The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-27
THE PRESBYTERY'S ACTION
DR.. Milburn Condemns the Movement
for an Entirely New Confession.
Praises the Briggs Resolution-Palm Sunday
at St Johns and ST. Pauls-Sermon
on the Sin Of Racksliding.


PRESBYTERY's ACTION.
DR. nIiiburn Criticise- 1t IN One Respect and
Praises 1t I'm Another.
DIR. Milburn, of the Second Church, yes
terday morning preached upon the action
of the Indianapolis Presbytery at its meet
ing last Monday. criticisinR It's action ad-
vising the rejection of the revision of the
creed. and praising it's resolutions in re-
gard to the Briggs case. He spoke Is fol-
lows: HI
First the blade then the ear; after that the full
corn in the ear.-Mark Nv. %.
Christ tells US in this text that Christian truth
IL q growth, an orderly development from the
little to the great. from the simple TO the COM
pick and from the indefinite to the definite. and
from the vague TO the clear 1 want you TO hold
this text In mind whilst we review to-day the
actions taken by the Presbytery OF Indianapolis
In this city last Monday.
The presbytery met with two purposes in view;
first. to consider the revision OF the Confession
of Faith. and, second. to consider such q course
in view OF the present judicial contests In the
church as would make for peace. And In order
that you may better understand the questions at
issue IL will be needful for you to remem Der that
Tor somL years now there has been an effort on
foot In the Presbyterian Church to revise the
men IN tho church have for long time consid-
cred that our symbol was too rigid and too re-
mote IN many OF its theological positions from
the intellectual tendencies and habits or the
present. They have thought that some changes
shs ud be made so as TO bring the standard OF our
forn.ity with the gentler ana more humane
spirit OF this age.
In furtherance of this purpose action has been
taken in the last two general assemblies of the
Presbyterian Church and the committee or re-
vision OF the assembly or 1892 sent down over
lures to the various presbyteries asking them to
consider certain amendments to the Westminster
Confession. These overtures OF the General AS
terry OF Indianapolis 1t was said by the major
ity OF the presbyters present that IL would be in
expedient aud impossible 10 so amend the old
Confession OF Faith as to make IT agreeable 10
the minds of most and that, therefore, 1t should
be left untouched and unamended; and so IN
place OF the overtures from the assembly they
substituted an overture 10 the assembly, asking
for q simple creed, a creed much more brief, as
they expressed II, and much more conformable
fession the while TO remain equal in dignity and
coordinate In authority with the new.
BELIEVES IT AN UNwIsE MOVE.
This action of the presbytery believe to be
imprudent and unwise. Not that nave any
fault TO lind personally or abstractly with sim
pie creed Personally, the simpler the creed
the more more cSnsen iad would be Sss,rs to
and tastes; and, abstrac tly, have no question
that the central truth Of Jesus Christ and Him
crucified is sufficient for the redemption or the
world. without complication from abstruse and
metaphysical definition. But we are not dealing
with an abstract or with personal question. 1t
ls not what one man thinks, but what the great
mass of men think; IL Is not what would be
congenial to q few, but what would be eongenial
10 the most that is the important thing TO con-
slider in this conflict going on within the church.
From an abstract point OF view the simple
creed may be right enough; but we must rernem-
Der that We are dealing with concrete conditions,
and not with an abstract question of right and
wrong Of wisdom or unwisdom. or OF truth
affect our conclusions and our course.
Abstractly. IL may be right and proper enough,
but, when viewed IN the light of the condition OF
the church, when viewed In the light or the long
traditions that every faithful Presbyterian
honors and reveres. when viewed in the light or
the devotion that the great multitude of Presby-
terans hold for the Westminster Confession OF
Faith, that which Is abstractly proper and wise
becomes concretely imprudent and unwise, and.
In the light OF the actual condition or the church.
it seems to me this movement toward simple
creed Is improper, because il Is too abrupt lt
Is not along the line or Christ's law OF develop
ment We do not here go from the blade through
the TO the full corn In the ear. but we Glide
entirely the period OF development comprehend
ed in the ear. and pass from the blade at once
violence 10 the kingdom OF God, which Is
doing violence to the laws Of nature and the
Hence I say that this sudden movement
towards simple creed Is too abrupt There Is
an interval that it entirely ignores. 1t does
till mp the void between the blade and the full
corn In the ear; 1t does not NIL up the void be-
tween the old Westminster Confession of Faith
and the new creed that is to stand by its side
And the church that Is built upon the one can
not be the church that is built upon the other;
nor can there be agreement or concord between
the church that Is founded upon the one and the
church that is founded upon the other.
Or again, this effort alter SIMPLE creed with
the old yet unsuperseded, is very much as IL So
ciety were t. grow weary OF the old decalogue
aud to insist that it no longer expressed
but. ont Of reverence, were likewise to
insist that as This old decalogue has stood the
test for years, 1t win leave IL entirely intact
the moral code OF man; but inasmuch as IL does
not accord with the moral dispositions and hab-
its Of the day. 1t will place right by ii, equal in
authority and power with Ii, new decalogue
that Is confornable with the moral habits, and
dispositions. and conceptions OF the day.
You see the absurdity Of this, do you mott Here
you take the simpler decal0gue because IL suits
your freeness, whilst another man holds to the
old decalogue because it suits his rigidity, and
thus you have two mOralities Instead OF one to
govern the conscience of mankind.
Again. believe this movement toward sim
pie creed. just at the present time is unwise, be-
cause IL tends TO confusion inasmucn as IL leaves
the old creed standing by its side. Now. the
supreme characteristic OF the Presbyterian
Church has been the dehniIeness of its belief It
10 a concatenated system OF theology without
breach or flaw. Whatever objections may be
urged against Calvinisn. IL at least is not sub
ject TO the criticism OF vagueness indefinite
ness, and whatever criticism we may urge
against the Westminster Confession. cannot
blame 1t for any deficiency in conference or in
logic. Ii may he defcfent III tenderness. or in
the matter or balance. IL may Over-accent JUS
tice, 1t may over emphasize the Divine sover-
eighty. and ignore the full measures of eternal
love, and the majesty OF human will but IL Is not
chargeable with Indebtedness. contradiction or
paralogism. Every Presbyterian minister,
bvery Presbyterian elder and every Presby terrain
deacon, according to the old Confession. knows
Just whore he stands. He Is not cropping in
tue dark; he Is not wandering in the mists. He
knows that he afirms definite. coherent aud
ordered system OF belief; but now, you PUT side
oy side with this old Confession simple Confess
sion. equal In authority and dignity with the old
and then the Presbyterian Church at once be-
comes chaos In Its system OF belief It is no
longer one church; IL Is two churches II no
longer entertains one system OF belief: it enter
tains two systems OF belief 1t is no longer a
unity; Ii is duality. IL Is no longer n coherent
dogma: it IL an incoherent dogma. 1t is neither
Calvauism. nor any other lem In the place of
Calvanis.n; but Calvanlsm plus some other ism;
and thus our great church becomes aniorphous
In its creed: IL becomes theological nondescript
not knowing what it thinks or what il believes
and not knowing what really constitutes its Con-
fession of Faith.
SHOULD KNOW WHAT 1T BELIEVES.
And this is altogether deplorabie. for surely. IL
church knows anything, 1t should know what