The New York herald., 1879-08-31
ALCUTT AND MACREA.

ALCOTT AND MACREA.
TWO NOTABLE CASES OF HEREsY AND THE OUT
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. IN THE cRUcIBLE-
THE REVOLT AGAINST cALvINIsM--LIMIrED
OR UNLIMITED AToNEMENT.
Dissent from creeds and standards is increasing
more and more every year men read the Bible
more independently and think more freely for
themselves. This dissent is not confined to any
denomination or creed but it seems to be moro wide
spread in the Calvinistic fold than anywhere else
Two notable cases have recently and quite largely
occupied the attention of the Presbyterian press and
councils in Scotland and in this country. They are
not exactly alike and yet in some points they bear
q striking resemblance to each other. The American
case is that of the Rev. A. n Acott. q minister Of
the Presbyterian Church III Ohio. He had doubts in
his mind in regard to the consistency OF his own
position minister in that Church while holding
doctrnal views that at variance with the
'.standards' Of the Church The trouble in his mind
was as to the extent or limit of the atonement of
Christ. Being al honest man he went to his Pres
bytery that Of Wooster. Ohio. with his doubt in the
form Of questions to be answered by his brethren,
and their answer would depend his future eccle-
siastical relations. His queries were:-"May Pres
byteriau minister preach an unlimited atonenent
for sin-vz.. that God designs the atonement for all
men? Or must Presbyterian minister preach
limited atonement for sin-viz, that God does not
design the atonement tor all men, but that He
Himself limits the application OF it?'
The theory OF limited atonement Mr.. Alcott de.
fined teaching :-"Decree to elect part OF the
fallen sinful TO eternal iife regardless OF
parative merit aud regardless of comparative de-
merit. sovereignty to pass by and ordan to eternal
death the remainder Oh account OF their sins. De-
cree to provide kedeener and redemption for the
elect, and effectually to apply the redemption by
special grace"
Nrhe tneory of unlimited atonement he thus de-
An al. a n Redc m n fu1 and
free redemption for all the fallen. sinful race and
bestow sufficient spiritual aid and grace to enable
every man to accept these IL he choose.
The Presbytery to whom those questions and
definitions referred answered his first inquiry
in the negative. for the following reasons
81. Because the Scripture teaching as formulated
in Confession OF Faith sets forth the doctrine of
the following passages" scripture proofs given.)
80. Because ordination vows limit him to teach
the doctrine of the Confession of Faith"
STRICT CALvINIsM NOT REQUIRED.
At the same time. while the Presbytery adopted
its commuters report. lest there should be any
more or Its members i'll the same mental condition
~ Mr. Aicott 1t careful to add that the Presby-
terry did not require Mr.. Acott. does it require
But in that case as ME- Aleott himself declares. the
Presbytory dropped his name from its roll not for
defect in his faith but for illogical arguments
in defence OF bis views. And he very pertinently
asks why the brethren did not instruct him III
better logic and retain him for his faith Aud
can presbytery drop minister's namo from its
roll on account Of the quality OF his arguments?
This receives additional importance from tho
Dyterian Church divided years ago the old and
new school, and which issues were supposed to be
buried. ut least. to be placed in the background
when the two schools came together in this city
twenty ago. 1t has. therefore, created
little stir and commoton i'll Calvnisc circles every
where we'll as in the particular Church which
Mr.. Alcott belonged. And not few blame him tor
his extreme honesty which precipiated such ques-
ton pon the Church this time. Had he kept own
counsel he might have gone and preached All un-
limited xtonement all his days and tue Presbytery of
Wooster would never have called halt Dr. Leonard
nf I'M fha Ghxf
answer AS 1.-The petrihed foundation OF Calvinism,
it shaped by Ca.vin's successors' in contradis
tincton to 1.-The Gospel or tree salvation offered to
all men," DIR. Bacon thinks that IL the Westminster
Confession or Faith sustains the doctrine OF u
limited atonement so much the worse Tor that con-
ression and for the Presbyterian Church. And so
much the worse also. he thinks for those ministers
whose ordination vows compel them to believe that
the Gospel and nothing but the Gospel is tornu-
lated in the Confession of Faith, and therefore that
Christ did not give Himself . ransom for all.
Surely," this venerable theoogian adds. "the lust
OF theological formulation is never audacious
than when 1t coutradicts las the denial an un-
limited atonement conrradic the express letter
as we'll as the spirit the Bible. Alas! TOR the |
preachers who find that they cannot say without |
contradicting their Confession OF Faith We see
Jesus, who made little lower than the angels
for the suffering OF death. crowned with glory and
honor. that He by the grace Of God should taste |
RATHER DE METHODIST THAN A cALvrNIsr.
DIR. Bacon also calls attention to the that /
chisms Of the Presbyterian Church does the word |
''atoncment' occur. The doctrine which those |
standards teach concerning the salvation OF all who
saved is doctrine OF redemption purchase. |
1t is that Christ buys those whom He saves. that
price which He for them ssatisfaction to
divine justice. II would rather be Arminian,
and q Methodist ut that" the Doctor adds, than be
given to the driedup hardness of heart and the
form ulatcd blindness OF mind which believes that
Cnrist did not give Himself ransom tor ali, and |
that, though God loved the elect that He gave His
only bcyoten Son to redeem them. He did not. save
some violently hgurativc sense so love the world |
that He gave His oniy Legotea Son. that whosoever |
belicveth in Him should not perish. but have
Nine years ago Mr.. Acott preached his 'trial ser.
mon" before the Presbyte terry of Wooster, without |
ordained and placed III charge OF u congregation |
which had called him. aud to which the next |
Lords Day he preached the same trial sermon"
In that congregation there happens be hard shell
Cavinist. with Keen scent Tor hercsy, aud no dis
covered. listening to that sermon, that the min
listers doctrine concerning the atonement was not
In full agreement with the standards. Somo others
were OF tho same opinion. and from that day on.
ward Mr.. Alcott found himself ia trouble The
complaint against him. by those parochal conserya-
tors of orthodoxy seems to have bcen for substance
that instead OF preaching an atonement made for the
elect he preache Precipitation Tor the sins OF the
worG-in other words. that instead of preaching the
Confession and the catechsms he was preaching the
Not even common fame OF his hctcrodoxy re-
qured the attention OF the Presbytery. His fathers
and brethren who were responsible tor him seem to
have been unwilling that ho should preach his
own doctrine of an unlimited atoneinont. us they
had heard him preach 1t in his trial Sermon At last
Mr.. Aicou himself weary of the hyper-C Cav vInistic
criticism which had go long annoyed him In his par.
ish. brought the question To- the Prcsbytery.
THE NEW AND OLD SCHOOL CONTROVERSY REVIVED.
In dropping ut his own request Mr.. Aicotts name
from the roll OF Wooster Prcsbytery there was
neither stigma nor censuro expressed or implied in
the act. He was in sense deposed or suspended
from the ministry. and nobody intended such u
thing Hence he is still recognized by his late asso-
ciates u brother In Christ and minister of the
Gospel. And should he desire IL he will find ample
helus of usefulness open before him. and the fullest
fraternity accorded to him In either The Methodist
or Congregational bodies. The Presbytcry of
Wooster does not object TO Mr. Alcott preaching the
doctrine Of unlimited atonemcnt outside OF their
own ranks Hence he may still remain in other
branches OF the great Presbyterian Church--as for
instance, the Cumberland, the Reformed or. the !
Southern Presbyterian bodies the German or Dutch
Reformed all Of whom are Ms Calvanistic as
the Church and Presbytery that he has just \