XXII. Of the Resurrection. We believe that the souls of the righteous enter at death upon a state of rest and felicity at home with the Lord; that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust, through the power of the Son of God; and that the bodies of all who are fallen asleep in Christ, as well as of the faithful who are alive at His coming, shall be fashioned anew and conformed to the body of His glory.
XXIII. Of the Last Judgement. We believe that God will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, before Whom all men must appear, Who shall separate the righteous from the wicked, make manifest the secrets of the heart, and render to every man according to the deeds which he hath done in the body, whether good or evil, when the wicked shall go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.
XXIV. Of the Life Everlasting. Finally, we believe in and desire the life everlasting in which the redeemed shall receive their inheritance of glory in the kingdom of their Father, and be made fully blessed in the presence and service of God, Whom they shall see and enjoy for ever and ever. Amen.
The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America.
The Westminster Confession underwent a limited revision, 1903, in the Presbyterian Church North, as it is popularly called. In the last period of the nineteenth century, a demand arose within the Church for such ecclesiastical action as would relieve objections to its statements on the salvation of infants and divine predestination. In 1887, the clause forbidding the marriage of a deceased wife's sister or a deceased husband's brother was struck out. The right to make changes was exercised as early as 1729, when the Synod struck out or altered the chapters on civil government. The report made by a Committee on Revision created by the General Assembly, 1891, was vetoed by the presbyteries. In 1901, the Assembly for the second time appointed a committee stipulating that its work should be 'either by modification of the text or by Declaratory Statement, it being understood that the revision shall in no wise impair the integrity of the system of doctrine set forth in our Confession of Faith and taught in the Holy Scriptures.' The committee was also instructed to prepare a Brief Statement of the Reformed Faith 'expressed, so far as possible, in untechnical terms' for the purpose 'of giving information and a better understanding of our beliefs and not with a view to its becoming a substitute or an alternative of our Confession of Faith.' It was sent forth by the Assembly. In 1906, the Assembly denied an appeal that the Brief Statement be 'used as the Creed of our Church.' [2247]
The Revision of the Westminster Confession, 1903, consists of a Declaratory Statement bearing on the subjects of God's decrees and the salvation of infants, changes in three chapters and two new chapters.
DECLARATORY STATEMENT.
While the ordination vow of ministers, ruling elders, and deacons, as set forth in the Form of Government, requires the reception and adoption of the Confession of Faith only as containing the System of Doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures, nevertheless, seeing that the desire has been formally expressed for a disavowal by the Church of certain inferences drawn from statements in the Confession of Faith, and also for a declaration of certain aspects of revealed truth which appear at the present time to call for more explicit statement, therefore the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America does authoritatively declare as follows:
First, With reference to Chapter III. of the Confession of Faith: that concerning those who are saved in Christ, the doctrine of God's eternal decree is held in harmony with the doctrine of His love to all mankind, His gift of His Son to be the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, and His readiness to bestow His saving grace on all who seek it. That concerning those who perish, the doctrine of God's eternal decree is held in harmony with the doctrine that God desires not the death of any sinner, but has provided in Christ a salvation sufficient for all, adapted to all, and freely offered in the Gospel to all; that men are fully responsible for their treatment of God's gracious offer; that His decree hinders no man from accepting that offer; and that no man is condemned except on the ground of his sin.
Second, With reference to Chapter X., Section 3, of the Confession of Faith, that it is not to be regarded as teaching that any who die in infancy are lost. We believe that all dying in infancy are included in the election of grace, and are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit, who works when and where and how He pleases.