The Nevada County picayune., 1922-01-12
OUR WEEKLY SERMON
What is the Holy Catholic Church, or Should We Strike Out the Words, Holy Catholic Church from tine Creed?"

A condensed report of the sermon preached by Rev. ]. A. Sage, pastor of 1 the Prescott Methodist church, Sun
 day morning, January $, 1922.)
 l Text: Now therefore ye are no
 more strangers and foreigners, but fel-
 low citizens with the Saints, and of l the household of God and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself be l ing the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into holy temple in the l Lord: In whom ye also are builded to- gether for an habitation of God
 through the spirit
 The words Holy Catholic Church
 have formed a part of what k com
 monly known as the Apostles creed since very early date in the christian era. If is needless to explain that this creed was not really formulated by the Apostles, nor by their immedi- ate successors. as it cannot be traced further back than about the beginning of the sixth century. but for centuries past it has been commonly accepted by
 the great body of christian people. of all denominations, as expressing ill
 al 6In ft.4
 or principles, of the ehristion faith.
 This morning am considering only two questions concerning this historic expression. T believe in the Holy Cath ollie Church" The first of these queS- tions is. What do we mean when we use these words as we repeat the Creed each Sabbath moning?@
 II ought not to he necessary to eX plain to any intelligent person that we do not moan the Roman Catholic church. While we as individual Meth odists always seek to cultivate the grace of christia Hcharify toward III churches, and strive to maintain ee= lations of friendship aud good will to ward all people, yet any one who knows even the r,miHIeat~ ef NetIio= dist history knows that we, aS q church have always protested most vigorously and consistently against tbc arrogant assumptions of the church of Rome In fact the very existence of the Methodist church k in itself q standing declaration 10 the world that We do not believe in=the Roman Gatho lie church. That church was hoarF with age when MethodiSm Was horn and if wc a~ McthedistS believed in the things which that church teaches and practices. we would he Roman Catholics and not MethodiSts Those things are So obvious that il seems waste of time to say them. vel some good people persist in saying that We endorse the Roman Catholic church when we repeat the Creed.
 What then do We mean by the words Holy Catholic Church. The answer K very simple. Wr mean that we believe that the church of God k composed of all true believers in Jesus Christ. That il k mol limited Ia any one. or more. of the several deHomi- natiunS. ar divisions of the church but that all of these various branches com hne to form one universal. or catholic church in the world We=hel.e1c that the words. "pistinct aS the pillows; vet one a~ the sea. :" are not thc cN= prcsSion of mere poetic fancy. but of solid. >criptural truth. We believe that while there are many divisions of the church. vet all are one in Christ Jesus. All are united hy the one common bond of faith in him We believe that the eatholicity of the church K clearly St forth in the words of our text Let uS study this text in some of its gen. cral outlines. II presents to us: First the equality in rights and privileges. af all true christians or believers. iu Jesus Christ "Ne are no more strangers and foreigners hut fellow citizens" This in opposition to tho Jewish idea that only those who had been circUmcised. and who observed the Mosaic law. could be admitted to all the rights and privileges of the christian church From it's very be ginning Methodism has ehamnioned