The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-02-19
An International Dogma.

The orthodox churches have been ex-
periencing series of shocks through the
attacks made upon long established tenets
by ministers of their own cloth. The
Presbyterian church, particularly, has
been shaken up as terribly as the dry
bones in the open valley of EZEKIEL &
vision. The BRIGGS and the SMITH trials
are scarcely over before the CLARK resig-
nation creates another commotion.
Rev. DR.. EDWARD L. CLARK finds that
he can no longer proclaim some of the
doctrines of the church of which be is an
ordained minister, and therefore very
sensibly and honorably retires, although
at sacrifice of position and pay and OF
association with esteemed friends that
must be difficult to make.
He says his conscience cannot allow him
to accept and teach the portions of the
confession OF faith which enunciate the
dogma of Calvin. For instance: "By
the decree of God some men and angels
are predestined unto everlasting life, and
Others preordained to everlasting death,
without any foresight of faith or
good works or any other thing in the
creature'' That he cannot reconcile
with the scriptural invitation. HWhoso-
ever will let him come and partake of the
waters of life freely
He further repudiates in his heart the
explanation in the Institutes" by CAL
vim: "Those whom God passes by he
reprobates, and that for no other cause
but because he is pleased to exclude them
from the inheritance which He predes-
tines to His Children DR.. Clark's pro-
test against this absurdity and monstros-
ity will find an echo in many Presbyte-
rian heart, as well as many people OF
other faiths and sentiments.
THE HERALD will not enter the field of
religious controversy. 1t is a secular
newspaper, but makes note OF current
events of various kinds, and agitations in
the religious world are proper subjects for
the Sunday newspaper. 1t is marvellous
to the common mind that anybody at this
late date can view the questions touched
on by Dr. Clark with the eyes of Calvin
and his adherents. The idea that the Su-
preme Ruler OF the universe saves or
damns the souls of men through all eter-
nifty on the principle of favoritism, and
without regard to the immutable princi-
pies Of justice and mercy, is repugnant to
every sane mind that is free from religious
fanaticism.
If any human government were at
tempted to be carried on upon such the
DRY, It's existence would be short indeed.
To make it the foundation of the govern
ment of God is both libel on Deity and a
virtual intimation that Divine rule will
destroy itself.
OF what use is preaching or praying or
anything else usually called religious, ii
the fate OF every soul was fixed before its
birth. and nothing that can be done will
change their eternal doom? All the mis-
sionary labors and collections of funds,
all the church services to convert sinners,
all the warnings of the wrath to come and
the pleadings unto repentance, are worse
than wasted and mockery of the misery
to overtake the freprobates," foreor-
dained to everlasting death, for no other
cause than that GOD has determined not
to include them in the inheritance pre-.
destined for the elect!
If any human father were to act as this
dogma asserts the Eternal Father will act
towards His children, no language would
be too strong in denouncing such fright
full inhumanity and fiendish cruelty. 1t
is diabo.ism pure and simple. To require
rational people to subscribe to such a doc
trine is to demand that they dethrone
reason, call darkness light, and proclaim
causeless vengeance and eternal hatred
the essence of Infinite and Eternal Love.
It is time that horrible and repugnant
notion was eliminated from the creeds OF
sects. 1t is the presence of such revolving
tenets that aid in promoting infidelity.
They turn sensible people away from the
churches and foster the skeptician which
the preachers deplore. DR.. Clark is to be
commended for his manly course in rela-
ton to them. Ii some strong minds yet
in the ministerial circle would combine,
and with firm determination proceed to
revise their creeds so as to cast out that
which reason rejects, they might prolong
for some time system which is bound to
go down before the march of modern
thought unless radical changes are before
erected.