Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-09
VIEWS ON REVISION.
Light on the Great Problem of
Religious Thought.
STATEMENT OF DIR. PURVES
He Thinks the Standard of Belief Has
Been Misrepresented.
STATEMENT OF DIR. PURVES
ARGUMENT OF THE REVISIONISTS
COMPILED FOR TIE prsPArcH..

rcoNPILED FOR THE BIsPATcH-s
The question of revising the standards OF
the Presbyterian Church is, pre-eminently,
the leading topic of interest in the religious
world to-day. Not only is the revision agi-
tation a matter Of vital concern to the 600,
600 communicates of the great Presbyterian
Church. but it is full of meaning to believ-
ing Christians of all denominations. By
many the strong pro-revision spirit so
clearly manifest in this most orthodox OF
Churches is regarded as an indication that
q new epoch of religious thought is at hand.
And even should the revisionists tail to
carry the day at the next meeting of the
General Assembly. they have created s
ripple in the religious ocean whose extent
and influence no man can measure.
The proposition to revise the standards
was first brought before the General Assem-
bly, last year, when tine Presbytery of Mas
Bau sent up an overture asking for a revision
of the confession in certain points. Thir-
teen other Presbyteries asked for revision Of
some Sort and, compelled to action by so
general a request, the General Assembly
addressed these questions to the Presby-
teries in order to ascertain the state of
feeling:
First-Do you desire reyisiOn of the cOnfes-
sion of FaIthP
Secona-If so, in what respects and to what
extent?
Since the meeting of the General Assembly
these questions have been before the Presby-
teries, and, at me date of writing, about 80
PresbYteries have taken acsion in the mat
ter. OF these so fully three-fourths have
voted in favor of revision. At such relig-
ious crisis as this which the revision debate
has developed, the leaders Of the Church are
especially potent in shaping the policy of
the Church. The brief statements of the lead
ing minds Of the Calvinistic faith in Ameri.
ca appended are furnished expressly for this
publication, and are couched in the words of
their respective authors:
OPINION OF REV. DIR. PURvEs.
Rev. Dr.. George T. Furves, Pittsburg,
Pa:
lam not in favor Of the present movement for
. revision of the Confession of Faith for the
following reasons:
First-I do not believe that there is the gen.
uine need Of relief which has been represented
20 exist The progress Of the discussion has
brought out three facts: Ia That much of the
demand for revision is not the expression Of
dissatisfaction on the part of those who are
the expression of either theological restlessness
or else Of positive disloyalty to the reformed
system itself This is not 4 genuine need of
relief. 1t is rather spirit which it would be
very dangerous for the Church to approve by
any measure. (b) That much OF the demand
for revision arises from misapprehension mis-
representation of the confession itself. It has
been accused of teaching doctrines which
DO not believe that it does teach, and while l
am by no means blind to its faults do not feel
like changing it for the sake of the few who, in
my Judgment misrepresent it. (c) That SO
far as there is a genuine desire for relief THAT
Is, so far as si cere Calvinists feel that the
statements of the confession are objectionable)
the desire is unnecessary since none of us are
bound 10 accept more than the system Of DOC
t1ne. cannot understand why, with our
terms Of subscription, sincere Calvinists should
feel burdened. There are phrases in the con-
1essiOn TO which J personally object But 1
feel no need Of relief from them, since they do
not involve the system Of doctrine and am
not bound to accept them. In view Of these
facts, which the progress of the discussion has
made plalner than ever, l am convinced that
the movement is a needless and dangerous one.
No honest Calvinist among us needs revision.
Others should not have it granted them.
NOT OF SUFFICIENT IMPORTANCE.
secoDd-I do not think that the improve.
ments which have been suggested in the Ian
guage of the confession, allowing them to be
such, are of sufficient importance to Justify the
Church in taking the risks which an attempt to
revise would involve. 1 admit that the con-
fessioD emphasizes unduly the doctrine of cleo
fion and does not adequately state the doctrine
OF Gods general love to mankind and the free
offer Of the gospel to all. But this is a question
of emphasis alone The love of God is taught.
The free offer Of the gospel is stated. The
question is whether it is worth while Co run
Rny risk for the sake of bringing these and SIM
flar points out more fully. That grave risks
would be incurred III undertaking revision is
quite certain. 1t is not unlikely that the move.
ment, IL once begun, may go further than It's
began Dit find that others whose views they did
not approve are eager to take it out of their
hands, and should revision go SO far as
70 affect the doctrines taught in the
confession serious legal difficulties inevitably
Will arise since churches and institutions
have received gifts of money and other prop
erty conditional on their maintenance Of these
doctrines. Moreover, revision incurs the grave
risk Of really narrowing our dOctrInal state
ments in the effort TO define them more clearly.
judge it better 20 leave the statements as they
are with our present terms Of subscription to
them than to make them on any point more
explicit even though may believe the change
20 express the truth. Some saw change the
confession, and then require everybody to ae-
cept II verbatim. This seems to me tyraunicSl
1n spirit and impossible of execution SO that in
the interest of fair catholicity l deprecate a
change. To me the risk, therefore of really
narrowing the confession or the opposite risk
of tampering with its fundamental doctrine as
well as the wOrkof involving the Church in doc
trinal disputes and possibly legal complications
seems far too great price to pay for the possi-
Bile improvements which it Is desired to intro
duos =.
THE ELECT INFANTS.
Third-Sun further, the amendments which
have been proposed do not commend them
selves to my mind. The proposed changes of
the third chapter in particular appear to me
very objectionable. They either state what the
confession already states in q more logical way
OF they give the impression that we are afraid
20 say what we believe. The effect of them
will be to weaken or positively iniure our theo-
logical position. They will satisfy no careful
thinker. The phrase ''elect infants ETC., /" in
chapter x. appears to me TO put the matter In
the Scrptural way. 1t does not teach the dam
nation of any children dying in infancy, while
It brings out the right ground upon which their
salvation can be affirmed. The efforts which
have been made in some quarters to devise
better phrase have been almost lndicrOus in
their failures. In short, the attempt to revise
has, think, supplied one of the strongest ar
guments against revision and has, in tact,
driven not few to give up the whole attempt
and instead to devise an entirely new creed.
Fourth-Fin2lly, the fundamental question
emergee in the discussion whether We shall
preserve our denomlnatiOnal position or take
steps toward merging with other denomins-
rions on the broad platform of evangelical
Christianity. do not believe that the time has
come for this, if it ever is TO come. believe
that such a movement would in1ure, rather
than aid the cause of real church unity. The
reunion of Professionalism is not to 5e obtained
by the abandonment of the distinctive types of
evangelical belief and the substitution of few
simple articles which would protect any amount
of theological vagaries. Liberal 70 all other
Christians we should lie and are. But we shall
better serve the common cause by fulfilling
well our own functions than by letting them
atrophy. Evangelical ChTistiandom needs Cal
vinism Or at least part of ii, and il Is our his
t0ric privilege to supply the need. We need
h1r.a 70 raalra VyaFu 20 lafQ m ~
natural man, least of all by hiding part of 1t or
by expressing it in mellihuous phrases- We had