The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1895-06-22


that people of education should enter
tain such vague and oftentime enron
eous opinions concerning the matter.
The generality of our readers, if we
mistake not, would expect some lengthy,
tabulated system of doctrine to be pre-
scented as the authorized statement of
the Episcopal faith, some wearysome
and obscure document which all are
obliged to accept under pain of excom-
munication. The Church, however, in
stead of following the example of many
religious bodies, in setting forth q the
ology, as her faith, declares 'the snf-
ficient statementof the Christian Faith"
to be the Apostles and Nicene creeds.
These are the most ancient creeds of
christendom, accepted by the universal
church for centuries before what is now
known as Roman Catholicism had its
rise. The use of the word sufficient
will be noticed at once, and some will
wonder if the Church really means to
declare her faith expressed in these
two symbols. They will be likely to
confound certain doctrines of the
Church with her faith; for instance, the
usual teaching in regard to ritual and
theology will be considered by many as
a necessary and essential part of the
faith. This mistake is commonly made
and great surprise is felt when the true
position of the Church is ascertained.
Upon examination, it is found that the
Episcopal Church does not confound
the unessentias with the essentials,
neither does she regard the one as of
equal importance with the other The
Church. while highly pricing the truths
which are contained in her formul-
aries, believing them conducive to de-
votion and the proper conduct Of public
worship, does not demand of her mem
bers, any particular belief concerning
ritual, and the same may be said in re-
gard to theological truths. The lheo-
logical system, adopted in the
main by churchmen, is found in the
Articles of Religion, which represents
the opinions held by our forefatheTs at
the time OF the Protestant Reformation,
drawn up by them as a statement OF +
their position. These Articles bear a
relation to the Episcopal Church some-
what similar to that of the Westminster
Confession of Faith to the Presbyterians
and the Catechism of the Council OF
Trent to the Roman Catholics, with one
important difference, however, the Ar
ticles "are presented for information,
not for required acceptance To quote
again Dean Hodges, of Cambridge: No
member of the Episcopal Church is
ever asked if he believes them; nei-
ther does any minister Of the Episcopal
Church set his signature TO them.n
Thus the Church does not regard these
matters as essential, although holding {
them of great value; they might be dis
carded at any time and yet the faith Of \
the Church would remain whole and
unimpaired What then do we hold as {
essential and sufficient? The answer {
has already been given, the two creeds, {
which it is declared fought thoroughly {
to be received and believed, for they {
may be proved by most certain war q
rants of Holy Scripture.p This is the
ground of their acceptance, they are z
derived from the Scrl ptures. Thus the G
Church declares as the sufficient state f
ment of faith, the ere eds, which repre- Y
sent the faith of the primitive times, q
the faith of the subsequent ages until u
Rome "developedu it and Protestants c
added systems of philosophical theoriz- b
ings, the creeds which may be proved V
from Holy Scriptures to be the faith e
once delivered to the Saints.p even the s.
most cursory glance at these symbols Of b
faith will suffice to prove them simple 1
and concsie statements of facts. No r,
where will the inquirer find any theory b
n them; they are characterized by an ST
,nti re absence of such. We find the p
TACT of the Trinity set forth but no the al
Try as to the how of that fact; the fact re
# an Atonement by Christ is stated, oil
INT no altemptis made to state how es
uch atonement was effected by Chrises ia
leath, and SO with regard TO the Incar- Ia
ration. Hence those who come into III
be Church find the same freedom al "
owed in this sphere as in the sphere of bs
itual and conduct. AS the individual W
permitted to choose in regard to ritual, nj
} decide for himself as to the right and az
'rong of his own actions in the world, BY
D he is granted freedom to think for LEI
imself in developing in his own mind vi
ne deep and grand meaning and sig do
ifcance of these indisputable facts to
he Chnrch daclines in this anhnrn 10 of