Evening star., 1925-04-20
N|CAEAN CREED'S
HISTORY TRACED
Bishop RhineIander Tells of
Unrest That Caused For
mutation of Doctrine.

Startling, new religious doctrines so
shook the faith handed down by the
apostles that great conference was
called 1900 years ago at N1caea, at
which a statement of creed was drawn
which most Christians have since ad-
hered to without modification, Bishop
Philip NJ. Rhinelander, canon of the
National Cathedral, declared yester-
day.
Bishop Rhinelender addressed
large crowd gathered at the catherdal
at IL o'clock to participate in the
celebration of the anniversary OF the
council of Nicaea, which was observed
throughout the world. Bishop James
z. Freeman of the diocese of Wash
ington, preached at a second service
at the cathedral at 4 o'clock.
Observance in Jerusalem.
Further celebration of the great
epoch in church history will be held
here later in the Spring in a great
open-air service. Churches of the
East will celebrate the Nicaea council
this Summer at Jerusalem.
This gathering of the Christians at
Jerusalem has acquired a new signifi-
canoe because of the recent Turkish
act expelling the patriarch of Con-
stantinople, head of Eastern orthodox
churches, from Constantinople.
Speaking of the calling of the coun-
ell, Bishop Rhinelander said: New
and startling assertions were being
made. The very foundations of the
faith which had been handed down
by the apostles were being question
ed. How should these questionings be
answered and these doubts laid at
rest? The whole church must do it.
No individual or group must COM
pete" Thus was the council called
to decide upon its creed, he explained.
Comparison of Creeds.
What did the council do? Take
your prayer books and compare the
two familiar creeds which we call
the Apostles and the Nicene. In the
Apostles Greed the words are
in Jesus Christ. His only Son, our
Lord In the creed called Nicene the
corresponding words are: in
one Lord Jesus Christ, the only
begotten Son of God: begotten of His
Father before all worlds, God of God,
Light of Light. very God of very God;
beSotten, not made; being of one sub
stance with the Father, by Whom
all things were made; Who for us men
and for our salvation came down from
heaven. and was incarnate by the
Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and
was made Man"
These two phrases mean precisely
the same thing. In the one the
church's faith in Jesus Christ is rolled
up into a very small compass, only
nine words. In the other, precisely
the same faith has been evolved from
nine words into 73 words. Why was
this done?
Before the council met the local
churches or communities of Chris
tians had had simple and short sum-
maries of faith, which were usually
called baptismal creeds and were used
in connection with the administration
of baptism. The Apostles Greed is
the most familiar and famous of
these baptismal creeds.
Reply to Questionings.
These early creeds were sufficient
for their purpose. The whole belief
rolled up in them. But the time came
when questions were asked and doubts
suggested. What did the church mean
b" calling Christ Lord? How far did
his Lordship extend? Or what did
1T mean in calling Him the Son of
God? If He were Son, how could He
be equal to His Father? Was he not
rather a demigc& more than man,
but less than Coz or perhaps, after
inspired than any other man? That
would be a much more simple and
familiar thought. Did the church
mean that or more than that?
Then came Ntcaea when the church
gave it's answer. AT Nicaea we hear
the church, as it were, speaking out
its mind and saying, L believe in
Jesus Christ, Gods only Son, our
Lord Does that not satisfy you? Is
It ambiguous? Would you know more?
Well, here it is the same thing, only
put more fully. And then the church
at Nicaea went on to say its creed
which from that day to this. through
1900 years, has held it's place quite
without a rival and needing no modi-
fication or restatement, as the suf-
ficient and triumphant answer of the
universal church to the great ques-
ton, What think ye of Christi"