14
October 1814 A.D. Cumberland
Presbyterians & Westminster Confession of Faith
October 14: Cumberland Presbyterians & the WCF
It was on this day, October 14th, in 1814,
that the Cumberland Presbyterians adopted their unique edition of the
Westminster Confession of Faith. Taking our text from George P. Hays, The Presbyterians, p.
470-471, we review today the Cumberland Presbyterian edition of the Westminster
Confession of Faith, as formerly adopted by that denomination on October 14,
1914. The full text of The
Presbyterians is available here.
“When Cumberland Synod was
formed in 1813, one of its first acts was to appoint a committee to prepare a
Confession of Faith. In the form of words adopted three and half years before,
in constituting Cumberland Presbytery, was this provision concerning doctrine:
“All licentiates and
probationers who may hereafter be ordained by this Presbytery shall be
required, before such licensure or ordination, to receive and adopt the
Confession and Discipline of the Presbyterian Church, except the idea of
fatality, which seems to be taught under the mysterious doctrine of
predestination. It is understood, however, that such as can clearly receive the
Confession without an exception shall not be required to make any.”
In forming the Synod a brief
doctrinal statement was adopted in which the points of dissent from the
Westminster Confession were thus stated: 1. “There are no Eternal reprobates. 2.
Christ died not for a part
only, but for all
mankind. 3. All infants dying in infancy are saved through Christ and
sanctification of the Spirit. 4. The Spirit of God operates on the world, or as coextensively
as Christ has made the atonement, in such a manner as to leave all men
inexcusable.”
The committee appointed by the
Synod to prepare a creed, simply modified the Westminster Confession, expunging
what they believed unscriptural and supplying what they thought omissions of
vital truth. The chief changes were in chapters iii and x, and consisted in the
elimination of what is known as preterition, or what the fathers of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church called “fatality.” The Presbyterian polity was
retained; also the Evangelical Presbyterian doctrines—such as the inspiration
and infallibility of the Scriptures, the fall and condemnation of the race,
total depravity, the salvation of believers through a vicarious atonement, and
the eternal punishment of the finally impenitent.
This revised Confession of
Faith was adopted by the Synod, October 14, 1814, and continued to be the
accepted creed of the Church until 1883, when a new revision was adopted in
which the same essential doctrines enunciated in the revision of 1814 are
stated in somewhat briefer form and with a more logical arrangement of subjects.
The creed of Cumberland Presbyterians, as it differs from Calvinism on the one
hand and Arminianism on the other, may be stated in connection with the
doctrine of the new birth—the central theme of the revival of 1800—as follows:
1. All men must be born again
or perish.
2. All may be born again and
not perish.
3. None who are born again
will perish.
The first proposition, while
it is accepted by all, means more to Cumberland Presbyterians than to others;
for they believe that the soul’s salvation is made certain in the hour of the
new birth, while Calvinists believe that this certain election of the soul to
eternal life was made by divine decree before the foundation of the world, and
Arminians hold that the soul’s decision or choice cannot be so made as to be
secure from reversal or failure until after death—possibly not then.
The second proposition [above]
Cumberland Presbyterians think is contradicted by the Calvinistic doctrine of
election and reprobation, and the third [is contradicted] by the Arminian
doctrine of apostasy.
Words to Live By:
On the one hand, we can be
thankful that the Cumberland Presbyterian Church resolved to state their
convictions in a written statement of faith. On the other hand though, we are
saddened that their doctrinal statement falls far short of the Scriptural
teaching on salvation. There is no contradiction between the
gospel message and methods and the eternal call of God’s elect.
Indeed, such a view as our Westminster Standards teaches is consistent and
indeed comforting to the belief that God has chosen a people for His own
from all eternity past. The inspired writer Luke understood this
plainly when in describing the ministry of Paul to the Gentiles in Luke
13:48
stated in the last phrase, “as many as
had been appointed to eternal life believed.” (NASV) Both parts of
this last phrase are true. How do we know those appointed to eternal life?
Answer: They believe the gospel. Who are those who believe? Answer:
As many has had been appointed to eternal life. That one phrase is the
great comfort of those who share the gospel with all whom they come into
contact with in their day’s activities.
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