Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-04-02

I supercillions hand wave. All honor to
the rigorous old John Calvin.
hut there ID also within the
Presbyterian church party that
would change some of the more
revolving statements OF the old
.Calvanism. for this party does not
believe that ultra Calvanietic election
is true. The more liberal party believes
that the doctrine stated In the West
minister Confession OF. Faith az quoted
by DIR. Hills and given above is open to
insuperable objection. That 1t stands
the test neither Of Scripture nor Of
reason. That there are those within
our church who hold 1t still lis undoubt-
eddy true. That the majority OF our min
5isters hold 1t believe may safely
deny. And the liberal party objects to
their statements as vehemently as does
DR.. Hills.
TN looking upon this subject in the
last week as I have never looked before
two or three conclusions have forced
themselves upon me with irresistible
logic. First: The doctrine OF election Is
in the Word of God. There is no use
mincing the statement. 1t occurs with
prominence In both the Old and New
kTestaments. 1t has reference to in-at
gdividuals. to families and to nations.
These have been chosen in the provi-yl
sdence and counsel of God to be the re-
sclpients of certain qualifications that
they might the better carry out the
divine plan of salvation. Like all doc
trines OF the Bible the New Testament
deepens and br0adens election rather
than changes Ii. The old point Of view
Is retained while new and far higher
points of view are attained. Christ says
to his disciples, .Ye did not choose me
but i chose you and appointed YOU So
farsas I can get the meaning OF the New
Testament, Interpreted in the light Of
the most able scholars of the day work
ing within the more liberal party of the
Pres erians church, there Is no election
or foreordination to death. i quote four
points from the late Professor Stearns.
whose position meets the entire approx
al of those holding what may call the
newer Calyanism. can not forbear
iwonderment that DIR. Hills refrained
| from speaking that which he certainly
knoWs, viz: that on aul sides the newer
|sCalvanism Is taking the place of the old
er, which, carried to its logical end, is
ISsimpls fatalism. To DIR. Stearns-He
lsays that the doctrine Of election all
ways strengthens Gods people in their
IicOnfidence, in the midst Of the trials of
Christian life. The motive is well
i brought out in the eighth chapter OF Ro-s
smans: Who shall lay anything to the
charge of Gods elect. 1t Is God that
justifieth, who is he that shall con-
ldemn? am persuaded that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor princi-
palities. nor things present nor things
lstoHcome. NOR height. nor depth, nor any.
l5other creature shall be able to separate
|us from the love of God which is i'm
lsChrist Jesus our Lord. Second. 1t will.
/ be noted that the same books OF the
New Testament emphasizing election
l.most strongly teach the universal pur-
i pose of the provision for salvation.
4 Third. These same books layth great
est stress upon the necessity of personal
i faith in order to salvation. And in the
Fourth place the New Testament always
represents the ground OF mans exclu-
sion to be sin freely committed. God
4 willeth that all men should be saved and
leone to the knowledge OF the truth He
lsnlakess the honest offer Of his grace to
A lall mankind. We have reason to believe
i THAT He presses His grace home upon
4 eyery soul and ceases only to urge II
. when men in their freedom utterly re-
I. fuse TO accept 1T. Ss8
q II quote a word from DR.. Henry Van
4 Dyke whose position In the church can
d not be questioned. He says: There is
a nor a single word in all that Jesus said
\. to suggest any other reason than this
Il for the exclusion ola single person from
H the blessings of the Kingdom: .Ye will
not come unto me that We may have
!, life. How often would l have gathered
3 thy children together even as u hen
s gathereth her chickens under her wings.
4 and ye would not. There is not one
Il statement that anything else bat mercy
Il and grace have been eternally7 prepared
u by God for any human soul. In that
q awful parable of Judgment which dis
Ecoses the convincing picture of the final
a deportation of the evil from the good,
4 Christ says distinctly that the Joy Of the
4 bles sed has been prepared for them from
the foundation of the world. but of the
punishment of the cursed he says, With
{. Iequal distinctness, that it was not pre-
pared for them, but for the devil and his
A angels. No ons is ever lost because he
a can not do good but only because he
&. will not do what he can.
a How, with honesty. DIR. Hills can
4 say that the stern old Calvinisn, of the
Il Westminster Confession, which clearly
teaches that God has created some men
a and fprcOrdained them to everlasting
s death is the prevailing opinion of the
"A Presbyterian church today, in view Of
/ what have just read, passes my COM
/; prehension. DIR. Hills does himself an
injustice il he permits himself to be so
understood. Summarizing, dare 10 say
u constructiyely that the heart Of the
II Presbyterian church will be found about
81 here. God pledged His power TO Jesus
q EChrist that His sacrifice should not be In
vain. He pledged His omnipotence tina,
the greatest sacrifice of the universe
81 should not prove abortive. Thus by an
!. eternal decree he elected believers to
II eternal life on the ground of the atone
8 ment of Jesus Christ This election is
such as to leave human freedom intact
a 1t liz wholly consistent with the univer-
!, sal scope of Christ's redemptive work
I and the universal offer Of the gospel. I,
implies divine sovereignty, which, II We
deny, chaos takes the place of cosmos
) 1t grants free will which, in connec-
tion with divine sovereignty. is a mys.
j, Itery unsolvable by the human mind II
5 any domain of thought. IT discard:
N