The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-02-15
PRESBYTERIAN REVISION

PRESBYTERIAN REVISION.
The New York PreSbyteyy, after 4
heated discussion Of over >lN weeks,
participated in by many Of the ao.e>t
and most learned deyines Ot the Pres
byterian faith, having decided In favor
of revision OF the Westminster Con
fession: and the Chicago PreSoEtery.
after hot wrangle Of six hours, har-
ing come TO the same decision, il may
CRAFTY the curiosity Of such As are not
so situated as to be able 10 lay their
hands on the Confession" referred To,
to see in print the particular points of
that venerable epltome of Christian
doctrine which modern faStidiouSnesS
is no longer able to digest. The OBJ
lection appears to be principally leveled
against the doctrine Of predestinatiOn
or Denomination and the doctrine of
infant damnation. These are con-
tanned in the following articles:
PREDEsTINATION.
BY the decree of God, for the mani
festation of His glory, some men and
angels are predestinated unto ever
lasting life, and Others foreordained to
eyerl sting death.
These angels and men, thus predes-
tinated and foreOrdained, are particu-
larly and unchangeably designed and
the number is so certain and definite
that it can not be either increased or
diminished.
Those OF mankind that are predeSti
mated unto life, God, before the found
alton of the world was laid, according
to His eternaland immutable purpose,
and the secret counSe! and good pleas
urc of his will, hath chosen in Christ,
unto everlasting glory, out of His mere
free grace and love, without any fore
sight of faith or good works, or any
other thing in the creature. as con-
ditionS, or causes moving him there
unto; and all to the praise of His
glorious grace.
The rest Of mankind, God was
pleased. according to the unSearchable
counsel of His own will, whereby He
extendeth or withholdeth mercy as He
pleaseth, for the glory of His sovereign
power over His creatures, to pass by,
and to ordain them to dishonor and
wrath for their sin, to the praise of
His glorious justice.
INFANT DAMNATION.
Elect infants, dying in infancy, are
regenerated and saved by Christ
through the Spirit, who worketh when
and where and how He pleaSeth. So
also are all other elect persons who are
incapable Of being Outwardly called by
the ministry of the world.
Others, not elected, although they
may be called by the ministry of the
world, and may have some common
operations of the Spirit, yet they never
truly come to Christ, and therefore can
not be saved: much less can men not
protesting the Christion religion be
saved in any other way whatsoever, be
they never so diligent to frame their
lives according to the light of nature,
and the law of that religion they do
profess.
The Westminster Assembly, by
which the Confession was formulated,
was called by the famous Long Parlia-
ment and met in Westminster Abbey
in 1912, continuing in session, off and
on, during nearly ten years, to the
close of that parliament. 1t was COM
posed of divines of all the then exist
ing protestant denominations, includ-
ing ministers-indeed, several bishops
of the Church of England; but the
greatest power was welded by the
Scotch Presbyterians, by whom its de-
alterations were mainly shaped and
controlled.
The above doctrines, and indeed
many others laid down in the "Con
fession," have undoubtedly outlived
their day, and in the strong, blunt
language used, are abhorrent to the
common mind, though as expounded
by many learned devines, such par
ticularly as have the gift to
g sever and divide
A hair twixt south and southwest
SIDE"
they are not so unreasonable as they
seem, If rightly understood. Perhaps
so, but let us have them then in better
language. Theology, like every other
science, is to more or less extent pro-
gressive and should keep abreast with
tho timas