The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1889-03-13


Bible In matters of faith
The controversy thus inaugurated is at
present only in its first stage, and posi-
bly,, If well managed, may never reach
the advanced point which we fear il will
ultimately reach. Meanwhile, the FIRE of
the assailants is directed ostensibly and
mainly against the Confession. Nor let
1t be supposed that exception is taken
merely against the undue influence,
which, as some think, that work allows
the civil magistrate, or against the intol.
Grant spirit, which, in one or two pas.
sages, it is by some supposed to sanction.
These objections were felt by many fifty
or Sky years ago. and the passages on
which they are founded have beer long
ago explained or withdrawn. The pre.
sent objections are more serious. and take
a wider range. They relate to the IN
SEPARATION of Scripture, the salvation of
the heather, the atonement, the election
OF infants, creation, reprobatiop, and
eternal punishment. The statement of
the Confession on these subjects is re.
garded by those who seek relief as too
strict and they desire to have the for
mula OF subscription so relaxed that thew
can enter the ministry without being tied
down to teach what the Confession af
hrms to be true on The points in ques-
ton: The fair inference is, that they do
not believe what is taught in the Comics.
sion on these subjects. 1t is certain, on
the other hand, that multitudes in Scot.
land, lay and clerical, believe it with
their hearts. What good can be expected
from a relaxation, the effect of which
must be that what is preached as true in
one Scottish parish will within the same
denomination be denounced as false and
heretical in another, we do not under
stand.
A week or two ago well-known min.
lister In Edinburgh preached from the
text, Let us hold fast the profession of
our faith without wavering," and in his
discourse specified nearly all the points
now named in the Confession as obiec-
tionsble, and advocated their removal
from the standards of the Church, which
have been accepted for $50 years, and
which the preacher himself had sub
scrlbed at his ordination When a man
OF distinction can recommend publicly so
much surrender in speaking from the
passage, " Let us hold fast the profession
OF our faith without wavering" and all
the while pretend to see no inconsistency
between his text and mis- doctrine he must
take the public to be fools. This is a
specimen of the manner in which men
processing anxiety to gain relief for ten
der condolences can themselves handle
the inspired Word To a man gifted
with such power of Interpretation, the
Bible, not to speak OF the Confession, Of
ters no more restriction than cobWeb.
The minister who can recommend the re-
moval OF the doctrines of reprobation, a
limited atonement, and the inspiration of
Scripture, out of a creed that he signed
on entering the ministry, and thinks that
In so doing he is "holding fast the pro.
tesslon OF his faith without wavering,"
ought not to have much difficulty in find
ing the six days creation in the Fourth
Commandment as we'll as in the Comics
zion of Faith.
1t is ominous that the men who head
the movement for bringing down the
Confession to the level of the lax opinion
prevailing among theological students are
mostly professors in theological colleges.
Surely they ought first to inquire wheth.
er the instruction given to young men in
divinity halls is such as to fit them for
accepting the Bible and the representa-
ton OF it's truths given in the Confession.
They are much misrepresented if the sta
BILE instruction in some of their classes is
not barren speculation as to the date of
one book in the Bible, the authorship of
another, the authenticity of third. Is
not the effect of such training to produce
on the minds OF young men, whose prin-
ciples are only in process of formation,
the impression that the Bible is not in all
its parts inspired, and consequently that
1T Is wanting in Divine authority? No
wonder that men so taught scruple at
this and the other statement as
true, and set fallible human reason on the
bench to sit in judgment as to the truth
OF the Divine Word. Such men at the
end of their course find it difficult to &C.
cept as certain what all along they have
been taught to doubt 1t is honest and
honorable in them in the circumstances
to entertain and express such scruples.
1t Is the Immediate design of the present
movement to make it easy for these men,
on whose faith, without any fault Of their
own, deep injury has been inflicted, to
enter the ministry without coming under
obligation to teach the doctrines of the
Church. Their case, we admit, is much
to be pitied bat we cannot agree to any
such remedy for the hardship that they
suffer. The true policy of the Church is
l. = II IL