The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-03
THE PRESBYTERIAN CREED.

Ex-President McCosh, Of Princeton College,
Argues in Favor Of Revision Other Views.
NEW YORK, Oct. 2-The Presbytery of
New Brunswick, n j., yesterday discussed
the proposed revision of the Westminster
Confession of Faith. The New Brunswick
Presbytery embraces in its boundaries
Princeton College and Seminary, and the
members of the faculties of both were pres
ent in force to take part in the discussion.
Ex- President McCnsh expressed himself
wholly in favor of revision. There is dam
ger,n he said. sin stirring up this matter,
but there is more danger in ignoring it or
postponing it, The movement in favor of
revision has been pushed very earnestly by
the young men, and it will as surely be
pushed in the future. Revision seems likely
to come, and if it must come it is better
that there should be no hesitancy, but that
the movement should be guided by the
older and more conservative men, and
guided courageously and openly. 1t may
be doubted if some passages are contained
in the word of God Now. in logic it is law
that there shall be nothing in the conclu-
the PREMISE; hence, what is not in the word
of God must not be in the Confession"
DR.. McCosh spoke briefly of the language
of the clause declaring that God, for His
own glory, hath foreOrdained some men to
everlasting life and some to everlasting
DEATH" and then continued: There is a
want in our confession of q clear and prom
inent utterance, such as we have in the
Scriptures everywhere, of the love of God
to all men. and of the free gift of Jesus
Christ and of salvation to all men, not of
the elect alone. l find that some of our
best and soundest young men are turned
from their inclination to enter upon the
ministry, ,Nor, having entered upon it, are
annoyed and hindered by few obnoxious
phrases that keep staring them in the face,
and by the absence of the complete recog-
nition of the infinite love and mercy of
God. Leave out, then, these obnoxious
prominent expression of our doctrine this
one of Gods love to all. and of the free Of
fer of salvation. Our Confession meets the
heresies of the seventeenth century. but not
the heresies of the nineteenth. confess too,
that should like to have in the Presby-
terian Church shorter and clearer creed
than the Westminster Confession. Our
theologians do not accept it as whole.
Among the theological seminaries some re-
iect one part some reject another; all re-
president spoke of the nature of the fight
winch the church in this age was entering
upon as an argument for the revision.
Among the other speakers were DR.. Duff
field, of Princeton, who made the principal
argument for revision, speaking from the
historical point of view well as the the
illogical. DR.. Warfield, Princeton's semi
nary professor of theology, opposed revision
on the ground that the present Confession
was the correct expression of the general
sentiment of the church and a satisfactory
Interpretation of the scriptural faith of it
self properly interpreted. Others opposed
to revision were Drs. Hodge. Nudge.
Green and Swan. The presbytery replied
in the negative to the overture of the Gen
eral Assembly, asking whether it favored a
revision of the Confession, thirty-four dele
gates voting against revision and sixteen
for it,