New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-09
DIR. SAVAGE ON THE CREEDS.
AN EPISCOPAL CLERGYMAN CHARGES HIM WITH
IGNORANCE OF CHURCH HISTORY AND
UNCHARITABLE JUDGMENT

UNCIIARITABLE JUDGMENT
OF cHURCHMEN
To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: As a subscriber to your valuable paper
beg you. In the name Of justice. to insert re- |
joinder to tie remarkable utterances OF the |
Rev. DR.. Savage on the above subject There
are many malicious things said concerning
the Episcopal Church nowadays as to make IL
Impossible for us Churchmen to find time 10 deny
them But such deliberate untruths and taisih-
cations OF history as appeared In your report
Of Dr. Savage's sermon last Monday, and such
serious charges as he unblushngly makes
against the clergy Of our Church, call for an I'M
mediate protest.
As a clergyman. I protest against the utterly
false and unwarrantable statements OF that
sermon. AS I read 1t was amazed neyoho
measure. first, at the glazing Ignorance OF
Church history. and. secondly. at the wiirui per-
version Of truth Of which the preacher Is ap-
parently guilty. Let me controVert NIB e'"'e
ments in detail.
DR. Savage intmates that for the first three
centuries the Church had no definite creed. no
uniform teaching and that heresy The refers 10
Origen) was allowed to spread unchecked VIII
he therefore. be so good as to explain the disap-
pearance of Gnosticism, Manichaism. Pelagian-
ism and all the other "isms'' that troubled the
Church of those centuries? Is II not an histori-
cal fact that Gnosticsm was assahed oy
Irenmus Hippoytus. Tertullian ana others
What about Montanus. the hereto, and MS ro'-
lowers who were accommodated by the o'sh-
ops Of Asia and Of Gaul and the bishop Oh
Rome? What about the first heretical BISHOP
Paul OF Samosata-who was deposed for his
heresy In the year 272. and Domnus acknowl-
edged by the Emperor Aurelian In his stead!
DO not these examples show US conclusiVeiy
that the Church had her recognized ana pre-
scrbed teaching. and that men denied such AZ
their peril? Alexander, Bishop Of Alexandria
In writing to the Church OF Constantnople IN
the year 324, said: You. having been taught OF
God cannot be ignorant that the heresy Arian
against the religion Of the Church which has
lust arisen is the same as that propagated By
Ebion and Artemas and that It resembles that
OF Paul OF Samosata, Bishop OF Antioch. who
was accommodated by all the Bishops A. u.
265"
And vet in the face OF these historical facts.
which are beyond question. Or. Savage has the
audacity 10 say that for the first three CEN
turtles the Church had no uniformity OF teach
ing Whethr the Apostles Greed was COM
posed by the Apostles themselves before they
separat.d or Is Of later origin Is not OF
| much consequence to us Tradition tells US
| that the Apostles originated II. Let III
| Savage prove that they did not. II he can. All
we insist upon. however. is that 1t IS an eHpah-
sion and elaboration Of the baptismal fornuia'
and an epitome OF the faith OF the hrst three
centuries. Perhaps Chancellor MacCracken
and the Western Bishop OF whom Dr. savage
speaks. are nearer the truth than he imasnes
Or. Savage Is guilty OF another discrepancy
when he asserts that the first account we nave
| OF the Greed, or rather. the first time the Creed
| appears in history. Is in the year oOO fumnus
| sneaks OF the Apostles Greed In the year SeV
| ~ we 20 still further back. we snail ma thal
N. creed OF Ireneus the scholar OF Polycarp,
the disciple Of ST. John. Ia very similar 10 the
Apostles Greed. And Iren@us assures us that
the church dispersed throughout the wnoie
! world. had received thls iai'h HUN 'i'e "p
.rotber error Of which Or. Savage is guilty Is
seen IN the date which ne assigns Tor tns NioeH a
creed He ascrbes I to the Council OK Nice IN
| the year 800 But II he looks into history ne
viii ind that the latter part OF the Creed pc
! ginning with the words. u believe IN the ho'y
| chost" was not added for ffty-six years after.
II WAS al the Council OF Constantinople In the
YEAR 1881 that the so-called Ncene Greed was
| expanded and finished. .....,s
Dr savage is as ignorant as Of the other two.
| According to his statement. this Creed dates
from the eighth or ninth cehtury Hn,o on ,
! from st3 TO SO but the Catholic fath, when IL
| expresses had been known 10 the Church lor
,ha council OF Ephesus in 43l II has been
ascrlbed To ST. Hilary Of Aries by Honoratus
and others. and In the year go we md II COM
mented upon by Venantius Fortunatus' n'Shop
But apart from the serious historical inac,
curaces of which DR.. Savage Is guilty, ana
which convict him OF dense ignorance OF SUP,
w., n.,th which he as a public teacher. should
be most familiar there are otner slaleHen.s ~
his sermon which call for indignant denuncia-
I'm ,,oart,ne on the Apostles Greed. he
saws. "Jf YOU approach a Churchnlan in regard
TO his belief in the resurrection or the oony' ne
v.ul say. or course do not believe III the
resurrection 81 the body; We believe In the resur
rectIon OF the SOUL" | am very sorry for the
SUPERFICIAL knowledge of Churchmen which Or
Savage enjoys II might benefit him TO cultl
yete their acquaintance. In a ministry OF ter
Years | have never heard a single Churchmar
deny the existence OF the body; ! think car
safely assert that 80 per cent OF the clergy ane
|, | lavmen Of our Church believe the entire Greco
without any reservation. According 10 Or saw
are the clergy OF our Church are liars anC
traitors lie accuses us Of openly violating IN
vows we took upon us in ordination. This i
rather a severe charge TO make against IN
Episcopal clergy. To say. also that nor on
newhoder or vestryman out OF ten believes !!
modern statements of belief is a malicious lioe
, | defy him TO prove that one person IN ten de
MES them.
nosed in Ohio for heresy few years ago, n
, SAYS: IAN Episcopal minister friend OF mine
in Ohio was turned out OF his ministry Tor oar
ing TO entertain some OF the modern thought
, which are In the air and which Intelligent PEG
pie believe everywhere" The crime. or one o
the crimes for which Mr.. MacQuary was de
! posed was the denial Of the Virgin Birth.
!. that such a great heresy that no intelligen
person can believe it to-day?
Or. Savage is striking not only at me hls'oti
Church which l humbly represent but at Tn
4 whole confederation OF religious bodies-Cath
. Ollie and Protestant-whch Is founded upon IN
truths OF the Incarnation. l earnestly nope una
. | a more skilful hand than mine Will take him I
task for his false and uncharitable utterance
OF Sunday last. PERCY T FEM,
Rector Of St. Johns Church.
Essex, Conn., Dec. T. 1907.
CRAZY MAN AT TENDERLOIN STATION