The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-02-04
THE REVISION QUESTION.
Status of the Confession of
Faith Overtures Before
Jersey Presbyteries.
ALL ABOUT REPRESENTATION.
Change Only a Matter of Time
Work for Poor Jack-Church
Doings.

The question of the revision of the
Presbyterian Confession of Faith IS n
that has been before the church aud the
public for the past three years. IL is OIL
especial moment to churches OF this To-
cality at this time, when the PresDyteries
of Newark and New Brunswick have just
issued their decision upon the last over
tures to the General Assembly, which
win meet in Washington. d. c., next
Nav. The Jersey City P~resbytery has
taken such a well defined position
upon the matter that a statement OF the
noints at issue and the decision reached
by the churches of this PresbyterY Is NOT
amiss,
n ~renorter OF THE JERSEY CITY NEWS is
Indebted to the Rev. DIR. Herr, pastor OF
the First Presbyterian Church, Emory
street. who has consented to- state the
case.
PREDEsTTNATIoN H SUBJECT.
The main subject of discussion relates
to the doctrine OF predestination, or more
specifically, preuerition, which may Ds
said 10 be the negative side of the doctrine
of election. The specific portions may be
found In chapter 8, s apd4, in the Con-
fession of Faith complied by the West
minister Assembly. which state In SUD
stance that certain men aud Angels nave
been set aside, predestlned, TO eeernal ne,
and certain other men and angels 10 eter-
nal death. and that the lumber OF such
predestined men and angels IS certainly
aud unchangeably fixed. furthermore
snbseoueut articles set forth that in HIS
Justice, the Creator will pass by that por-
ton of humanity not PREDETERMINED 10
eternal life. 1t is with this statement OF
the subject that there mas peen WIDE
spread dissatisfaction.
Three times %overtures have been pre-
sented to the General Assembly, with no
defiuite results. The vote taken was SO
scattering as to indicate a marked di-
yersity of opinion. The first movement
began with the Nassau .Presbyteryr on
Louo Island, was discuss ed at the New
York synod. the next higher court, and
presented to the General Assem- bly,, COM
posed of delegates from the whole
country.
THE LAST o~vERTUREs.
The last overtures proposed, lave Ior
their principal object the revision oil the
portions aforementioned, by STRIKING OUT
Articles 8 and 4. as being already Included
Ia substance in the treatment OF election,
aud an Insertion after the claus as 30
the Creators attitude toward the RSt.
stating that He has rot ir~revocably de-
stined them for that condition, wnlcn Is
due to their owa hardness of heart, winch
prevents them from accepting His prom
ises. This is intended not only to meet
dissatisfaction on the part of those with
in the church, but also to refute the ac-
| cusation that C~alviniStic doctrine is pure
fataiism, in that a man is saved or
Tanned according to the arbitrary power
| or a sovereign being.
AMEND BY STRIKING OUT.
But it is not generally believed that
| +h;s rouisi0u will haVa the dasifaN effect,
II is but a matter of time before the
Westminster Confession of Faith, pre-
pared so long ago, to meet particular ext
| pencies of the church long since passed
away, must be replaced by a shorter and
more practical creed. The Jersey City
Presbytery, at Its last meeting, cast its
vote without a dissenting voice against
auy attempt at revision, and in favor OF
appointing a committee to draw up q
shorter confession Of faith to a k the
place of that now recognized. In this
way it will be possible to reach the senti-
ment of the churches aud cmbody it IN
articles Of faith without the almost hope
less task of patching up the Confession.
It must be remembered that however
Important the changes in the Confession
may be. they will affect the mass of the
church members very little. The clergy,
deacons and elders have to do with tnis
work, but it is doubtful whether one
church member in a hundred ever read g
word OF it. Upon entering the com.
munion it is necessary only to subscribe
to belief In Christ and love for Him, al
though Presbyterian doctrines are, OF
course, promulgated from the pulpit. Yet
all his discussion has done its work il