New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-08
GROWTH OF CHRISTIAN BELIEF.
DR. SAVAGE SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN MANY
ORTHODoXIES AT DIFFERENT PERIODS.

DIR. SAVAGE SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN MANY
oRTHoDoXIES AT DIFFERENT PERIODS.
The Rev DR.. Minot J. Savage preached In the
Church OF the Messiah yesterday morning on the sub
ject. What Is Chrstianty?' Christianity he said
had been long and slow growth and there had
been many different orthodoXies at different periods
Continuing. he said:
In the year 1926 was held the Council Of Nice As the
result Of The controversies which eliminated in this
council the Nicene Greed formulated. Even in
this creed which Is regarded the frs; great Trni-
tartan document; the doctrine OF the Trinity did not
reach its final form II declares belief in God ne
Father and Jesus Christ as His only begotten Son.
and in the Holy Ghost but does not settle the rea
come TO be regarded as In some special sense divine
For the first 200 years. then, belief in the Trinity
Christian: and every one knows that the controversy
which eliminated here was decided against Arius and
In favor OF Athanasius by the Emperor Constantine
who had been on both sides Of the dispute and he
swayed in his final judgment, not by any spirit
ual intuition or by any intellectual convictions Of
knowledge, but entirely by what he regarded pO-
LEI ii be noted then with the utmost care tina, the
first declaration Of the doctrine OF the Trinity was
Hot "an'u oi ~ ''H' I" NJ N4'NS'' " Ftii Pt
tonce OF any possession OF facts concerning the birth
VIVA, I wish You especially 20 note H. that instead
q orthodoxy being clear ana primal and original
revelation. is the result Of long and sow process
exploded science OF barhaflc and frequently bad mo
Taiiiy without pretcnce OF resting the basis Of
who do nor carefully study the facts that the great
creeds represent the clear and original teaching of
Ties Creed. In letter published IN a New Yor pa
per recently. the Chancellor OF the Ncw-YOrk mi.
Verslty speaks Of me Apostles Creed written 1900
years ago implying thar II was actually work OF
the Apostles. Every scholar knows that Il did not
Into existence for 800 years after the time OF the
Apostles. and instead OF It's having a known and IN
splred authorship. nobody knows who wrote n or
whether II has any author at all The doctrine NJ the
Trinity did not reach it, final stage OF development
before the eighth niaih century. when the Athan-
asian creed came INTO eNistenc-. Again. nobody
knows who wrote this. and h stands no author
ship except that Of an occasional Tradition.
IA az TgcfIq
recorded IN the Gospels. We shall become con
WINGED that he held himself single Of the doc
tinos which have come 10 be regarded as essentially
Christian IN me ages since his day He laws his
emphasis neither on belief nor on ceremony. In his
cleates words there r. no fa. OF man. there j. no
atonemoni. The one and only condition on which he
insists a. essential 20 admission 10 His kingd m %
Heaven is the loving sDTit and the unsclnsh service
~ ones felow-men. Whir. then. the Pope casts
The Greek Church. and the Greek Church casts ont
the Romish. and they cast out all Proicsiants and
the PFOtestants In turn cast Them out they all
ready TO say that we Fnarians not Christians.
But believe that II Jesus should gs.t EeW-York