The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-01-16
Eternity of Matter.
From the Southern Churchman.


A correspondent recently called at
tention to what he deemed two serious
errors in the Westminster Confession :;
about which we wish to say a few words.
We are glad to allow large discussion in
this paper. We cannot as editor, permit
correspondents only to utter what we
believe large discussions are the means
of arriving at truth.
1t is but right for us to say, however,
that our correspondent has not made out
his case against the Westminster Con-
fession. If the Confession says God
created the, world in six days, the Con-
fession is entitled to the same wise inter
probation that the Bible is, which also
says, GO that in six days God created the
heavens and the earth" If we are
forced to interpret these words of the
Bible in way different from what our
fathers did; there is no greater trouble
in Interpreting the Westminster in the
same manner. Our correspondent there
fore in faulting the Confession, faults the
Bible. Another subject discussed by
our correspondent, in more serious. He
afirms that " the doctrine of creation ont
of nothing, is entirely human invention.
1t has no scriptural authority to support
it," We do not know that it would be
worth while to discipline church mem
Der for holding that matter was eternal;
or minister for teachingit it. But that it
Is contrary to scripture, to church teach
ing and reason is beyond all doubt and
its consequence might become so serious
as to destroy belief in God at ALL That
the scriptures teach the non-eternity Of
matter is plain, not only by affirming that
God only is eternal, / am the first and
the last ;" but as distinctly in the Epistle
to the Hebrews "By faith we under
stand that the worlds have been formed
by the word of God, so that what is seen
hath not been made out of things which
do appear" But as matter is the one
only thing that " doth appear, it is evil
dent the worlds were not made out of
previous matter, and consequently mat
ter is not eternal.
Our correspondent is equally mistaken
when he says, that the doctrine of crea-
ton out of nothing never made it's APP
pearance in any authoritative human
creed until the year 1647 when it was
inserted in their Confession by the West
minister divines." The Articles of Reli-
gion agreed upon by the Archbishops
and Bishops and the rest Of the clergy of
Ireland in the Convocation holden at
Dublin in 1915, teach as follows "In
the beginning of time when no creature
had any being, God, by His word alone,
in the space of six days, created all
things Here IS the same doctrine crea-
tion in six days, and from nothing, as in
the Westminster. In the Confession of
Belgia 1850 the same doctrine is taught
/" We believe that the Father by His
word, that is by the Son, made heaven,
earth, and all other creatures of nothing.
If other Protestant Confessions do not re-
fer to creation, it was because not neces-
sary; and those that do, if they do not
teach in words creation out of nothing,
do so by implication "This good and
Almighty God created all things both
visible and invisible (HeJUetja). 1--WE
believe that God hath made all things
not only heaven and earth and all things
therein contained, but also the invisible