The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-05
A new CREED NEEDED
DIR. STEWART TO NEW YORK PRES
BYTERIAN UNION.
REVISION WILL NOT SUFFICE.
AUBURN sEMINARX'S PRESIDENT
TELLS VIVA.


Does Not Adequately Represent
Faith of the Church TO-daY--Many
Things Not In II which Should BE
There-Its Philosophy Not the
Philosophy of To-day, and Its
Science SO Antiquated as to Seem
Incredible.
New York. N V, March 4--At the
meeting of the Presbyterian Union of
New York city this morning an address
was delivered by DR.. George Black
cal Seminary. discussing the proposed
revision of the Confession of Faith.
Rev. DIR. Stewart said in part:
Entirely new standards of relief are
demanded az the present time-why there
should be a new cresa. what should be
its form?
To defend this thesis tits not necessary
10 assail the Westminster Confession and
Catechisms. 1 venerable these venerable
statements of the faith of our Church.
They bear the marks of the profound in
tellectual and spiritual insight of their SUI
thors. They, more than any other one
what it is. They are the greatest of the
creeds of the Reformation. No other
Protestant symbol has evoked the admira-
ton of men, exerted the influence in
thought and life, been genuinely hated
as have these. Our breed has made our
church the most invfIleible opponents of
the papacy, the strongest champion OF the
liberties of the people, the ablest promot-
er of scholarship, the9sternest teacher of
Christian ethics, 49,.
Nevertheless, we need a new. creed We
have the right to one. Surely the West
minister divines who exercised this privi-
lege themselves would DE the last to deny
1T to others. "As all Asnods and councils
may err, through sthe frailty inseparable
from humanity, tisSS constitution of our
church has made iiro2islon for the amend
ment of our doctrinal Standards The
amendment may be a new statement
throughout. The right TO formulate a
creed carries the right to change it.
Every age has the right to state its own
faith In its own way.
We are able to make new creed. Our
chuch is not without a faith or the abii-
ity TO express it, We know whom we have
believed and what we believe We have
clear convictions of truth and duty We
will stand for something positive and real
We have a message for men and we are
able to deliver 1t with emphasis and clear
ness. We still believe in the value of a
living creed, and the importance of our
church writing one for the age.
We ought to prepare new creed. For
many reasons. Here are some of them.
First. 1t is currently supposed thet
that Westminster confession does not
represent the faith of our church at this
time. We are not taken seriously when
we affirm that 1t does. There may be
good reason for this skepticism. But
whether with reason or without it, the
skepticism exists and is well-nigh uni
versal. 1t is so widespread and deep
seated that no amount of affirmation or
reaffirmation will remove it. To stand up
and solemnly protest that we are correct
ly and adequately represented by this
ancient document exposes to several
charges, not the most serious of which is
the charge of incurable and unreasoning
conservatism. If we wish TO convince
the world that we have a faith that has
reality and definiteness, we must serious
ly set about formulating it. We must
write it out in our own language and
handwriting. Then, whether men believe
it or not, they will at least give us credit
for believing it. Our reputation for can
dor demands a creed that will be un-
mistakably ours.
Second. The simple fact is that the
present confession does not correctly or
adequately represent the faith of our
church to-day Neither in point of view,
nor proportion, nor in all of its state
ments, nor in its omissions, is tho
creed we would write If we We're formu-
lating one. The doctrine of preterition
which beyond controversy is In the third
chapter is repugnant to the gospel as
understood by all of our members, and
int hn TIC,
Of oaths is not as apparent to us as TO
the Westminster divines. We do not find
the Pope in the Second Epistle of Paul
to the Tnesselonians as did they. We
hold a positive doctrine Of the salvation
OF all infants dying in infancy that is
contradicted by the plain-meaning of the
statement in chapter ten about elect in
fants."
The love Of God for ell men Is not in
che confession. There is no place in Ii
for the central text of all Scripture, rFor
God so loved the world, that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whatsoever be-
lieVeth in Him should not perish, but
have everlasting life" The blessed work
of the Holy Spirit is only partially stat
ed, and the worldwide mission OF the
church Is not stated at all in this docu-
ment. The underlying philosophy I'm the
confession Is not the philosophy that in
forms the theology of to-day. The science
in the confession is so antiquated as 10
seem incredible. The theological term
inology in vogue when the confession
was written is al unknown tongue to US.
These facts, 40 generally recognized
created an imperative demand for a new
and modern creed. creed which Is in
formed by Christian philosophy that ~
held to-day, which Is not contradicted in
statement or method by the Christian
acience OF to-day which is expressive Of
a gospel for all men and not a gospel
for the elect IL Is little short OF criminal
Il Is ia fact, essential disloyalty 10 the
truth as God gives us 10 see che truth
for our church with It's wide influence. it,
devout and capable scholarship, its en-
pbasis upon clear thinking and exact
statement, 20 profess a creed which ~
imDerfectly declares ~ present faith.
Decision cannot meet the need n Will
but mar n noble document, that because
Of whai % ~ in itsrd ana what ~ ias
wrought through Sc superb influence ln
llfe and letters, deserves better Of ua,
Hesiaisment cannot meet the need unless
u y ~ thorough, going - " ~ new