Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-11-17
CONFESSION OF FAITH.
The Westminster Confessional Re-
view OF Dr. Warfie,d'S Position.

criticize the deliverance Of Princeton
Professor on questions theological, may
be considered presumptuous. yet our
great distance from the Professor geo.
graphically, and, perhaps theologically,
inspires us with courage TO analyze some
OF his reasono why his Presbytery should
oppose revision.
In order that our comments may be
thoroughly understood We will give each
Of DR.. Warfield's objections in full and
follow with our comments.
DR.. Warfield says:
l. "Oar free but safe formula of &C.
ceptance Of the Confession of Faith, by
which we receive and adopt it. as 'con-
tanning the system OF doctrine taught in
the Holy Scriptures form Of Govern.
ment XIV, 12), relieves us OF
all necessity for seeking each man
to conform tho confession in all its
propositions, to his individual prefer
ences, and enables us to treat the Con-
fession es public document, designed
not to bring each of our idiosyncrasies to
expression, but to express the general
and common faith OF the whole body,
which it adequately and admirably
does"
Every officer received into the Pgesby-
terian church adopts the Confession OF
Faith as containing the system of
doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures" F"
Is it in strict accord with honesty and
truth to say that the Confession of Faith
contains "the system OF doctrine taught
in the Holy Scriptures" when your
mind revolts at the teaching of the Con-
fession on the subjects of Election,
Predestination and DEGREES? Can we
relieve ourselves OF self qualification by
accepting the Confession ''as public
document" and not designed as an ex-
preston of individual preference ?''
The Confession of Faith should be con-
crete crystalization of the average theo.
logical views of those adopting or living
under it.
The public faith is simply the sggre-
gated individual faith, and whenever a
Confession of Faith ceases to be the
reflex or exponent of the average indi-
vidual faith, it may continue for time
as a fine specimen OF pesrification, but
destitute of the vital principle OF life.
2. Enjoying this free, yet hearty,
relation to the Confession, we consider
that our situation toward our standards
is incapable OF improvement. However
much or little the Confession vera al
tered we could not, as body, accept the
altered Confession in closer sense than
for system of doctrine; and the altera.
tions could not better it as public Con-
fession, however much it might be made
a closer expression OF the faith OF some
individual members among US. In any
case, it could not be made, in all its
propositions and forms Of statement, the
exact expression OF the personal faith of
each one of our thousands OF Office
baarers."
DR.. Warfield says, ''we consider that
our eituation toward our standards is in
capable OF improvement" If this is the
sentiment OF the Church, why did so
many Presbyterians petition the General
Assembly to open up the question OF re-
vision?
There is revolt ali along the line
against many forms of expression in our
Confession. The strictly metaphysical
forms of expression used by the trainers
of the Westminster Confession NAV be
made as translucent as sunbeam by q
Princeton teacher to orr candidates for
the ministry, but these same scions OF
Princeton, when they attempt to recon
cile the teachings of our Confession on
the subjects OF Election, Foreordiuation
and DEGREES, with the broader and more
loving gospel of Jesus and John, uni
sormly fail. The ordinary sinner can IN
derstand you when you quote to him
the many passages from the lips of the
Savior and from the gospels telling him
that "God SO loved the world that he
gave his only begotten Son that whose.
ever believeth in Him shall not perish,
but have everlasting life," and that
Christ by His death ''atoned for every
man" and that "whosoever believeth in
tho Lord Jeaus Christ shall ba saved"
but, when you quote to him that
part of our Confession OF Faith
which says: SPY the decrees
of God for the manifestation OF
his glory come men and an
gels are predestined to eternal life and
others foreordained unto everlasting
DEATH" and that "these angels and men
thus predestined and foreordained are
particularly and unchangeably designed,
and their number is SO certain and
definite that it cannot be either increased
or diminished" and that "the pre-
destination unto life was made before the
foundation of the world" and that
.'Elect only are saved" and that the
Crest of mankind God WAS pleased TO
pass by" and to "ordain to dishonor
and death" you drive him into the
despair Of fatalism. The Princeton Pro-
fessor will answer these objections by
saying, "If you only understood these
things you would see the harmony be-
tween moral free agency and the DEGREES
of God" This is just where the trouble
is. The ordinary sinner has not that
power Of metaphysical analysis neces-
eary to reconcile these apparent contra.
dictions. The result is that the average
Presbyterian minister does not pretend to
preach the doctrines contained in chapter
III Of our Confession. If these doctrines
ars not to be preached, why should they
lie ss dead letter on the pages OF our
Confession?
8. ''In these circumstances we are
unwilling to mar the integrity of so ven-
cradle aud admirable document in the
mere license CT change, without prospect
of substantially bsttsring our relation to
it or its fitness to serve as an adequate
statement of the system of doctrine
which we all heartily believe. The his.
torical character and the heredity value
OF the creed should in such case be
preserved"
1t is the very fact that this venerable
and admirable document" does not give
"an adequate statement Of the doctrine
which uya oil hoortilu hnliouo1 that