1889 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

interpreted." This agrees well with a statement made by Rev. I.N. Hays before the Pittsburgh Presbytery, discussing the samequestion. He said: "I am a Calvinist through and through. Thereis not a doctrine essential to our system which I would havealtered, modified or softened, if I had the power to do so. As Isee it, the Bible is just as full of God's sovereignty as it is of freegrace. To get the Calvinism, which is in it, out, you must get anew Bible."From these and from the expressions of many Presbyterians, it isour opinion that there are four parties in the denomination: (1) aradical class which believes as thoroughly as Calvin ever didthat in the counsels of eternity, before man was created, Godpredetermined not only the creation, but also fixedly determinedwho should be so "effectually called" to salvation and sothoroughly environed by circumstances, etc., that they couldneither will nor do anything which would in any way affect oralter that predetermination to land them in glory; and thatregarding the others of mankind God just as fixedlypredetermined that they should not get an effectual call, andshould have no opportunity for salvation, and that nothing thatthey could either will or do could prevent them from beingeverlastingly tortured--that they might thus by unending groansand curses illustrate God's power and sovereignty, as the electwould illustrate (by no work or merit of theirs, they claim) God'ssovereign power to save whom he would: (2) a class which says,quietly, Calvin was probably all right, we do not dispute it, butwe prefer not to think or talk on this side of the subject; let usrather talk about God's goodness and love to the elect, and hopethat we and our friends are not of the non-elect who are to betormented; and especially let us not make this election doctrineprominent; let us revise the creed, not because it really beliesour faith, but because in this day of refined sensibilities thecreed expresses our views too clearly and shocks outsiders aswell as grates harshly upon our own feelings: (3) another classtotally repudiating the above doctrines and vainly endeavoringto prove to themselves and others that Calvin never believedthus. They construct for their finer sensibilities an electionwithout any special predestination of individuals, and contraryto Calvinism they recognize the freedom of the human will andthe importance of the individual both willing and doingaccording to his ability. These think themselves capable oftwisting and turning and explaining away the objectionablefeatures of Calvinism, and object to a creed revision, claimingthat it would show weakness and fallibility to change it, and thatit really needs no change, but should be understood not logicallyand as it reads but according to the gloss they are able to putupon it. These represent the majority of the educated men and ofthe ministers. (4) A fourth class is represented by Dr. Schaff, ofNew York. They hold practically the same views as class three,except that they are too honest or too logical to claim for