The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-05-28
Vacant PulpitS

|
! great many broad-minded Presby-
| terians sincerely regret that the northern
PRESBYTERIAN general assembly has refused
TO decide whether or not it is advisable to
revise the Confession of Faith. 1t has taken
a step in that direction, no vever, by sub
hitting the following questions to the
various presbyteries. viz: l. DO YOU desire
| a revision of the Confession Of Fdith3 2.
! IF 80, in what respects ami to what extent!
The submission Of these questions to the
Pfesbyteries indicates the existence of
doubt of the correctness of the sta ldards
set up by the Westminster assembly more
than 200 years ago. 1t is alleged that there
| are u great many Presbyterians who do t
believe some things asserted in the Presby-
terrain creed. They cannot reconcile the
| doctrine of election with that Of free will,
and the dogma that ''some men and
angels are predestiGel unto everlasting
life, and others foreorIalned TO eyerlastin g
death, they do not accept because they
cannot believe it.
The religious thought Of the present day
is quite different from that which prevailed
when the Confession Of Faith was adopted.
There has been evolution in theology as well
as in abou everything else, and this evou-
ton has not been cOnfiled to any particular
denomination. It is apparent in them all
While, perhaps, it might not be just to
say that there are Presbyterian minis. ers
VINO do no believe all the Presbyterian
creed, it doubtless is true that there are a
great many who occupy psws in Pres5yte-
rian churches who do not believe all
of it, and who, if they were questioned
closely, would express a doubt whether
all Of those who preach it believe all
Of it. 1t is certainly true that there
are things in the Confession Of Faith which
are not alluded to as frequently as they
once were, and are not urged with the fer
vor of profound conviction.
If it lie true that there is widespread
doubt respec.ihG soma of the thi gs in
the Confession of Faith, it would seem to be
the part of wisdo IN t. get rid Of them. II
the se re. aimed they ares certain to do the
chuFa harm. Indeed, they have already
doae it harm, if some of It's abest ministers
are not az fault These ministers say that the
reason why the supply Of Presbyterian min
that many brilliant young men are kept
out of tae ministry because they cannot
subscribe to the articles of faith
Presbyteriaas generally are not aware
how many pIlp.ts of their chlrcl are
empty. In the northern branch Of the de-
nomination there are over five hu dred
That branch in its annual report says
according to the last minu IS there ara
SIS vacant churches in the large and vg)r-
Gus synods of New York. Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Indiana and Michigan; not all vacant
from their own feebleness, bat presumably
largely from that cause. We find there are
3j4 caurcnes il these synods tnat have less
than thirty members each. Il is useless to
try to belttle the picture by saying that the
New York synod has S04 churches, while it
is confronted with 80 vacant churches, or
- with less than 3)members each; or that
Pennsylvania has ,05) churches, with $50
vacant and 50 that haze less than so mem
bers each. The process Of decay is muca
more alarming than many suppose. 1t mas
become a p~omi ent feature il missionary
work, and because it is 50 our presbyterles
are slow to see its magnitude or to grapple
with it. The las5 year only 2)6 churches
were organized in our bounds and IS were
di solved. So that for every II urche5
formed we lost over ). Such loss and
waste cannot fail to arrest the attention of
the most careless"
Pres5yterianism is not declining. On
the contrary, the caurca is steadily grow
ing, although SO many OF its pulpits are
vacant. But will it continue to grow il it
clings to It's iron-bound creed. If it BE- true
that bright young men who are looking
toward the pulpit show an increasing dis
inclination to subscribe to tAat creed, will
not the church reach a turning point in the
not very distant futursl 1t must have
ministers to exist, and its ministers must
subscribe to its creed. If Its creed is against
the religious thought of the age, minister's
will not be easily Obtained. Doubtless the
presbyteries will give the que ,tons whic
have been subm.t.eI to them very careful
consideration.