New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-06
DIR. SAVAGE ON THE CREEDs
NONE WHICH 1T IS A SIN FOR MEN TO
QUESTION.
CRITICISM or

STATEMENT AS TO THE AGE OF THE
APOSTLES cREED-NEITHER cREEDs
NOR THE BIBLE INFALLIBrE
THE PREACHER HOLDS.
The Rev. Or. Minot J. Savage, in the Church of
the Messiah, at Park-ave. and Thirty-fourth ST.,
yesterday morning preached a sermon on Are
There Any Creeds Which 1t Is Wicked for Us to
Question:" taking his text from Peter Ill., Is:
lie ready always TO give an answer to every man
that asketh you reason for the hope that Is In
you" He said in part:
I confess to you. friends. at the outset, do not
like such task az to-day seems to be imposed on
ing to crtIcse my fellow-citizens. my friends and
neghbors; but 1t seems to me to be more than
seem to crlticise my friends; but must look into
valid, whether there is any reason WIN We should
feel ourselves compelled to-day TO accept them.
christianity by the Side Of Jesus and the Apostles
two or three hundred Years the belief Of the
Church was chaotic unconfrmed. unsettled There
nd Sar kind What
ed to-day as the very fundamentals OF the Chris.
re"ys Let s s, w"s by one Ut points
During the first three hundred years Origen for
Fathers. believed and preached the pre- existence
Of the human soul and universal 80 tbs BELIEF
ythinR about II. or he did not regard II as OF
ceive OF his holding a position Of this sort II he
had known that Jesus had pronounced explicitly
Let us now see what have as basis for be-
lief IN regard to what Jesus really did say Inc
Gospels grew up in time when there was no
shorthand writing. no reporting Jesus, does not
say one word about having any record made Of q,
OF the slightest Importance. He simply talks and
as friend with friend i Sy n 10
whatever about founding any system OF aoc,rine
says nothing about the Importance OF having
Tss Gospe s mar Of fact did not
into the o% s' sc Tor es M not
regard to IT, 4 BOOK has recently been translated
from the BY IN hs sae mic
that not a single one OF the Gospels was known w
and 300 A. D. Xii scholars do not accept this but
they all at one In the statement nas h Mso
thew came into the shape in which we know them
to-day
THE NICENE CREED.
Now let us note the time when a few OF the
creeds formed. and what are soH'e Oh 'ne,
characteristics Although the Apostles Creed
would seem to take us back to the Apostles. We
are not 10 deal with that frst because 1t was not
the first OF the creeds TO come into us present
shape The oldest creed that We have to-day u
the Nlcene When was that formed? II was
agreed upon at the Council OF Nice. In the early
part OF the fourth century. The Nicene Creed came
into existence very much. indeed as does the pat
form OF political party at the present time one yns
that one and, at last It was sort OF compro-
mise decided BY majority. Ana now ws ss,bes s
there were threats. there were all kinds OF intimi-
dation there were brutal blows; there was wrong s
doing OF every kind; there was banlshment, mere
was murder. There has not been politicai piat !
form in the modern world evolved out OF suea
those which prevaiied at the Council of Nice.
Let Us PsoS on 60 END ao4'dTT There lSr was time
the Church when people really supposed that the
day who have not discovered the contrary; !
crossed the ocean few years ago Wien on boara q
young candidate for orders. who was travelling
with him as his pupil ieli INTO conver versa ION
iieved that the twelve clauses of the Apostles
Creed were manufactured by the Apostles them
selves. He had never discovered anything 10 the
contrary.
SURPRISED AT DR. MACCRAcKEN.
A still more astonishing fact came to my knowl-
edge last year During that discussion over Ian
MacLaren's creed. In which so many people were
interested las, winter. Chancellor MacCracken. or
tho University OF New-York. published letter In
which he referred 10 the Apostles Creed as writ
ten eighteen hundred years ago. It took my breath
away when I read It. wondered could the Chan
ceIor OF great university possibly be ignorant or
the fact? Would he state that which no knew WAS
not true: could not explain It either way; was
careless about H. he had no business to be about
a matter OF such importance. But he said me
Now. What are the facts The Apostles sl had
hodv Knows today who chooses to look the matter
up II grew. and vas tour or I'VE hundreo year.
tain part OF the Church: another phrase In AN
other shape held another part OF the Church r h
were al perfect liberty TO change 1t ana aga -, 20
It and take away from IT. until as we yet !, TO-
about the year go And yet II stands IN the
Church to-day claimed to be the Apostles ore ,h
q .sl "A
purpose / have In mind this morning l GOULD
anaiyze and ind that 1t contains elements srss 70
propose touching It. such is the reverence Az, ios
that which Is old SO much more re oIa than for
that which Is II You approach cnu' t hs
in e his belief IN or ne %e DE NOT Believe
in the resurrection OF the body: we believe IN i N.
r Of '4s o. the soul @s ete
Now. word in regard TO another OF .ne sr was
historic creed The 'hd r Hms 70 named D most Of
these are There tradition IN IN. n,avo
t nis,a A Of th Gounc Of Sice wrote this creed
called after his name but as matter OF rae a my
In which we nave il now until FIVE or six huna ir,
years after Athanasi us was oeau. ne ,,"rx and
g., Ms for the first time, there Is clear expiclt'
definite formulation Of the doctrine vi inc ,Ss
Time OF the Athanasan creed and this ,reeu con
tains among other hngs nos in this coHn.
nv 70 their credt be- 1t said have left 9ut OF the.
prayer-book Blu, this Athanasian cree bs ~ tbmsch
70 he sung thirteen times every year III Wy
NJ Engnnd And you can imagine WIN VIM VIM.
grace and 10y they must sing the stateHiens I'M
,H;risss n man believes every single word and sen.
,ancs Of that Athanasan creed he shall no doubt
unrtsh eyerlastingly. The Athanasan creeu men men
tok"s Ms onv TO the eighth or ninth century. You
600 do YOU not. that instead OF there having peeh
amy clear definite statement OF tnurch De'eIs
%" o." rho mart OF Jesus and His Apostles. they are
Wv IN and slow srowths and not built up on the
ba sis OF proof evidence: simply opinions which WINCH
peope came to hold and fight for and preach UNI,
at last they began 10 get majority 10 believe, III
them and they were accepted by some council
MODERN STATEMENTS OF BELIEFS
wish now to ask your attention for moment
n ono or two OF the modern statements OF beiets
We are face to face here IN TINS modern wo''a
,,,,,h a very strange condition OF affairs. wish
.ou,a COO the outcome OF IL. Here are churches
printing publishing. scattering all over America
-, u,nron. statements OF belief which perhaps