The Portland daily press., 1882-05-10
The Reported Change in His Creed IN
true.

1t has been reported and doubtless has found
many believers that since his installation as
pastor of the First Congrega tional church of
San Francisco, Rev. Mr. Barrows has insisted
upon radical changes being made in the creed
of the church, and that in consequence the
church has altered its declaration Of faith and
swung far off from its orthodox moorings. Now
this is in the nature of news which the report
ers sometimes call Important if true Mr..
Barrows has not coarced the church into max
ing any changes whatever; what ever altera-
tions have been made have been the work of
the church as a church, begun before he was
its pastor, and quite independent of his desires
except so far as he was concerned in common
with the other members of the body.
The following communication, which ap-
peared in the San Francisco Bulletin of April
Nj, is interesting in this connection. 1t will be
sponsibility for the changes made in the creed,
and repudiate the suggestion that they in any
way affect the faith of he church:
ORIGIN OF THE REVISED CREED OF THE FIRST
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
Editor Bulletins: An impression is current
in some circles in San Francisco, which has
found voice through the press, that when the
Rev. Mr.. Barrows assumed the pastorate of the
First Congregational church, he at once pro-
posed and carried into effect a revision of its
creed, and that the changes made were dictat-
ed by him, and submitted to by the church. 1t
is due to Mr. Barrows that we should promptly
and unequivOcally pronounce this impression
false. The revision of our church manual, in
Guiding our confession of faith, had been lD the
hands of the officers by vote of the church more
than year before Mr. Barrows's acceptance OF
the call to our pastorate. Any intimation that
he insisted upon creed revision as condition
OF his acceptance, or that the matter was ever
referred to in any communication between
him and the church, is utterly without foun-
dation. His attention was first called to the
subject after his installation, as part of the
unfinished business in the hands of the board
of officers. The creed as it stands was unani-
mously approved by the board of officers, and
was adopted by the church with only one dis
senting voice. Mr.. Barrows is, of course, ex-
officio member of the board of officers, and as
such presided at the meetings; but he assumed
no authority, an0 is no more responsible for
the result reached than any other member. In
this as in all other matters, we have acted to-
gether in entire harmony, and with cordial
recognition on our part of the courtesy, WIS
dom and efficiency with which he has led us in
every department of church work. We think
it proper to say that while we have simplified
our creed, we do not admit that in it, or in our
beliefs, we have departed from the Scriptural
standard, and we can only regret that our po-
sition should be SO misunderstood by others
who are serving under the same Master. 1t
has seemed to US fitting that We should make
this statement in order, If possible, to remove
an utterly false impression from the minds of
the people; but we propose to enter into no
controversy, nor to publish anything further
on the subject. We have full confidence that
under our new pastor our pulpit will utter no
uncertain sound, but will set forth, as it has
done for many years past, under the honored
leader who has been called by Providence to
lay down his work, the whole counsel of God,
in regard both to matters of truth and matters
of duty. We have equal confidence in the cor
diality with which such utterances will be re-
ceived by our church and congregation.
Samuel A. Chaplin, Ira p Rankin, L. B.
Charles S. Eaton, NJ Straus, 81. W. Severance,
S. III. Clement, S. e. Dutton, G. III. Wakelee
and j. j. Vasconcellos, officers of the First
Congregational church Of San Francisco.
THE SAN FRANCISCO CREED.
Following is the creed of the First Congrega-
tienal church OF San Francisco, adopted March,
1882:
1. We believe that there is one only living
and true God, the Creator, Preserver and Su-
preme Ruler of the Universe, infinite in all
Divine perfections and attributes.
2. That the Scriptures of the Old and New
Testsments were given by inspiration of God;
that they contain the only authoritative record
Ol Cn6 DlFlue Will, Euu tnaG dOu is roV6aleu
therein as the Father, the Son and the Spirit
8. That our Lord Jesus Christ for us and
our salvation came down from Heaven; was
made man, was cruciied dead and buried; the
third day rose again according to the Scrip
lures; that by his humiliation. suffering, death
and resurrection, he has made reconciliation
for all men, and that he ever liveth to mako
intercession for us.
4. That men are convinced of sin, renewed
and sanctifed only through the gracious infu-
ences of the Holy Spirit and that all those
thus led to repentance are kept by the power
of God through faith, unto salvation; but we
hold that the fruits and evidence of saving
faith in Christ. and renewed heart, are good
works and Cody life.
5. That Christ will come again to Judge
both the living and the dead; when every one
shall receive the things done in his body, ac-
cording to that he hath done whether it be
good or bad.
g. That Christ has established in the world
a visible church, whose sacraments are baptism
and the Lords Supper; that it is the duty of
all Christians to enter into covenant with it,
thus confessing Christ before men; and that it
is the privilege of believing parents to conse-
crate their children to God in baptism, by which
outward rite they, and their households are
placed in special covenant relations with him.
7. We believe in the Holy catholic church,
and the communion of saints, in the necessity
of regeneration of the human heart, and the
forgiveness of sins; in the resurrection of the
dead, and the life everlasting