New-York tribune., 1903-06-01
THE PRESBYTERIAN CREED.

soIdon in fbe long history Of theological anu
ecclesiastical controversies has so earnest uiS-
nute been so happily settled as mas that over 'ne
I,o.br+o-5a, Confession of Faith 1t has been
: 1r ,7tsr,,+e- 10 many tedious. Il has been ex-
ceptionally earnest; at times yerglnS pernousl9
r,o,, bi++arness Amid the tumult OF the con-
act tho innortance of the issues was to some
ewes uDduly magniied. so that some tnousnt
the integrity Of the great Church was llSeli
trembling In the balance. But in the calm de-
liberation Of the General Assembly last week
the matter was seen in clear hght anu III ItS
tr,o ,ronortfons. and q final settlement was
unanimously agreed upon which must we pe-
Iieve commend itself to the minds and hearts
of the whole Church.
Briefly stated, the Presbyterian creed now
declares that no human being is damned be-
cause of Gods desire or because Of entalIeo slh'
but only because of his personal and deliberate
rejection of the means OF salvation Ihat I'M
niles free will. practically to the fun Armlnlan
extent In the words of the Declaratory State
ment adopted by the Assembly, God has pro-
"vided a salvation sufficient for all and Freely
Offered to all; men are fully responsible for
their treatment of Gods gracious ofer' HIS
decree binders no man from accepting that
"offer and no man is condemned except on the
ground of his sin" Subtle metaphyslclans
NAV draw hairsplitting distinctions between
that and the doctrine Of free will but 70 the lay
mind such viii appear to be distinctions Wltn-
out differences. Concerning those VINO Ole III
infancy the Declaration specifically repudlates
the theory that they are lost and declares con-
fdent belief that they are saved.
These were the two great points OF contro-
versy. They are now both settled in accordance
with the contentious of those who have SO long
~ 0f
or at least revision of its Interpretation. The
result Will be, of course to end the controversy.
That il will have any notable effect upon Pres
bvterian preaching and teaching is scarcely to
he expected for the reason that the vast ma
iority of cIergymen of that Church long ago dis
counted these changes. They have not been
preaching infant damnaton. They have not
been preaching that God desires the death OF
sinner or that He has inexorably predestlned
specific individuals to damnation. The teach
ing of the Church has long been practically
identical with the enlightened enactments Of the
General Assembly last week Accordingly, the
action of the Assembly was not revolutionary.
| 1t was at most evolutionary; or, still less,
merely the formal recognition of evolution
| already effected
| The one specific change which will be noticed
! Is this: That whereas hitherto Presbyterians
have had TO explain that their creed was not TO
be interpreted literally, they Will hereafter be
able to say that they do believe it literally and
that It means Just what It seems TO mean. There
will no longer be occasion TO apologize for or to
explain away articles of faith which seem In
congruous with the actual faith and practice Of
the Church. Not q single essential stone has
been removed from the foundation of the great
Church which embraces nearly oneffth of the
Protestant world-or OF this portion Of that
Church. But as of the foremost Of the
creed revisers well says, that foundation has
been broadened and strengthened, and we may
confidently believe the Church has thus provided
for its own greater growth and greater useful
ness as an agency Of righteousness among men.