed is ampihcaton OF the Apostles
Greed. The statements of the Apostles Greed reap
rear in the Nicene Creed. with slight changes
but with considerable development. The Characteristic
distinction between the two is that the Nieene is more
philosophical statement Of tho truths ahrmed
in the Apostles Greed. Beyond these two
creeds. Church recognizes other formal
confession Of faith. II is true Church once
accepted Church Of England the Trtynine Art
eles 1t did so, however only under consuaint At
10
quently resumed them ss necessity OF procuring Epseo
pal conservation from England
The Thirty Articles put forth in reformation
era not substitute for the two great Catholic creeds
but as Interpretation Of them In the thought current
at the time Other reform churches dropped the great
Catholic creeds substituted confessions Of faith. then
for the first time drawn up. The Church OF England
never Intended place the Thirynns Articles In any such
position She ordered them to be read or sung IN
the churches For IN worship the two great Catholic
Foods
Articles designed simply articles Of peace form
Of concerning aspects Of Christian faith then In
spute which might be acceptable to the various parties en-
within the Church In that chaotic era Ihey were
purposey framed so as include all possible varieties
Of opinion They remain interesting and valuable his
torcal monuments for the guidance OF thought In our
Church. All truth must be stated historically. The
Reformation era Of the most important hiseor
zeal epoehs In Christianity. The Articles which express
the thought OF that era In the Church OF England must
have abiding interest and value in the his'orcs
study doctrine BY general consent the Ar
css have binding obligation upon our thought Of TO-
day. Pressed creed they are sefdes:ructve; they
cover all schools OF thought and shield nono Every
opinion can beneath Chem. Any opinion can rest
undispurbed within them. They do not even exclude
Romanism. as DR.. Newman showed AL schools Of
opinion agree practically in this view Of the Articles
Dr. Mcconnell Of Philadelphia In his graphic history OF
the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States
this sp; Illustration ~ foreign substance. IT is well
known when lodged IN the human body WILL under favor
able conditions enclose itself in which will cause
mo- longer to irate the and allow 1t to remain
disturbing influence In the body to which 1t
alien IL is thus the Articles encysted in Church,
Dr. Mcconnell quantity observes that the last General Con-
venton ordered the Articles bound next TO che cover
Of the PayerBook and that the next General Convention
will probably order then bound outside the covers
This being the case. how much is ruled ou. from
the Of faith in the Protestant Episcopal Church
The Thirty nine Articles stand for that secondary body Of
Informative theology popusry known as Cavinsm, which
Is Of ali the disturbance in the Church to-day
hv IapgA ~
tsnity the mind Is in revolt against It, that ever
eseing number Of men excepted whose solid comfort TO-
day IL that they not 10 deCalynize the Westminster
Confession. The trouble with the good who are in
tent upon forcing a connct in own Church to-day
s simply that they mistake the Of thought which
has grown up within the historical Church. around the
great creeds ior being parts Of these creeds themselves
Nothing to be demanded Of clergyman in our Church
save loyalty great Catholic creeds Orthodoxy Is
TO be by standards than those found in the
creeds. The thought OF symen need not coneern tseh
with any doctrine embodied In these creeds What
vast emancipation recognition Of this Catholic truth
would work among Scarcely doctrine Which is in
dispute churches around about US can furnish
proper ground for dispute in our roomy Church.
THE NATURE OF THE ChUkCH ITSELF.
What Church demand OF our thought concern
ing the nature Of Church seif7 Nothing The only
animation in the is the large, elastic dec
araton believe in one Catholic and Apostolic Church"
Nothing ecclesiastical poty, beyond this general
statement demand Of any one as matter OF faith We
then Judge OF the csthOncy O LOsc VIM "Ouiu
day the foremost man in the Church for the
bshopric opinions concerning the Epsco
pate.
What must we believe concerning the Bblei Nothing
beyond simple declaration OF the Nieene Creed who
spake by Prophets" that the Holy Ghost spake
through the Prophets This is the and substance Of
the Churehs Official declaration on the question OF nspra
ton. You may hold 10 the pIenary inspiration Of
the Scriptures and believe every word dictated by the
Almighty or you may hold that large and reasonable
uhich Is ding so
equal loyalty only authority-the creeds.
What the Church bid believe concerning the
story crestionl Nothing beyond simple declaration
IL believe God, the Father Almighty maker Of
and earth and all things visible and INVISIBLE
You are equally free read the story in Genesis as
literal prOsac bit OF history parable equally free
10 believe the world launched into being six thousand
years ago In six creative days Of twentyfour hours esch
10 believe in evolution.
What does the Church command us TO believe
ing the origin Of evil the fall Of mani Nothing what
The of fall OF is popular, arising
through Chrstendom creda belief. The effect OF sin
recognized throughout the Greed the evil from which
the Lord Christ has 10 deliver Any theory
about it is outside the Greed.
What does the Church command TO believe concern
ing predesnston and election Nothing whatever She
Is absolutely silent upon this mystery. which so exercises
the souls OF Calvnistc friends.
What does the Church teach TO believe concerning
the stonementl Only that which 10 contained in the
simple undogmatic language Of our Greed, WHO for us
men and for salvation came down from Heaven"
Theories Of the aonement be they true or be they false
be they sound be they unsound have part In that
great Greed which sing this morning. They lie out
side the realm Of Christian belief.
What does the Church order TO believe concerning
future punshment7 Nothing that is not contained in the
simple, undogmatic statement Of the Greed, "He shall
again with glory judge both the quick and the
dead" The reality Of Divine judgment Of msn-this
and this alone part OF faith. All theories about
The character and duration OF the punishment that may
beyond limits OF necessary belief The Church again
knows nothing Of theory but only spiritual realities Very
notable silence Of Church The first form
the Articles contained article upon the subject OF
future punishment This YFas subsequently withdrawn.
thereby strongest possible way emphasizing tbs
tfu that in this Reformation guide 10 the In
terpsxon Of the great ereeds would the Church speak
upon THIS subject You are equally free TO believe in