Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-11-19
The Presbyterian Difficulty.

DihiIuity-
The sentiment expressed by many Pres
byteries regarding the revision of the
Westminster Confession, and amorg 9th
ers by the important Presbyteries of New
York Chicago. and Indianapolis, indi-
Gates very plainly that the subject will
come before the next General Assembly
i'm an entirely new shape.
The scheme of revision reported to the
last General Assembly was y bungling
attempt to save the Calvinism of the Con-
fession by diluting it with generalities
and sentimentalities intended to make it
more paIatable for the multitude of Pres
byterians who revolt against the doctrine
of election and its inevitable consequences
AS that doctrine or theory underlies and
permeates the whole cree1, it is just to the
Committee of Revision to say that they
could not get rid of it without tearing to
pieces and destroying utterly the consist
ure built up by the Westminster divines.
They could only decorate it here and there
with View to hiding its ruggedness and
concea.ing its severely. if they undertook
to keep it at all. Otherwise they would
have had to make a new creed altogether.
with totally different corner stone, and
the General Assembly was not ready for
proceeding so radical.
Since the meeting of that body last
spring, however, a powerful minority of
the Presbvteries have shown that they are
ready for the change, whatever may be
the sentiment of the Presbyterian Church
more generally. 1t is true that in the re-
port on the subject presented to the New
York Presbytery on Monday by DR.. Van
Dyke, the opinion was expressed that tie
Confession could be revised ''without i'm
pairing i'm the least our system of doct-
rine,'' and as step toward 1.-The formu-
lation of a new, short, simple creed in
cooperation with other Reformed and
Presbyterian Churches. - But how would
Dr. Van Dyke accomplish the feat? 1t is
by Keeping In election, but leaving out
non-election: by declaring that "whoso-
ever win not come to- Christ 'tshall per-
ish, - and vet emitting call reference to
sseternal foreordination to everlasting
DEATH" and expressing ''the truth that
Gods chosen people in Christ are great
multitude which no man can number.
But because man cannot count them Is
The omnipotent and omniscient God in
capable of their enumeration, and Is He
likewise incapable of enumerating those
who are not in that multitude? If for
Him there is neither past nor present,
must He not have had that knowledge
from the beginning and before all
time! If there is ali election to saliva
ton, does it not imply necessarily no1-
election also in the very meaning of the
term? 1t is not comfortable doct-
rine, for no one can have the assuran OF
his own election, and undoubtedly it is
fatalistic in its character, but so long as IT
is retained at all ir the Confession, the
of DR.. Van Dyke are power
less to affect its significance. The Pres
byterian intellect is too strong and logical
to tolerate such inconsistency. If the
doctrine remains, the Confession must
remain substantially as it is. If the doc
trine, Is omitted a new creed must be con-
structed, With all references to heaven
ard hell avoided.
The Chicago Presbytery considered on
the same day more consistent and in
telligent proposition. 1t is to recommit
the subject of revision i'm order to secure
a new creed, which shall be "a far
bliefer, less metaphysical, fully
evan gelical, and an entirely Biblical
of the actual faith of this
On Monday, also, the Indi-
annapolis Presbytery made ''overtures
to the General Assembly to take meas
ures to formulate new creed, much
more brief, less speculative, and more
nearly in the exact words of Scripture.
1t declared its reasonable conviction hat a
satisfactory revision of the existing Con-
Iessien is impossible, Neither of these
bodies undertook to whip the devil round
4 stump after the fashion CT Or. Van
Dyke, by proposing to keep in election
and get rid of its inevitable consequence
Of nom election.
This whole business of revision is very
matter. The difficulty is to
lrive out election without letting in uni
in its place. future probation,
Or progressive specification, as DR..
Briggs calls it, with the consequence of
prayers for the dead. So logical is the
system of Calvin that you cannot attack
t except by denying its premises. Pres
,yrerians must take as a whole or reject
{ altogether IN. Y. Sun.