Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-05-25
NEW1'ON'S BELIEF.
The Nicene Creed the Church's
"Charter OF Liberty"
ALSO THE SUM OF HIS OWN FAITH.

An Ingenious Argument Proving That
the Council of Nice Promul gated the
'Broadest Standard of Faith an Ex-
istence-Its Rejection DisIoyalty to the
Church-The Presbyterians Go to Ann
Arbor and Accept Mcmillan Hall
Gift to the Baptists Vineyard Notes
NEW YORK, May 25-The Rev. a
Heber Newton, rector of All Souls Pro-
testant Episcopal church, who Is charged
with holding heretical views and with
preaching heretical doctrines, and esre-
cially with denying the immaculate con-
ception OF the Savior and the resurrection
Of his body after three days, took occasion
yesterday morning to answer his accusers
in a sermon on the Nicene creed. He said
the NioeDe creed was the charter of the
church's liberty, when rightly under
stood" II and the Apostles creed were
spoken of as the Catholic creeds accepted
by the church at large. The Greek
church, the Church OF Rome, the Church
of England, and our own church alike
hold fast to them"
Must Believe the Nicene Creed.
The Nicene creed is a charter of lib
erty. II frees us from nine-tenths of the
Earning questions with which Protestant
Ism is on fire to-day. What the Nicene
creed affirms, however, is bouuden upon
every loyal child of the church. To deny
the affirmation of that creed Is TO be dis
loyal. To accept Loyalty the churcu's
teaching what ones own individual mind
fails to affirm is a thoroughly honest at
titude."
Not So the Thirty-nine Articles.
The American church at first dropped
the Thirty nine Articles; but later ac-
ceoted them under constraint-iu order to
obtain Episcopal conservation from Eng
land The Thirty-nine Articles were
put forth 10 the reformation era, not as a
substitute for the two great Catholic
creeds, but as an Interpretation OF them
in the thought current at the time 9th
er reform churches dropped the great
Catholic creeds and substituted COMES
sious Of faith, then for the first time
drawn up. The Church of England never
intended 70 place the Thirty-uine Ar.i-
cles in any such position. she never Or
dered them TO be read or sung in the
churches.
Too Broad Even for Newton.
"By general consent the articles have
no binding obligation upon our thought
to-day. Pressed as a creed they are self.
destructive. They cover all schools OF
thought, and shield none. Every opinion
can find shelter beneath them. No opiu-
ioa can rest undIsturbed within them.
They DO not even exclude Romanism, Is
DR.. Newman showed. All schools Of
opinion agree practically in this view Of
the articles. They are a foreign substance
which has become encysted in the church
This being the state OF the case. see how
much is ruled out from the essentials of
faith in the Protestant Episcopal church.
4 Blast at CaIyini>m
"The Thirty-nine Articles stand for
that secondary body OF reformation the
ology popularity known "a Calvinism,
which i the irritating cause OF all tie
disturbances IN the church to-day Ac-
cePteC consciously BY a large part OF the
Protestant Christianity, the human mind
i IN revolt against II, that ever lesseniug
number Of men excepted whose solid com
fort to-day Is that they are not to de- Cal
vinize the Westminster confession. Ac-
cepted unconscioasly by a large part of
ourown church, the opinions which it
seems to necessItate are Ia violent reac-
>
creeds ordaIn in our chnrch.
The Mistake some Men Make.
The trouble with the good men who
are intent on forcing a conflict IN our
church Is simply that they mistake the
mass OF thought which has grown Lp
within the church around the great
creeGs for living parts Of the creeds
themselves. This simple distinction
would clear the whole atmosphere today
Nothing j. to be demanded Of "A clergy
man In our church save loyalty to the
great Catholic creeds. Orthodoxy is to be
tested by no other standard than those
found in the creeds. The thought of Law
men need not concern itself with any
doctrine not InbOdied in those creeds
What vast emancipation the recogui-
tion Of this catholic truth would work
among us. Scarcely a doctrine which is
in dispute IN the churches around Us can
furnish a proper ground for dispute in
our rOomy church"