The sun., 1890-06-10
,.od In the Constitution.

Tho Reformed Presbyterians refuse to
vote because there Is no formal recognition
of COP and the Divine sovereignty III tne
Constitution OF the United States. len
thousand OF them accordingly have signed
n petition to Congress urging that the omis-
eIon be supplied, and their Synod, In session
here. has adopted report advising that the
sendinR of such petitions be kept up.
Meantime the Presbyterians proper arc
considering how they can get the doctrine OF
CONS eovereiRnty out OF their creed, or at
least how TO modify its statement 30 that II
shall be made agreeable to human reason
They are willing to recognize GOD In thelr
constitution, but they want to limit HIS
power by the vote OF the majority OF the
presbyteries. They insist that he shah
govern after the method OF parliamentary
restraint, that the Divine sovereignty shail
be limited, and no longer absolute ana WITH
out regard to human suffrage.
The Reformed Presbyterlans are COM
paratiyely small branch OF the great Presoy-
terian family, and are probably looked upon
nv the rest as cranky fellows, who carry
their uncompromising spirit to an absurd
extreme. But they live up to their convic-
tIons. and deserve respect in consequence.
They do not try to hedge, but accept the con-
cluslons from their doctrines boldly ana
without evasion. They believe that the only
true sovereign in the universe is GOD, ana
that earthly rulers are His mere creatures
nowerless against His will. Hence they de-
clare that government which does not 30
proclaim, and act accordingly, Is wicked and
Goddess aud to take part in 1t fs sin.
L., bod Nf
rebel against the theory OF the absolute sover-
elnnty OF GoD when 1t runs counter 10 thelr
notions Of what justice ought to be. 1hey
want to profess to believe in an omnlpotent
and omniscient GoD, and yet to avoid the
necessary conclusion that He has determined
unchangeably whatever He brings TO pass
They say that thers Is only one VIII In the
universe, but when their own Wills are IN
oppoeition to it, they want to devise some
way OF escaping the inevitable collision.
COP. says their creed, is absolute In His
sovereignty over every human creature. de
has devised q system OF rewards ana PUNISH
ments sending some men and angels to nell
and Others to heaven; and logically, con-
tinues the Westminster Confession, He, the
Ai-KnowinR and the All-Powerful, must
have known from the beginning what was
to be the fate OF each creature to be made.
That Is the doctrine OF election. and how can
YOU get rid OF 1t without denying the per-
sonality OF GOD. or throwing overheard
belief in future reprobaton?
But the Presbyterians are trying to get
over it. They want more agreeable doc
trine. They want to believe that even II
some people are to be damned, COP did not
foresee and decree their fate from all eter-
nifty, though He foresaw and decrced whatso-
ever was to happen. They recoil from the
thought OF becoming downright atheists yet
they would make of GOD only the express
sion of their desires, not personal Ruler
with mankind as His powerless subjects.
The situation is very remarkable. 1t seems
to us that the first effort OF the Presby-
terians should be to keep GOD In their Con-
fesslon of Faith rather than to bring 1t to
pass that His sovereignty shall be recog-
nized in the Constitution. document which
has no relation to religion and lays down
the fundamental principles Of government
for a republic in which the separation OF
Church and State is complete and final.