The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-03-31
Principles of the Evangelical Church
Sermon Delivered by Rev. Nuesch of German Evangelical
Church, Sunday, March 80, 1918.

the same principles as the state
churches in Germany. 1t was ground
ed on the sure foundation of Gods
word. And today it stands on this
immovable foundation. as witnesses
the following declaration of our prin-
ciples:
The German Evangelical synod Of
N. A., as a part of the Evangelical
church, defines the term Evangelical
church as denoting that branch of the
Christian church which acknowledges
the holy scriptures Of the Old and
New Testament as the word of God,
the sole and infallible guide Of faith
and life, and accepts the interpreta-
ton of the holy scriptures as given in
the symbolic books of the Lutheran
and Reformed church, the most i'm
portant being: The Augsburg confess
sion, Luther's and the Heidelberg
catechisms, in so far as they agree;
1 but where they disagree the German
Evangelical synod of N. A. adheres
strictly to the passages of the holy
scriptures bearing on the subject, and
avails itself OF the liberty of con-
science prevailing in the Evangelical
church"
These principles we're brought over
from Germany by our forefathers.
Though they left behind them home
and fatherland, they took their faith,
their dearest and most precious pos
sessions, with them. And In the land
of the politically free, they planted
J the church of those, whom Christ has
by His truth made spiritually free
But though we give scope to the In
dividual, constraining the conscience
OF no man in non essentials of faith
. yet we are no more a church OF II
cense than our government is one OF
anarchy For we are limited In the
Z exercise of our liberty by the health
full restraint of the Bible. Be Il
said again, the word of God is oul
{ standard Of faith. This is evidenced
i by our name, for Evangelical is the
/ adaptation of the Latin word, EVAN
: gelium,' signifying the gospel. The
5 Evangelical church Is the gospe
) church Others may call themselve'
3 Lutheran after a man; or Reformed
3 because of some incident in the his
< tory: or Episcopal, or Presbyterian O
: Congregationalists because of a form
! of church government; or Methodist
a because of the employing Of certaI
Q methods: or Baptists after one OF tn
+ sacraments-we know nothing super
o ior to the Bible. And by adopting tn
i. name Evangelical" because evange
IL ism is the very heart of the Bib.'
If we recognize the sway and power {
l. the Bible as the God given guide
I'll salvation.
n But why to accept Luthers' catecf
$ ism, the Augsburg confession and tn
i Heidelberg catechism at all? Ism
9 the Bible sufficient? Yes the Bibl
would be sufficient were all men III
If prejudiced and single-minded In thel
l. endeavor to find the truth and tn
e whole truth therein stated. But S
If much that is false and erroneous ha
v been taught about the Bible; In tn
L. course of the centuries past tn
e sacred book has been interpreted
d suit so man. mems idle whims an
e perverted notions; parts of it have
1t frequently been disconnected from tn
S. whole and made to fit into the pc
is schemes of some misled teacher, ths
~
e Interpretation which we accept. An
n though they are old, there is no ne
% essity Of their revision or displac
y, ment They were written in tn
is time of great light sent from Co
t, They contain all that is necessary
If refute theserrors of that time and tn
If time preceding. And since the min
b. of man runs in ruts, whatever has oil
e. ouieted or alarmed the church sine
d. the time, can easily be recognized
;e en- old fallacy in new garb. "Thel
81 is nothing new under the SUM- In TT
line of fallacious teachings alleged
"a he based on the Bible. The inge
10 uitv of the evil one has long ago e
ta hausted itself in this direction. AL
y in these books we have the Bib
. doctrine as free from error, misunde
r. standings or imperfection, as man CO
; :. make it. Therefore we hold to theI
h placing them next to, but below II
Of Bible in points of importance, In II
te matter Of the regulation of our fat
v And as proof for our allegiance
Is the Bible, we claim the privilege
as going back to the precious word itse
IS. in those points in which those bool
ly do not perfectly agree.
IN From what has been said we fiji
that the Evangelical church is
as united church Our motto is,
essentials unity; in non-essentials II
erty; in all things charity" This
in harmony with the words OF PA
"Endeavor to keep the unity OF q
spirit in the bond of peace. There
one body and one spirit, even as
are called in one hope of your calm