, 1874-04-19
RELIGIOUS NEWS.
A Summary Of the Presby"
terian Greed.
The New Roman Catholic Bishop"
rice Of Peoria.
History of the Rev. John nc
Mullen.
Tbs Peculiar Condition Of the
Temple Church.
The Religious Press on Temperance
and Liberty Of Conscience.
What Correspondents Have to Say on
Matters in General. ~'
Notes and Personals at Home
and Abroad.
The Religious Press On Temperance
and Liberty Of Conscience.
What Correspondents Have to Say on
Matters in General. -'
Notes and Personals at Home
and Abroad.


Church Services To-Day.
TIE EPRESBYTERIAN CREED.
Tho controversy between Profs. Patton an
Swing and the charges Of heresy submitted b
the former have excited considerable interes
among outsiders concerning the Presbyterian
creed. and for their benefit the following extract
are given from the Westminster Confession Q
Faith, which all Presbyterians are expected t.
fully believe and indorse. There arc soma diff
ferences of opinion as to the Interpretation to b.
put upon some OF the passages given below, ant
the Old and New School branches though nov
forming one body, still retain the different Wow!
concerning portions Of the Confession o
Faith which they held prior to the Union
Thus, Tor instance, there is 3 difference on thu
doctrine Of the Atonement, one side believing
that Christ died for those who were foreordainet
to be elected alone, while tho other sido hold,
that he died for al who will avail themselves O
His sacrifice.
The principal points OF the Confession oj
Faith, then, are as follows:
OF GOD AND OF THE HOLY TRINITY.
There Is but one only living and true God, whe
is infinite in being and perfection, \ most pure
spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or pas,
hensi5le, almighty, most wise, most holy, most
freq, most absolute, working all things accord
Ing to the counsel Of His own immutabIe aud
most righteous will, for His Own glory; most
loving, gracious, merclfu1, long-suffering, abun-
11ansgresson, aud sin; the 1ewarder Of them
that diligently seek Him; aud withal most Just
and terrible in His judgments; hating au sin,
and who will By no means clear the guilty. :.
In the unity of the Godhead there be three
persons OF one substance, power. and eternity !;
God the Father. God the Son, and God the Holy
Ghost. The Father is Of none, begotten nor
proceeding the Son is eternalty bcsottea OF the
Father: the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding
from the Father and the Son.
Although God knows whatsoever msv or chr
come to pass, upon all supposed conditions YET
hath He not decreed ANYTHING because He fore
saw it rs future, or aB that which would come to
pass, upon such conditions.
By the decree Of God, for the manifestation Of
His glory, some men and angels are predcsti-
mated to everlasting Life, and others to eyerlast-
ing death.
Tacxe angels and men, thus predestinated and
foreolsia'ned , are pa1tfcnln11y and unchangeably
dsinite that it cannot be either increased or
diminished.
Those Of mankind that are predestlnated unto
life, God, before the foundation OF the world WAS
lnid. according to His eternal and immutable
purpose, aud the secret counsel and good pleas
ure of His will, hath chosen in Christ, unto
everlasting glory, OUT OF His mere FREQ grace
and loTc, without any foresight OF faith or good
works, or perseverance, in either Of them, OF any
otle: thing in the creature, as conditions, or
causes moving Him theraunto and al to ths
psaise of His glorious grace.
As God hath appointed tue elect unto glory,
50 hath Hs, BY the eternal and most free pur-
pose OF His. will. foreordained ali the means
tleceunto. Wherefore they who are elected be-
ing fallen in Adam, nre redeemed by Christ, are
eslecsuallY called unto Christ By His spirit work
Ing IN due seasou are justified, adopted, sano-
Tiled, aud kept bE His power through faith un-
10 +, are any otae5
Eaactihed, and saved. but the elect only.
The xast OF mankind, God Was pleased,
recording to the unRearchable counsel Of
III Ills ,H',o, oTn XII whereby He e1tendeth
for the glory Of this sovereign power over His
creatures, to pass BY, and to ordan them to did,
honor and wrath Tor their ems, to the praise Of
His glorious justice.
Tie doctrine OF this high mystery of pre-
destination is to be handled with especial pru-
ueuco and care, that attending the will o.
God revealed in His word, and yielding obe-
dience thereto, may, from the Certainty Of their
encctuRl vocation. be assured OF their eternal
election. So shall this doctrine afford matter OF
praise. reverence and admiration Of God; and
Of humanity, diligence and abundant consolation
to all that sincerely obey the Gospel.
Ihe Almighty power, unsesrchable wisdom,
themselves in His Providence, that it eztendetn
itself even to the first fall, and all other sins OF
angels and men, and tEat not BIZ q bare per
mission, but such as hath joined with it a most
wise aud powerful bounding. and otherwise
ordering md governing OF them. in manifold
dispensation- to His own holy ends; yot 80, as
the elnfulness thereof proceedcth only from tho
craaturo. and not from God, vino being most
holy and righteous, neither is, nor can be. the
author or appro1eE OF =in.
Ihe most wise, righteous, and gracious God
doth oitcntlmes leave for d season His own chill
eren TO manifold temptations and the corruption
OF their own hearts. to chastise them for their
strength Of corruption and decei.lulaeEs Of their
own hcarts, that they nany bc humblcd and to
raise them to more close and constant depend
ence for their support upul himself, aud to
make them moro w2tchful against alt future
oceasin Of sin, aud for sundry other just and
holy euds.
As for those wicked and ungodly men whom
God, righteous judge. for former sins, doth
holdeth His grace, whereby they might have
been enlightened, in their understandings, and
wrought for in their hcartz but sometimes tlso
wl'Aoi iaweth tie gifts which they have; and e1-
Go1ean item to such objects as their corruption
(Yknakes occasion OF sin and withal, giyea them
goser 10 th:lr own lusts. the Temptations of the
'orld. and the power Of Satan, whereby it comes
20 20 pass that they harden themselves even under
mo- i e means which God uses for the softening
OF THE FALL OF NAN, OF SIN. AND OF THE prs1sv-
MINT IAkAEoF,
Gar first parents being seluced by the snb-
tiHtE and temptation OF Satan, sinned in eatinn !
the forbidden fruit This, their eiu. God was |
pleased. according to His wise sud holy connsal
to pet7nit, having purposed to order It to His
own glory. A10
Ds this sin they fell from their original r;cbt.
eonsness and communion with God, and 30 BE-
came dead in sin and wholly deiled in ali tba
faculties and parts OF soul and bodr
They being the root OF all mankind tho guilt ~ t
This siu WAS imputed, and the same death in Sin
End corrupted nature conveyed to ell their DOS
!erity, descending from them BY ordinary gen |
,ration.
From this original corruption, whereby We are
Utterly iudisposed, disabled. and made opposite t
o all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do |
,roceed all actual hansgreseion.
This corruption OF nature, during this life.
9th remain in those that are 1egonerated; and, |
Though it be through Christ pardoued and |
Mortified, yet both itself, and ali the motious
hereof, are truly and properly sin.
Every sin, both original and actual, being
ansgfession Of the righteous law of God, md
,ntrary thereunto, doth. in its own nature.
;ipg guilt u2on the sinnes. whereby he is bound