The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-04-16
-Qhe Sntdlpeuttt
once Nos. NO aud VI Fourteenth Street
REV., j.. y. MOpFATri
Correots Some Mlsapprehenaions OF His
Speech at Claysyiilc, Pa.

Glh'--Cuue FeulaIkh 1 mAue uuflnl
the recent discussion OF the revision o
the Confession Of Faith, seem 70 hay,
been seriously inisapprehended, II til,
references OF ministers who spoke or
tho subject after l had left, have beer
correctly reported. Rev. L.. W. Barr II
reported as saying, II have been painet
by the a,teranees on this iloor to-day
Pictures havo been painted, supposed
doctrines held up and hurled at our con.
fcssion Ms damnsble heresieS, which are
without footing therein" In another
paper Rev. Mr., Weaver, the moderator,
is represented M referring bitterly To
tho speech OF the afternoon, containing
the expression damnable heresies."
These brethren and some others seem 10
DO under the impression that l charged
tho Confession oil Faith rs containing
error, and denounced that error as
heresy. They may have been incorrect
ly reported, but l am confident that l
somehow failed to make myself perfectly
understood. l am sensitive on this
point, because I have all along carefully
RETAINED from charging any error on the
Confession Of Faith, for I always have
and still do sincerely accept and adopt
1t as containing the system Of doctrine
taught In the scriptures. s 5t
A reference to the minority report
would show that ! am opposed to the
omission 0fany doctrine, even a doctrine
OF preterition, much preterring that |. be
expressed rs fully Us any anti.revisionist
really believes it. l have planted myself
aquarely on the preamble framed by the
General Assembly, and have not been
willing 10 step beyond it in any dircc.
ton, viz: That our confession Is liable
to misunderstanding, und that our sys-
tom OF doctrine is therefore exposed to
unmerited criticism. This Is my sole
reason for desiring its revision. II It can
be shown that it Is untrue that some
forms OF its statements are liable to mis-.
understanding, or that it is not wise or
worth while to attempt their improve
ment, then I shalt become an anti.reyis.
ionist. I had little fear that the need or
possibility Of improved forms Of expires.
sion would be questioned, and therefore
devoted my speech to the wisdom and
Importance OF the attempt. 1t was here
that I spoke OF the s~upralapsarian the
DRY Of predestination, which l concisely
defined az the theory that Godicreated
men in order that he might have some
Of them to damn as well rs some to save
and to express my intense adherence OF
the theory, l did call it o "damnabIe
heresy." The brethren certainly cannot
find fault with me for deneuncing the
theory since all standard theologians
now do, DR.. Hodge ,pronouncing it
"unscriptural and Incompatible with
the divine attributes of mercy and Of
justice" Now, I expressly disc!aimed
charging that the confession teaches this
horrible doctrine, but l maintained that
it is liable to bt understood as teaching
it. In support OF. this position I in
stanced the fact that prominent men in
the Westminster Assembly held the
supralapsarian theory and that the con-
fesaion's mode Of defining Gods decree
suited them I; that there are men in our
church to-day OF undoubted orthodoxy
and prominence who believe the con.
fession admits this extreme %interpreta- |
ton rs the shorter catechism does not;
and that there is nothing in IL con-
fession TO prevent any minister from
preaching the doctrine as men did
preach it two hundred years ago. More
over the most vexa,ious objections
urged against the Calyinistic system are
invariably based upon this extreme in
depreciation Of it, and can only be met
by u repeated and emphatic denials
II Confession OF Faith teaches
such doctrine; but these denials Of ours
weakened by the fact that most peo-
pie without a theological eudcation will
understand u confession as the oh.
jector represents it. I want all this
changed. l want these doctrines SO ex-
prt sscd that all suspicion OF supralap.
sarianisut may be avoided; 80 that no
Presbyterian minister can ever again
preach that God for His own glory ere.
ated men in order that they might be-
come eternal sinners, or teach his PEG.
pic that they must 80 think OF, and SO
respect Gods sovereignty rs TO feel
willing to be damned for His glory, and
yet remain in good and regular standing
in our church. 1 want our real belief so
stated in unmistakable terms that when
charged with holding beliefs We repudi.
ate, it will be enough to refer 10 our
confession and say, "Read for yourself
what We believe" and no labored ex-
plantations and disclaimers be needed to
60 with It.
l hope it may be plain to your readers
that | charge no error in the Confession
Of Faith, except that it fails to express,
as clearly Ms it might be made to do, the
universal belief on the subject OF the
divine DEGREES OF both revisionists and
anti.revisienists. 1t is useless to argue
the subject further in tho Washington
Pfesby,ery, but let Us at least clearly M
derstand the issue and each others posi-
ton with reference to it.
I'D. MorrAT.
Washington, Pa, april IA.