The St. Louis Republic., 1901-03-11
Explains to His Congregation the
Problem Now Confronting
Presbyterian Church.
FAv0Rs AN ADDED STATEMENT.
Does Not Believe 1t Advisable to
Change Text of Westminster
Confession, but Urges an
Explanation.

member Of tho committee appointed by the
General Assembly to report on the advisa-
biity of u revision of the Westminster
Confession, preached on the subject last
evening.
He set forth the history of the present
| creed and the objections to its form and adj
ed to make clear certain points which have
caused controversy. He said in part:
MY purpose is to say something to you
tonight concerning the proposed revision
| of the Westminster Confession of Faith.
AS this subject Is now before our church.
| 1t Is but proper that you should be informed
concerning IT'S status. You have a right to
| be Interested in 1t, because it concerns
heritage which you have received from your
fathers.
THE venerable creed now under discus
Sion is associated with all that is glorious
| and great in the history of the Presbyterian
Church. 1t represents faith that has taken
no mean part in the struggle for civil and
ecclesiastical liberty. and in the advance
ment of the kingdom of God. I, for one,
have no sympathy with those who would
speak lightly or dsparagingly of it. Those
who do so display their own ignorance OF
history. or else their inability to appreciate
| one of the most profound logical and mas
terly statements of biblical truth to be
found III all literature. Among all the var
ious creeds which have been framed since
the Reformation. it is admittedly the first
in comprehensiveness in spiritual insight,
| in logical order. and in accurate definition.
No other Protestant symbol has evoked
such admiration, nor has any other been SO
bitterly opposed, as the Westminster Con-
| fession of Faith.
Its doctrines received into the life of our
church have made it the uncompromising
foe of ecclesiastical as well as civil tyranny,
| the champion of the liberties of the people,
the upholder of the supreme authority Of
| education. and the teacher of the strictest
| morals. Those same doctrines also more
! than any other. have inspired and helped
| to form our free democratic institutions. In
view. then. Of the history of this confess
| sion, and its influence, We may well ask
| why attempt to revise it or restate 1t. or
| perhaps supplant 1t with a new one
Church Has Not Lost Faith.
| at IS well at this point to remove some
| misapprehensions>con the proposed
| movement, which have disturbed not a few.
| church has lost faith in the old confess
| sion; tat 1t no longer expresses her BELIEF
| concerning the teachings Of Scriptures; and
| that the church was ready to abandon the
| distinctive doctrinal system known as Cal
| vinism. and to adopt another creed. II this
| were indeed the case would be in u
most deplorabls condition can imagine imagine
| claiming divine authority to teach men
| than to suddenly announce that it no longer
believes its creed, but that it is casting
| about to find new one; and that at the
| earliest date possible, 1t will resume Its
work of teaching in Gods name
Whatever may be our defects as :, a
as that has come to us. Our church is not
drifting in sea of doubt or uncertainty.
I without charts or compass. 1t has been her
| distinction and glory In times past that
| she knew positively what she believed, and
! that she based her testimony on the un-
| changeable werd of God.
| 1T has been my lot to be on the commit
| tee appointed by the General Assembly to
consider the question whether any revision
| of our present standards is advisable. To
| assist us in coming to a conclusion, in
| quiTies were sent out to all our presbyte-
| res, both in this country and throughout
the world. These inquiries embraced such
questions as these: DO you desire re-
| vision of the confession. and. if so. in
| what respects? While variety of answers
came in reply: all. without exception. were
agreed that there should he no abandon
| ment of our system of doctrine.
Let me explain what Is meant by this.
| When we as teachers and rulers in the
| church subscribe to the Confession of Faith,
we do not give our assent to every state
| ment in 1t, but to system of doctrine
taught In it. which we belieye to be in
/ as the confession is concerned. 1t teaches.
first Of ALL that which is common to the
| faith of all evangelical churches. We have
| a summary of that faith in what is known
as the Apostles Creed. which is part of the
standards of our church. 1t teaches. also.
| the Christian morality which is accepted
| by all Christians
The Doctrines of CaIvinism.
"But in addition to this. it contains a
| system of doctrine known as Calv.nistic
| 1t is that which. in it's main features, was
great Genevan reformer. in the Sixteenth
| Century. He was not the first to teach it.
1t is as old as the Christian Church. 1t
| was the doctrine taught by Paul. the great
theologian of the Apostolic Church.: and.
after him, by the renowned Augustine in
| the Fifth Century. 1t was accepted by some
Catholic Church before the Reformation
1t was the system of doctrine generally held
by the reformers in Switzerland. Germany.
Holland. France. England and Scotland. 1t
continued to he the faith held by the Re-
formed Church for 200 years after the Re-
formation. with scarcely any. dissent In
it It's is still held by the vast majority Of the
Protestant churches in the world:
This system is dstnguished lis pds from al
9aseTE hs Fiye IN poins 81 These Sre
mans utter ruin through his own sin and
his inability. to save himself; the election
unto eternal life of a definite number by the
Of Of God; definite and efficient atone
ment made for the redemption of these
elect ones by Jesus Christ; eiiicacious grace
granted to them. so that they are kept by
Gods power unto eternal life. 1t is not my
purpose now TO explain lneSe points, Out
simply to call yopr attention to them and
show you that they are related to eacn
other, and that. taken together, they form
a system of doctrine. Nor is it my purpose
TO defend this system but only to say that,
like all others, it must be judged by its
fruits.
What ColOnists Have Done.
"Sneer at it if you will. but remember
that 1t was the inspiring faith Of the men
who fought the great battles of ecclesiasti-
cal and civil liberty. The men who made
Switzerland the fmpregnable fortress of free
dom in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth CEN
turtles; the HOllanders. who crimsoned the
dykes of their native country with their
blood, shed In behalf of the gospel of lib
erty: the English Puritans. who. under the
leadership of Cromwell. laid the foundations
of England's liberty and greatness. and the
Scotch Covenanters, fighting for the crown
rights of Jesus Christ. were all Cavinists.
And if you have read the history of our own
country. and of the labors and sacrifices OF
Republic, and to whom. more than any
Others we are indebted for it's stability
ard greatness, you will remember that the
liberty-loving Puritans of New. England. the
stanch Hollanders of New York. the Scotch
Irish of Pennsylvania and Virginia. and the
Huguenots of South Carolina, were all CAL
yinists in faith.
'fBe assured that there Is no disposition
on the part of our church to do anything
integrity of this system of doctrine. But the
returns from the presbyteries show that
large majority desire some change modi-
flcat!on with reference to certain statements
of truth in the confession; and that they
wish, If possible, to have the truth SO stated