The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-06-20
Church
Universal

The old statement in the Westmin
ster confession read thus:
The Pope Not Anti-Christ.
There is no head of the church bu
the Lord Jesus Christ, nor can the
Pope of Rome in any sense be the
head thereof, but is the Anti-Chris
that man of sin, and son of perdition
that exalteth himself in the churcl
against Christ and all that is called
God"
The same subject is now treated
with the following accession of man
ners:
"The Lord Jesus Christ is the only
head of the church, and the claim ol
any man TO be the vicar of Christ ant
the head of the church is un-Scrip-
tural, without warrant in fact, and is
a usurpation dishonoring to the LORD
Jesus Christ
The clause in the Westminster con
fession which caused the most discus
sion among the Presbyterians was
that with reference to the fate of un-
| baptized infants and to predestinat-
ing. Of these subjects the old con-
fession says:
'By the decree of God, for the mani
festation of His glory, some men and
angels are predestined unto everlast-
ing life, others foreordained to ever
lasting death.
''These angels and men thus pre-
destined and foreordained are partic-
.ularly and unchangeably designed;
and their number is so certain and
definite that it cannot be increased or
diminished
Elect infants, dying in infancy, are
regenerated and saved by Christ
through the Spirit, who worketh when
and where and how He pleaseth."
Obviously the fair Interpretation of
this was that some human beings were
predestined to eternal damnation, no
matter what kind of life they led
good or bad. If a mans fate were
thus predetermined, his own actions
would have no effect on it and he was
robbed of moral responsibility. Under
the old belief the good Presbyterian
lived under the shadow of being one
of the unfortunates predetermined to
be damned and bound to go to hell,
whatever he did. On the other hand
the wicked Presbyterian could com
fort himself withe the probability that
his fate had meen predetermined to
be one of everlasting bliss and con-
Inue in his wickedness Instead of
this horrible doctrine the following
version of it has been substituted:
Doctrine of Predestination.
That concerning those who are
saved in Christ the doctrine of Gods
eternal decree is held in harmony
with the doctrine of His love to all
mankind, His gift to His Son to be
he Precipitation for the sins of the
whole world, and His readiness to be-
stow His saving grace on all who
'eek it. That concerning those who
perish, the doctrine OF Gods eternal
lecree is held in harmony with the
loctrine that God does not desire the
leath of any sinner, but has provid-
ID in Christ salvation sufficient for
ii, adapted to all, and freely offered
n the gospel to all; that men are fully
esponsible for their treatment of
fod's gracious offer; that His decree
inders no man from accepting that
fer.
with reference to chapter x, sec
ion 3, of the Confession of Faith. that
is not to be regaded as teaching
hat any who die in infancy are lost.
We believe that all dying in infancy
re included in the election of grace {
nd are regenerated and saved by
hrist through the Spirit, who works
hen and where and how He pleases."
The crisis over the Presbyterian !
reed came upon the withdrawal of t
II. Newell D. Hills from the Presby. l
erian church three years ago. n t
liking this step DR.. Hills made a SEN f
ational attack from the pulpit upon G
lie confession, in which he said: 81 t
ould rather shake my fist in the face r
the Eternal and fling every vile cpl r
let toward His stainless throne. L
here eternal mercy sits with the a
orld's atoning Savior, than lift my
and with that creed toward Gd's b
lrone and affirm that taught or be- 4
eyed it." C
This rather hysterical outburst C
'oused the liberals within the G
1Ni SA' h0 AhISAIOI5 Cu0 W6SI0fu Or
IN of Presbyterianism, at once came "
1t with the announcement that it a
vored the substitution of a brief, S
odern, evangelical creed for the V
.estminster confession. At the same u
me DR.. Parkhurst of New York as
rted in the pulpit of the Madison ii
luare Presbyterian church that the W
ace for the confession was Gin the is
useum." From this on the contest il
aged, with the above result.-Catho- o.
!. Citizen. n
-o- III
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