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Show THE CREED OF D3. NEWMAN, lie AdTjnoM Soma densatlonat Ideas the t'ulplt. New Yohk. May 25.-Uev. Dr. He-ber He-ber Newton of All fouls' church preached a sermon yesterday morning which is calculated to evoke much discission dis-cission iu religious circles, llo made a succinct statement of his much mooted views. His text was: "Mold fast tho form of sound words." The rev-ereued rev-ereued geutleman said, in substance: sub-stance: "It has been said of the Niceno creed that it was lit only to be sung. ()u the other hand, it would be hard to set tho Westminster faith to music. The Nieeue creed is tho oiupli-lication oiupli-lication of tho apostle's creed. Scarcely a doctrine which is iu dispute in the churches round about us furnishes a proper ground for dispute iu our roomy church. The only abirtniuiou in the Nii-one creed is the larger elastic declaration: dec-laration: T believe in one Catholic and Apostolic church.' We can thus judge of Hie Catholicism which would rule out the foremost niau In the church for the bishopric of a diocese for bis opinion concerning the episcopate. "What must wo believe concerning the bible? Nothing beyond tho simple declaration of the Niceno creed. "Who spoke by tho prophets? You may hold to the plenary inspiration of tho scriptures ami believe eyery word detailed by the Almighty, or you may hold that large and reasonable view which is spreading through our church rapidly with eual loyalty to our only authority, the creed. "What does the church bid us believe be-lieve concerning the story of the creation? crea-tion? You are equally free to read the story in (ienesis as history or parable. "What does the church command us to believe concerning the origin of evil? The fall of man. Nothing whatever. Concerning the alouemeutT Nothing, except tho language of the creed, 'For us men and for our salvation, He camo down from heaven.' "Concerning future punishment nothing noth-ing is contained in the language of the creed. 'He shall come agaiu with glory to judge both the quick and the dead.' All theories of the character and duration dura-tion of the punishment as extra credals. The first form of the articles contained an article on future punishment, and that article was afterward withdrawn. "What of the resurrection? That the dead are to rise into life immortal, clothed in bodily form, I understand to be the teaching of our great creeds. The nature of the resurrection of the body is not allirmed. You are free to believe this in the literal sense of the body laid in the grave or in the larger sense in which most men read it. Con cerning the sacrament and the Lord's supper, we are freo to believe almost anything that commends itself to the christian conscience. t "On all these thenresi on whio.'h,,ithe' creeds are silent it is natural that men should think. Opinions must be formed and held and the Christian, be he layman lay-man or clergyman, is left free lo form his own opinion. The Nicene creed is a charter of liberty. It frees tis from nine-tenths of the burning questions with which protestantism is on lire to-day. to-day. "Our great creed," concluded the speaker, "is the reconciliation of Christianity Chris-tianity w th itself. Christendom is torn and dismembered before our eyes. It is paralyzed with doubt. The strife of creeds is seen on every side. Men cannot can-not rind a shelter under the reformation confessions of faith, with their long-drawn long-drawn metaphysics. He who reads tho signs of the limes well sees the alternate, to throw overbroad the creeds or to simplify them. Today, could our Protestant churches be content to part with their reformation confessions of faith and adopt that great Catholic creed which has come down through the centuries, there would bo an end of strife and contention. Dr. Bridge-mau Bridge-mau would not have to leave his church for his views on the question of future punishment, and Dr. Briggs could excite no contention iu his church on the question of inspiration Our great creed is the reconciliation of the Christian faith and modern thought of theology and science." |