Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-11-10
The Westminster Conference vs.
Practical Presbytcrianism.
No. by JOHN SHIRLEY WARD.

No. by JOHN SHIRLEY WARD.
Mr.. EDIroR-The last General Assem-.
bly,, in order to align itself with the ad.
vanced theological thought of this age
has asked the Presbyteries to suggest
what alterations or notifications shoulc
be made in the Westminster Confession
of Faith. This opens up the question o.
revision in its broadcast scope.
We do not propose to enter the lists o.
knights in this theological contest, but
as the humblest crusader in the ranks o.
Gregory and Occur de Lion felt inspired
in his struggle to wrest the tomb of the
Savior from the hand of the Saracen, &C
we feel kindred inspiration to strike
from the matchless truth of the West.
minister system the shackles of unmean.
ing verbiage and perplexing phraseology
which obscure the truth.
In chapter III of our confession oil
faith we find the following: "By the
decree of God for the manifestation oil
His own glory some men aud angels are
predestined unto everlasting life and
others foreordained to everlasting
DEATH"
"These angels and men thus predes.
tined and foreordained are particularly
and unchangesbly designed; and their
number is so certain and definite that it
cannot be either increased or dimin-
ished."
There may be q hidden truth in this
paragraph, but the ordinary mind fails to
grasp it, and we have never heard min
iotnr oh II frovo bio rvfpit
This "predestination unto life" was
made "before the foundation of the
world" and was made by God "without
any forethought of faith or good works or
perseverance, in either of them, or any
thing in the creature or condition or
causes moving him thereunto, and all to
the praise of his glorious grace"
Gas God hath appointed the elect unto
glory they are effectually called
unto faith in Christ by His Spirit work
ing in due season are justified, adopted,
sanctified and kept by Hispower through
faith unto salvation, neither are any
others redeemed by Christ, efectually
called, justified. adopted, sanctifed and
saved but the elect only"
"The rest of mankind God WAS pleased
to pass by and to ordain them
to dishonor and wrath for their sins and
to the praise of his glorious Justice"
Take the paragraph on select infants
dying in infancy" This language i'm
plies that there are non-elect infants. If
election was determined before the
foundation of the world" and it was de-
creed without any foresight of faith or
good works or perseverance in either of
them, or anything in the creature or
conditions" then, there is as much con-
sistency in damning non-elect infant as
there ia in damning a non.elect adult.
This question we leave for trained theo-
logical disputants.
But it may be said we do not properly
interpret the logical conclusions of these
paragraphs. Let us give Calvin's views
on Predestination, as set forth in his In
stitutes OF the Christian Religion, Book
III, chapter XXI. "Predestination, +"
says he, 1--WE call the eternal decree of
God by which He has determined in
Himself what He would have to become
Of every individual of mankind. For
they are not all created with q similar
destiny, but eternal life is fore-ordained
others. Every man, therefore, being
created for one or the other of these
ends, We say he is predestined
either to life or death. This
God has not only testified in par
tieular persons, but He has given as peel
men of it in the whole posterity of Abra-
ham, which should evidently show the
future condition Of every nation to
depend upon his decision. In conform
ity, therefore, to the clear doctrine of the
Scriptures, we assert that by an eternal
and immutable counsel, GOD has once
for all determined both whom be would
admit to salvation and whom he would
condemn to destruction. We affirm that
this counsel, Is far as concerns the elect,
Is founded en bic gEstqi;9Qa waT0y, q;