"Set forth and summed up in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds": An early PECUSA sermon for Trinity Sunday

Following on from yesterday's post, which presented the case for PECUSA omitting the Athanasian Creed from its BCP 1789 and 1801 Articles of Religion, an extract from a Trinity Sunday sermon by Cornelius Roosevelt Duffie, Rector of Saint Thomas, New York City, 1824-27. Duffie, a convert to Episcopalianism from the Baptist tradition, stood firmly within the Hobartian tradition, the American expression of the Old High tradition. 

It is this which makes his sermon particularly interesting, for here he gives a defence of the PECUSA decision to omit the Athanasian Creed from liturgy and Articles. Echoing a significant tradition of theologically orthodox thought in 18th century Anglicanism, with its roots in Taylor, he notes of the doctrine of the Trinity that it is "safest, in reference to so sublime a mystery, to speak in few words". On this basis, he defends the omission of the Athanasian Creed: such omission is understood, therefore, to serve rather than undermines Trinitarian faith. This, then, is a voice from within early PECUSA clearly stating that the omission of the Athanasian Creed was for orthodox, not heterodox, reasons.

Note too the presence of some other characteristics of what I have described in previous posts as the 'Trinitarian minimalism' of Anglicanism in the long 18th century: the insistence that Trinitarian faith is revealed in Scripture; the "danger of going astray in the multitude and fulness of exposition"; and that the Apostles' and Nicene Creed are the sufficient statement of Trinitarian faith.

Duffie's sermon, in other words, exemplifies how the omission of the Athanasian Creed was no obstacle to - indeed Duffie contends that it aids - the proclamation of confident Trinitarian belief in early PECUSA, standing in continuity with the well-established, coherent, orthodox 'Trinitarian minimalism' of 18th century Anglicanism.

The doctrine of the Trinity, or the belief in one God, existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as it has been maintained at all times and in all places, and by the great body of the universal Church, is most clearly the doctrine of Scripture, when received in its integrity, and interpreted with candour, and is set forth and summed up in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds ...

The most material part of the Apostles' Creed, was certainly used from the apostles' times, and was probably comprised in these words, "I believe in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." This was evidently a proper avowal of faith for them to make, who, when they were received into the Church, were baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." But as the simplicity of this creed gave opportunity to some to put upon the words unscriptural and erroneous constructions, it became necessary, from time to time, to exclude such constructions, wherever they obtained, by a fuller and more definite exposition of the true belief. This accordingly appears to have been done at different and successive periods, until to the first form of simple assent succeeded the present Apostles' Creed, and those others which I have noticed. 

The difficulty, however, of expressing any doctrine in words which should be so definite as to be incapable of being perverted, the necessity of often elucidating what has been already defined, and the danger of going astray in the multitude and fulness of exposition, and thereby occasioning those very errors which it was intended to refute, all these difficulties, increased by the nature of the subject now before us, (one so far above our reach,) fix a limit to minute definition, and make it safest, in reference to so sublime a mystery, to speak in few words, and "to press closely in the footsteps of Scripture." Our Church has, therefore, adopted only the two forms of creed which I first noticed, (the Apostles' and the Nicene,) which we are assured "may be proved by most certain warrants of the holy Scripture."

The doctrine of the Trinity in unity, as set forth in those creeds, and founded upon the apostolic commission, is proposed by the Church in like manner as it was received, as a matter of pure revelation; and it would seem, therefore, that the only question among those who acknowledge the Scriptures, should be, whether the doctrine be therein contained or not; and that upon this fact alone the belief or rejection of it should rest.

(The painting is George Harvey, 'Nightfall, St. Thomas Church, Broadway, New York', c. 1837.)