# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_April 1905_S155
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Die Prädestination nach der Westminster Confession of Faith. 15⁵

es sich wohl verlohnen, eine von so vielen und mit so viel Mühe ausge⸗
arbeitete Lehrdarstellung, wie sie uns das Westminster⸗Bekenntniß darbietet,
einer eingehenden Untersuchung zu unterziehen.

Die Westminster Confession of Faith legt nun erklärtermaßen ein
Lehrsystem dar, das von Einer Prämisse ausgeht, von der alle andern Lehren
Deductionen sind. The Presbyterian Church stands, as it has stood
during its entire history, for the uπcenditional sovereνπnινν ρ God. 1)
„The doctrine of the deuine sovereihnty is the controlling idea of the
Presbyterian system, both theoretically and practically. By this
s0ν½ereihnt is meant the absolute control ofF thε unverse, hιτtρ aιαι hñ
t h½ο⁸ cοντνάìν⁶ενι, dοσ aꝗπνιι νοισι οnταοσν, hether visιαe ιπιννs or in-
visiνα tngs, d te one supreme, eternal, ommescient, ommpresent, and
ommpotent Spirẽt, for uιςe, jνεε, Roνν, anα lovinꝗg ends, πnoiοn fFullyj to
Rimself alonée. The Presbyterian system may be defined, therefore, as
being that body of religious truths and laws of which the sovereignty
of God is the germ and nexus, the life and soul... . The third ele-
ment in the confession is the distinctively Calvinistic Tthe first, the
Christian; the second, the Protestant], and consists of the doctrines
which are ordinarily called the five points of Calvinism. These
five points are: (1) Unconditional as opposed to conditional predes-
tination; (2) definite atonement or particular redemption as opposed
to indefinite atonement; (3) total as opposed to partial depravity;
(4) efficacious as opposed to uncertain grace; (5) final as opposed to
partial perseverance. These five points are the differentiating fea-
tures of tbe Reformed or Presbyterian doctrine, the points which
separate Calvinists from other evangelical Christians.. . The con-
trolling idea of the Presbyterian system, that of the sovereignty of
God, is vitally related to each of these elements of confessional
theology.“ 2)

So geht denn auch das Bekenntniß, nachdem es im ersten Capitel von
der Quelle und Norm der christlichen Erkenntniß, von der heiligen Schrift,
und im zweiten Capitel von Gott und der heiligen Dreieinigkeit geredet hat,
im dritten Capitel von Gottes ewigem Rathschluß — Goc's eternal

rianischen Körperschaft dieses Landes endlich nach jahrelangen heftigen Kämpfen
beschlossene Revision des Bekenntnisses sagte der Vorsitzer der Revisionscommittee,
Rev. Dr. Van Dyke: „This revision does not mean that the Presbyterian church
has changed her base one inch, but it doës mean that she has broadened and
strengthened her foundations. Her divine sovereignty shall never be inter-
preted as to mean fatalism.“ (Citirt in „L. u. W.“ 1903, S. 187.)

I) Tye Pres buterian Handboohι 1903, p. 4. — In dem ganzen Artikel ist das
durch den Druck Ausgezeichnete von uns hervorgehoben worden.

2) The Presbyterian System.“ By the Rev. William Henry Roberts,
D. D., LL. D., Philadelphia, 1895, pp. 6. 16.