The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-09-21
Dean Stanley on the Confession
of Faith.


of Faith.
The paper of Dean Stanley on the
Westminster Confession, published since
his death in one of the English maya
zines, and in fact the last production
from his pen, is remarkable for the can
dor with which he points out both the
excellencies and defects of that memo
rable symbol. The iberal-minded Dean
seems always to have felt kindly inter-
est in the Presbyterian Church. Called
to preside over the renowned abbey
where the Westminster Standards were
formulated, he had taken more than one
public occasion to compliment the Pres
byterians, and to call attention to the
famous Assembly of 1641 and it's work
IN the Jerusalem Chamber Now that
he has gone, it is a matter of some
curiosity to those who still venerate the
Confession to know what such a man has
+. to say about it In this last deliverance
With hearty appreciation of its many
excellencles, he yet points out, with un-
sparlng criticism, what he conceives to
be Its defects 1t is to be noticed, how
ever, that even through his condemna-
ton there runs an apologize tone. The
defects, omissions, and few unwarranted
statements of the document, are. in his
tolerant judgment, to be attributed to
the exigencies of the case, and the spirit
of the times under which the Confession
was made.
The dean opens his discussion with
the following historical statement as to
the origin of the Confession:
The Westminster Confession of Faith
is a document of more interest than most
Englishmen ascribe to it, with the origin
OF which they have more concern than
they often think, and which still repre-
sents the creed of large portion of their
tellow-countrymen. The very name is
significant. 1t proceeded not from Scot
land, not from Edinburgh, but from the
English Parliament, and was drawn up
IN the Jerusalem Chamber, in the pre-
cincts of Westminster Abbey, under the
sanction of the only authorities in West
Minister that then existed for ecclesiasti-
cal purposes. 1t is the only Confession of
Faith which was ever imposed on the
whole of the United Kingdom. The
Thlrty-nine Articles never extended be.
yond the limits of Berwick-upon-T Tweed
but the Confession of Faith reigned with
undlsputed supremacy for ten years.
under the authority of Parliament from
Cape Wrath to the Lands End"
One excellence of the Confession, which
he mentions as forming a striking con-
trast with the ancient creeds, is the glow
ing language of earnest emotion, in which
Its doctrines are stated Unlike the
Nlcene and Constantinopolitan creeds, it
Is flushed with all the ardor Of Individual
conviction. at is somewhat like what
Matthew Arnold says of the Athanasian
creed, it is the Nicene creed ruff1ed with
a dash of temper. The Thirty-nine Ar
ticles,, although at times giving way to
something Of an emotional color, present
still on the whole dry, calm, and sober
document. The Confession of Faith is
throughout rhetorical, argumentative,
and so to speak theological, whereas all
the other documents are, as a general
rule, merely legal" He cites, as in
stances OF these glowing words" the
noble definition of God in the second
chapter, the description of the moral
character of the Supreme Being, and the
loving description of the person and
character Of Christ in the eighth chapter.
These excellent expressions, says he,
have no parallel in any of the earlier
creeds to which | have referred"
That part of the article in which he
speaks of the Erastian character of the
Westminster Confession will be read by
Presbyterians with surprise. The Dean
himself, however, evidently considers this
feature OF it as an excellence, and tells
us 1t IS a doctrine which, in the seven
teenth century, was believed and main
tanned by every branch Of the Christian
community throughout the British realm
except the Independents. He concludes
his remarks on this point with the fol-
lowing words: The Westminster Con
iession, in matters of church government
IS, with one slight exception, an Erastian
document, and represents the noblest
and wisest school Of divines at that time"
In proof of this statement he quotes the
strong language of the third section Of
the twenty-third chapter of the book. on
Civil Magistrate which, of course. sus-
talns the statement so far as it relates TO
the original symbol, as it came from the
assembly and was adopted by the Church
OF Scotland. The charge of Erastianism
however, does in no way apply to onr
American Presbyterian Church, inasnuob
as the clauses containing the doctrine
were all stricken out by the fathers OF
our Church in l788-17S9, when the pre-.