THE DOCTRINAL BASIS.
The part of the proceedings with which we are concerned here is the attempt made to set forth the doctrinal consensus of evangelical Christendom as a basis for the promotion of Christian union and religious liberty.
The Rev. Edward Bickersteth, Rector of Walton, Herts, and one of the leaders of the evangelical party in the Established Church of England, moved the adoption of the doctrinal basis, and Dr. S. H. Cox, a Presbyterian of New York, supported it in a stirring speech, on the third day (Aug. 21). After considerable discussion and some unessential modifications, the basis was adopted on the fifth day (Aug. 24), nemine contradicente; the vast majority raising their hands in approval, the rest abstaining from voting. The chairman then gave out the hymn,
'All hail the great Immanuel's name,
Let angels prostrate fall.'
It 'was sung by the Conference with a depth of devotional feeling which, even during the meetings of the Conference, had never been surpassed.' [1720]
The doctrinal basis is expressly declared 'not to be a creed or confession in any formal or ecclesiastical sense, but simply an indication of the class of persons whom it is desirable to embrace within the Alliance.' It consists of nine articles: (1) the divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Holy Scriptures; (2) the right and duty of private judgment in the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures; (3) the unity and trinity of the Godhead; (4) the total depravity of man in consequence of the fall; (5) the incarnation of the Son of God, his atonement, and his mediatorial intercession and reign; (6) justification by faith alone; (7) the work of the Holy Spirit in conversion and sanctification; (8) the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, the judgment of the world by Jesus Christ, with the eternal blessedness of the righteous and the eternal punishment of the wicked; (9) the divine institution of the Christian ministry, and the perpetuity of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
The basis is merely a skeleton: it affirms 'what are usually understood to be evangelical views' on the nine articles enumerated. To give an explicit statement of these views would require a high order of theological wisdom and circumspection. For the practical purpose of the Alliance, the doctrinal basis has upon the whole proved sufficient, though some would have it more strict, others more liberal, since it excludes the orthodox Quakers. It has been variously modified and liberalized by branch Alliances in calling General Conferences. The American branch, at its organization in New York, Jan., 1867, adopted it with a qualifying preamble, subordinating it to the more general consensus of Christendom, and allowing considerable latitude in its construction. [1721]
[1719] Memoir, by his Brother, 1876, Vol. I. p. 260 (N.Y. ed.). The letter to his sister dated Aug. 4, 1846, should be dated Aug. 24.
[1720] Proceedings, p. 193.
[1721] See Vol. III. p. 821.
§ 115. The Consensus and Dissensus of Creeds.
Philip Schaff: The Antagonisms of Creeds, in the "Contemporary Review," London, Oct 1876, (Vol. XI. pp. 836-850). The Consensus of the Reformed Confessions, In the "Proceedings of the First Gen. Pres. Council," Edinburgh, 1877; separately issued, New York, 1877.
The Creeds of orthodox Christendom have passed before us. A concluding summary of the points of agreement and disagreement will aid the reader in forming an intelligent judgment on the possibility, nature, and extent of an ultimate adjustment of the doctrinal antagonisms which are embodied and perpetuated in the symbols of the historic Churches. The argumentation from Scripture, tradition, and reason belongs to the science of Symbolics.
A. The Catholic Consensus of Greek, Latin, and Evangelical Christendom.
The Consensus is contained in the Scriptures, and in the oecumenical Creeds which all orthodox Churches adopt. It may be more fully and clearly specified as follows:
I.--RULE OF FAITH AND PRACTICE.
The Divine Inspiration and Authority of the Canonical Scriptures in matters of faith and morals. (Against Rationalism.)