Revision of the Presbyterian Confession
THE question which above all others is now agitating the Presbyterian mind is that of the revision of the "Confession of Faith." One article which is making trouble reads as follows:— “By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and some angels are predestinated to everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death. “These angels and men, thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed; and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished. “As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath he, by the eternal and most free purpose of his will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore they who are elected being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power through faith unto salvation. “The rest of mankind God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will, whereby he extendeth or withholdeth mercy as he pleaseth, for the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures, to pass by, to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praise of his glorious justice.” That the Presbyterians should wish to change this article is not a matter of surprise, but it does seem strange that any of them should insist that the doctrine is correct, and that all that is desired is to make "some change in the wording." If the article as it now stands expresses the faith of that church, why make any change? If it does not express the faith of Presbyterians, then the faith of that people has changed, for they did formerly believe just as the article reads; and it seems that not a few do still so believe.