THE NEW PRESBYTERIAN CREED.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 305, 6 October 1888, Page 4

THE NEW PRESBYTERIAN CREED.

A considerable number of our readers will doubtless be interested in the following summary of the Articles of Faith as held by the Presbyterian Church of England, which is before that church for consideration and for final approval next year. The twentythree articles are the result of three years' labour. The Drafting Committee consisted of Rev. Oswald Dykes (convener), Rev. Drs. Chalmers, Donald Fraser, and Edmond, ReA r s. R. Taylor and W. Dale, with one elder, Mr Iiobt. White. A list of illustrative passages in support of the various clauses, is drawn irom the Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed, Westminster Confession and Catechisms, the Thirty-nine Articles, the Scottish, French, Hebraic, Belgic and other confessions of the Reformation period. The contrast between the Confession of Faith and this creed is an ovidence of the growth of Christianity, and its adaptability to the increased light and knowledge of the nineteenth century. The creed deals with God, the trinity, creation, Providence, the fall, saving grace, the Lord Jesus Christ, the work of Christ, the exaltation of Christ, the gospel, the Holy Spirit?, election and regeneration, repentance and. faith, Christian obedience, union to Christ, the Church, church order and fellowship, Holy Scripture, the sacraments, the second advent, resurrection, judgment, the life everlasting. Article 1: " We believe in, and adore, one living and truo God, who is spirit and the Father of spirits, present in every place, personal, infinite, and eternal, the almighty author and sovereign Lord of all ; most blessed, most holy, and most free ; perfect in wisdom, justice, truth, and love ; to us most merciful and gracious, unto whom only we must cleave, whom only we must worship and obey. To Him be glory for ever. I Amen." On Creation (3) the latter portion reads, " and through progressive stages, to fashion and order this world, giving life to every creature, and to make man after his own image," etc., etc. '_,>,> The Westminster Confession on the same subject reads, "It pleased God, etc., etc. , in the beginning to create or make of nothing, the world and all things therein, ; whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days," etc. , '' - , , • 1 , The articles dealing with saving grace, the work of Christ, and the gospel, are distinctly, anti-Calvinistic. . - Wo^mention , is

made that'll By^theTdecr ee o£|tS;,od; : f or|,fcne" \^ manifestation' pf»'Hi^ glbryrs'ope meh^ancU'?: angels are-' predestinated.^urito everlasb/r, 1 ' 1 ing life, and' others foreordained to eyer--^ lasting death.,' These" angels and men,', thus predestinated- and foreordained, are ' particularly 'and designed, <• and their number is so certain and definite, • that i6,- cannot be increased or diminished." , '* >- ' - Of saving grace, - l the article .reads : "God, who is rich in mercy, as well as of perfect) justice," etc., etc., "sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world ; wherefore, our salvation out of sin and misery is ever to be ascribed to free and sovereign grace." Qf the work of Christ: "He obtained for His people forgiveness of sins, reconciliation to C4od, and the gift of eternal life." Of the gospel : " We hold fast and proclaim that God, Avho willeth that all men should be saved, has," etc., etc., "given commission to the Church to preach the gospel of His grace to all nations, freely offering to all men forgiveness and eternal life." The article on the Church leads: " We believe in one Holy Catholic Church, the innumerable company of saints of every age and nation, who, being united by the Holy Spirit to Christ their Head, are one body in Him, and have communion with their Lord and one another, and we acknowledge as a part, more or less pure, of this universal brotherhood, every pai bicular Church throughout the world which professes faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to Him as Divine Lord and Saviour." Of the second advent : " We look for the second appearing of oar Saviour as the blessed hope of His Church," etc., etc. Of the last judgment : " God will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, before whom all men must appear ; the wicked shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." The Westminster Confession says : — " Evei-y sin doth bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God and curse of the law, and so made subject to death, with all u miseries, spiritual, temporal, and eternal." And in another section — " The souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day." From this synopsis, it will be seen that the new creed is a great advance beyond the Confession. There is little doubt but that it will be adopted as the working creed of the English Presbyterian Church, to be followed at no distant time by the other branches of the great Presbyterian Chinch, to the advantage of Christianity throughout the world. A church that has so much culture and research among its ministers, that can boast of preachers and writers whose views are permeating the world, cannot be content with expressing its belief of to-day in sixteenth century definitions.