The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-01-24
THE PRESBYTERIAN CONFESSION.


lsuccess-ItI lis n Movement of the Psws
Rather Than the Pulpits.
Chicago Tribune Of The 3D. a. "a
1t was stated at the meeting OF the
New York Presbytery day before yester-
terday that OF forty.fiye presbyteries
which had been heard from on the
question OF the revision OF the Confession
OF Faith thirty-fve had voted in the
affirmative. OF 200 ministers 40S had
voted t"No," but of the church members
1920, or nearly all heard from, had
been in the affirmative. ~,
tbs becoming apparent that the occu.
pants OF the pews have at last decided To
have something to say us to the creed
which ) is to be preached to them, and
will not leave it to the ministers to say
what ::hey shall believe and what they
shall reject. The laymen have reached
that state OF mind where they can no
longer digest the iron doctrine OF the
past that Jehovah, foreknowine what
Adam would do untold billions Of years
before he ever walked in Eden, never
theless made him Just us he was in
mind and body, and, for the oTense
which it was foreknown from infinity of
time he would commit, decreed that
thousands of millions OF his descendants
should, for technical disobedience-
imputed to their first parents-be sent to
the bottomless pit forever. Il Having
made up their mind that this doctrine
is too improbable for belief, because it
is not what can be rightly predicted OF
God whose attributes are declared in
Holy Writ TO BIO: love, mercy, and for
giveness, the Presbyterian ;laity have
determined that the old, hard Comics.
sion I, of Faith must be revised and
soflened. 81! Z ~; 800
This is putting some Of the pastors in
curious plight. There are many OF
them whose views have changed so that
they agree with those OF their congrega.
tons, but there are others who love to
believe that there is a hell, and that
from the beginning Of time the Deity
picked out the great majority OF all
mankind to be its tortured tenants for
ever. Yet they see that those who oc-
cupy the pews and pay their rent must
be placated. Some will yield quietly to
the irresistible tide which is carving
along all the Evangelical denominations.
Others are making a fight, though los
ing one, for theco CalYinism oftwo cen.
turtles ago. i.li ;Essi ~
IrDr. Patton, formerly OF this city, who
drove Prof. Swing from the church be.
cause he thought Socrates and Confu-
cius might be saved, is one OF those who
do not like to lessen the attributes OF Je.
hovah by denying that He is yearly
damning millions OF people. The pres
ent creed, he thinks, ''has been a break
water against the waves of error and
no fears that If itwere toned down and
made less sulphurous "Nthe result would
be q church where men believed what
thoy pleased" y For that matter they are
doing it now. Flo also feared that II the
creed was made to- state that God did
not $foreordain evil and sin, and tempta.
ton and the Devil, and all other disa-
greeable things, " Presbyterians would
be no better than 30 many Universal
ists.n" s. -
s The weli-known@ commentator, &Dr.
Schaif, took issue with DR.. 2 Patton, and
from the text that God SO loved the
world that He gave His only begotten
Son" for it, and from the fact that
".Christ prayed for his $murderers," he
argued that" the atonement was for the
benefit OF all, and that all would be
saved. 81 But it makes little difference
how creeds read or what preachers may
say II the laymen have made up their
minds. TWAS the congregations rather
than the preachers, who led in earlier
movements OF religious thought, and SO
It will be in this: The ministers will
light against the stream butt all in
vain. Half IA century hence the rear
will be where the van stands TO-DAY.
The real meaning Of the Scriptures and
Of Christs mission and teaching on earth
is being seriously rethought over blythe
occupants OF the pews by the aid Of mod.
ernA light and Sknowledgei and nothing
can stop them from doing it. !sIES,