The Portland daily press., 1900-04-23
COUNCILS AND CREEDS.
DIR. BIanchard's Sermon at Congress,
Square Church.

Rev. DR.. Henry blanchard preached q
rermon yesterday morning OF Congress
Square on ''Couucils and Creeds." The
text was taken from the 10th chapter OF
Acts, the 18th verso: "And the apostles
and elders came together to consider Of
t1ls matter"
L. was o meeting Of great Importance
when Paul and Barnsbas met Peter and
James at Jsrusaiem. II the higots ahd
carried their point, Christianity would
nave ended In Judea. But liberalism
gsinei the victory, and, through Paul
made Chri stiapity conquer. This meet
ing Of apostles and elders IL improperly
called by SONS the first council Of the
church. But 10 Was 20 different from the
general councils Of the church that 1t
ought not to be oiassed with thsss.
1t IL of these gsnsral councils he would
speak and OF oresds. He had three OBJ
jscts In pr saening the sermon. He hoped
to attain thsm all. First, ooncerning
oouncils, he wished to make their
studsnts condemn them; second, conoern-
ing oreeds, he wishs to make men reject
them: third. concerning the learning of
today, he wiahed to make men believe
that tbs scholars of the present are fer
batter ittedEto write creeds for mankind
than were the men Of the general coun
cils.
Dean Stanley gives ample Information In
bis History Of thsH Eastern Church. Let
US listen 10 the words Of These witncr ses
-Gregory Nyanzsn, Dean Milman-the
records CT the Council OF ChAlcedon.
Gregory the great orator. said: ''I never
yet saw q council Of bishops come TO a
good end" Isl salute them afar of sincs
l know how troublesome they are" 81
never m ore will sit In those assem- biies
of cranes and geese"
Dssn MiImAn wrote: s'It "a oounoiD rs
a Held Of bat o 10 which q long IaIn Of
animositit ara nostilities is to come 70
an issue, Men, therefore, meet with all
the excitement, the estrangement, the
jealousy, the antipatby, engeDdered by q
Il rec and obstinate controversy. They
mean to triumph over ths'r adversariss.
rather than dispassionately to investigate
truth. Each Is committed To his opinions,
sscn exaggerated ~ oppo sition, each sup
ported by q host Of intractatls followers,
each probably with sxag gerated notions
OF the importance CT the question and
thst impC rts noe seems to increase, siaoe
II hes demanded the decision Of a general
asem by Of Christendom."
DIR. Blanchard rsHd a long report of the
CouEoil Of Chalcedon In which tie hog
tile bishops called each other very hard
names. The Imperial oomm issioners,
who were present, had to put q stop co
thu elAmor, as unworthy q meeting of
Christian bishops.
He then gave q graphic account of the
Council OF Nioea-the fret general coun-
oil. 1t met In 325 A. ID. lt We presided
over BY Constantine. This man had oaufed
the murder of his father-in-law. his son.
his wife. He had espoused Christianity
for the sake Of the help its brave and
earnest advoc atss would give him In es-
tablishipg his empire. He was not hap
tiled till he was on bis death bed. Hs
was q politician. Besides him were the
wo great figures of Arius and Athanasi.
us. Fusehius introduced creed which
was the basis of the PRESENT N!osns
orssd Arius introduced another. 1t was
ms Antiy torn into tattsrs. He himself
was driven from the assembly, because he
taught that s'God was not always
Father; oAoe He was not Father; after
wards de became Father" Ashanasius
gained the victory for the word 'homo-
ousiAn." That meant-of the same
substance-God and man were one. But
Athanasius ca lie Arius suchss delightful
names as 'Devils, Antiohrists. maniacs,
JswF, polytheists, atheists, dogs wolves,
lions, hsres, ohsmeleosn, bydras, cells,
cuttletish, enats, heetiss. lei ohes."
No wonder Gregory Nyans3n did not
like councils. Let us oondsmn them
heartily.