The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1889-03-13
Union Theological Seminary, "
Belfast Witness [organ Of the Irish Presbyterian
Church.
Greed Revision in Scotland.

Greed Revision in Scotland.
Last week the Free Church Presbv.
teries OF Edinburgh and Glasgow took
the first step In movement which may
end In a controversy, the most bitter
and painful that the Presbyterian Church
has passed through since the Revolution,
and may be followed by very serious re.
suits. They have passed resolutions ex-
pressing dissatisfaction with the West
minister Confession as in some respects
out of harmony with the living faith
of the Church, and stating their opinion
that some method ought to be adopted
In order to relieve candidates for the
ministry from the obligation of accepting
all that it contains. What this method
is to be, it is left to the General Assem-.
bly, to decide.
In ordinary times such a proposal
would not excite any great alarm The
Confession is a human book, and partakes
more or less of the imperfections which
cleave to everything human. Doubtless
1t is quite true that some important
things may be omitted, some may be
oVerstated and some might be presented
in less Objectionable form. A revision
which would bring the human represen-
tation of the truth into closer accord
with the Divine original is something
that Is much to be desired. But we are
not certain, by any means, that this is
the object that the promoters have in
view. Since the abolition of tests in the
universities, rationalism in Scotland has
made a great advance. The leading
daily paper of Scotland pours constant
contempt and ridicule on Calyinistic
Christianity. There are theological halls
IN Scotland where any reference to the
Confession or Oatechism is received by
men preparing for the ministry with
strong marks of disapprobation. The
remembrance of Robertson Smith, and OF
the sympathy svowed for him and his
opinions by the younger clergy, has not
died out; while the notorious paper read
to the Pan-Presbyterian Council by a
well-known Glasgow minister, in which
he asserts that "it is the duty of the
Church to make it plain that faith in
Christ is not bound up with faith in the
infallibility of Scripture" is fresh in
the recollection of the public. These
facts excite the suspicion that the design
OF the revision movement at the present
time Is not only to secure for young men
OF lax theological sentiment the adysn.
tage OF ministerial position without being
committed to any strict doctrinal test
whatever, but to set every mioister free,
without the restraint of any confessional
obligation, to preach in Presbyterian
pulpits henceforth anything whatever
that oommends itself to his own mind as
true; and ultimately, under the euise of
mending the Confession OF Faith, to aim
a deadly blow at the inspiration of the
Holy Scriptures. This, though not the
a7owed, is, we believe, the real object of
some who, though now keeping out Of
sight and pushing others forward, are the
real authors Of the present movement.
On the other hand, there are multitudes
in the Free Church, sound to the core,
who will resist such an attempt to the
last. The controversy of 1843 was moth
ing to that which is now virtually begun.
Talk Of spiritual independence, indeed
and the rights Of the people to elect their