Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-09
MODERN pREsByTERIANIsM.


There Is q popular understanding
that the preshv,er,,, danor,ir,,,o, 10
-. III, ~,
'eis risiu anu uhcotiproInlslhs IN re-
Fpect to doctrine and belief that in
these matters 1t Is one of the sternest
81 ,ta rr,.,,,. -, -. :,
ae''s' """ 'i'"' !"
LOOKS upon heresy among either Its
clergy or laity with the severest con-
demnatlon. Put ~ tho Pev ~ u
Ct.
S""'n' frespyterlah minister OF
Troy, N. ", can he relied upon as an
expounder of the views of his denom-
t.t 4. ,,,
"''e ,i'e'"i '""h IL 70
popuiarly supposed 10 be. certain IL
Is that until recent years no clergy
man In II cou,d retain his n,,n,t md
go, a., -.
'e"'" '"e Nie"A VI rev SaWlh' lie
says, as reported In the Troy Press:
"Nov. tho praab,,,ar,,r o.,ro,, ,,u,,
pan, nv, ~, A., ~, ,.',, ~, 20 ~,
man ,s,d.rs 4, ,,naa,,t,'ao.,t,,, s, ~
In The doctrinas and nrinni,,ia.
nrornnlca,ed n,han u ~, a, nrabes no
pasl,a.I" lie, ., my pIe,eu IN "c
Chris, 7, die,am, sr FIJI ~ l,'.u %.
yvh,rh and ,hair i,,ta,,I,,,,,,' e' ehuIeiiss
n,,t my .n.,' iiialIlphity III an Or
S ,,,,ins - s' III shu,,"' W N me ior
n.y., r. ~, n.,,r.,,.i "nu ssiipois that
,hs ~, al. ua .ne opihions or
sne uiiers also from
,,,,,s,s .i....' pccausc ~ LOOKS
uyyn .,eoiosS ~, az science with ever
M,usnins possioiIlties' ana an ever en-
Ia , sonuep'ioi ol ruin II peheVes
~ WV ti1hS VI ,,ous word put IL
aoes not cam 10 nave reached that
hnality. therefore 1t looks upon all
eseeus anu concessions as marks or
progress ana tigns OF growth. So far
as Know there Is no Presbyterian that
rSgarus tne confession or faith as the
ultimate truth; but on the other hand,
az regard it as help In the attainment
OF the truth contained In the scrip
lures
NOW II ~ Important to note this
lact; because there are many members
or the church who are troubled with
doubts as 10 their right of membership,
They no longer believe In all the state
ments of confession. | will not say that
IN all cases they have arisen above
THESE. hecause IL Is quite possible that
they have fallen below them. Denial is
not always sign Of growth and rebel
lion is not always conducive to indie
pendence. Men have sometimes surren-
dered faith and accepted in its place a
superstition. Rejecting the truth. they
have come to believe in lie. But or
dinarlly departure from given
standard arises from a conviction that
1t does not express the truth. This
CONVICTION grows untu one finds himself
apparently out OF harmony with the
creed he once protested. Now what
ought one to do under such circum-
stancesY ! cannot tell what Methodist
or a Baptist, or an Episcopallan, r n
Unitarian ought to do. for do not
know those foiths thoroughly and
should doubt my ability to state them
fairly; hut | know what Presbyterian
ought to do. i should direct slch an
one to the law and the testimony. What
then is required of q member In n
Presbyterian church? II may surprlse
some Of you to know that our church
requires no one to submit to theologl-
cal examination as a condition of mem
hership alone, We admit chill
dren and unlearncd persons
to fun membership, and II
would be absurd to ask them to sub
scribe to creed. We also admit by let
ter persons from any Christian com
munion and do not asl; them to sub
s Syrrog TN y, OUT ersen nor 10 reject Their
tatiyes from Mi christian dennmjnn-
tons, and for auRht know and for
aught the church knows some of them
49,, ,,d,',,, FL ny ,n,i tsloh,