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The Church, Its Subordinate Standards, and the Ordination Questions by Peter Bush

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The Church, Its Subordinate Standards, and the Ordination Questions by Peter Bush Volume 64, Numbers 1 & 2 Spring & Fall 2020 EDITOR’S NOTE: COVID-19 caused many disruptions in plans. One was that the Spring 2020 issue of Presbyterian History was not published. This issue is the only one that will be published in 2020. It exists primarily as an electronic document. However, if you wish to have a hard copy please contact the Editor at 360 Tower St. N., Fergus, ON N1M 2N7 or e-mail pe- [email protected]. The Church, Its Subordinate Standards, and the Ordination Questions by Peter Bush When in 1954 the General Assembly of The could be replaced, did that mean the rest of the Presbyterian Church in Canada adopted The Dec- Westminster Standards was to be regarded as hav- laration of Faith Concerning Church and Nation as ing less authority? a subordinate standard of the denomination a num- The overture having raised the question pro- ber of questions arose, not about the Declaration posed an answer, suggesting two principles central but about what it meant to have adopted an addi- to understanding the relationship clergy should tional standard, and what relationship the new have to the subordinate standards, including the standard had to the previous standards. An over- Westminster Confession of Faith. First, that while ture from the Presbytery of East Toronto (1955, the ordination question “does not imply any doc- Overture 46), put the problem in these terms, trine of infallibility” of the Westminster Confes- “there is confusion in the Church regarding the re- sion, those answering the question in the affirma- lation of office-bearers to the Westminster Stand- tive were bound “to acknowledge its worth as a ards as formulated in the ordination and induction true work of the Holy Spirit in the Church, and to vows.” Clergy at their ordination and at subse- honour it in all their teaching.” The Westminster quent inductions were asked the following ques- Confession of Faith was not Scripture, no claim tion: “Do you believe the Westminster Confession was being made it was infallible, however it was of Faith, as adopted by this Church in the Basis of to be recognized as a work of the Holy Spirit in the Union, to be founded on and agreeable to the Word life of the church. And as such the Confession was of God, and in your teaching do you promise faith- to be treated with respect and its formulation of the fully to adhere thereto?” In adopting the Declara- faith was to be honoured in the preaching and tion, the denomination was saying that a portion of teaching done by Teaching Elders. The same the Westminster Confession of Faith, the section would be true of all future doctrinal statements dealing the church-state relations (Chapter 23) was which became subordinate standards – they to being replaced, did that imply that the whole of the were to be treated with respect. The second princi- Confession was open to being replaced? If part ple being, “The Church has a continuing function, 1 under the Word and Spirit of [the church’s] Lord Do you believe the historic creeds and con- to explicate the faith in responsibility to [the fessions of the Catholic Church, though cor- church’s] changing circumstances.” The church rupted in varying degrees by the errors of had a responsibility to explain the Christian faith [human beings], to be a work of Christ’s anew to each new generation, such explanation be- grace in His Body by His Spirit; do you be- ing formed under the authority of the Word of God lieve that God wrought mightily to restore – which was probably meant to refer to both the the sovereignty of His Word in the Church Bible and Jesus, also referred to as the Word – and by the Protestant Reformation; and do you the Holy Spirit, here referred to as Jesus’ Spirit. receive the Westminster Confession of Faith Naming the Holy Spirit in this way referenced Je- and doctrine subsequently declared in The Presby- sus’ words in John 16:13-15, that the Spirit will terian Church in Canada, as a holy inheritance only speak what is which you vow to from Jesus. The re- cherish and defend newed explication of The Westminster Confession of in all your teaching, the faith is under the Faith was not Scripture, no claim with full regard to guidance of Jesus the Church’s con- Christ, through the ac- was being made it was infallible, tinual task of for- tion of the Holy Spirit, however, it was to be recognized as mulating as the church reads the for every genera- Bible in its particular a work of the Holy Spirit in the life tion the Faith once time and place. of the church. delivered The Committee on to the saints?” the Articles of Faith (the predecessor to the Com- mittee on Church Doctrine) responded the follow- This question of over 100 words, awkward as it ing year to the overture, affirming the two princi- is, lifts up the ecumenical creeds of the church, ples. In the process, the Committee made clear the giving them a place they had not had previously grounding upon which the second principle for the and locates the Westminster Confession of Faith church explicating the faith anew stood – “the within the stream of the church seeking to under- Holy Scriptures abide” as the “canonical standard” stand the faith Jesus called the first disciples to live with “Jesus Christ” as the church’s “sure founda- and proclaim. This move highlights the contingent tion.” Thus, new doctrinal affirmations would nature of any generation’s expression of the faith, need to stand on the foundation of Jesus and be in- along with the contingent nature of any proclama- formed by the witness of Scripture. tion of the faith from a particular geographical re- The Committee seeking to avoid any confusion gion of the world. All such statements are to be un- in the church on the matter, framed three new or- derstood as the work of Jesus Christ in the body of dination questions to replace the first two that had the church in that time and place. As signs of been asked at every ordination and induction since Christ’s grace among the people of God such state- 1878. The first question related to Jesus role as In- ments are to be affirmed as signs of God’s work- carnate Saviour and Head and Source of the ing. These statements are an inheritance of Jesus’ church. This question covered ground that had not revelation to people through time, and are inher- been present before in the ordination questions. itance passed on to each new generation to be cher- The second question related to the Bible, picking ished and defended. The implication being that up on themes that had been present historically in those who deride and ridicule such creeds and con- the first ordination question. And the third pro- fessions are disrespecting the work of the Spirit of posed question was to replace the one cited earlier God in the church. in this article, it read (A&P 1956, 503): 2 In 1957, the Articles of Faith Committee re- there was only one “permanent norm”, the Scrip- ported that the feedback they had received from tures, and no one was adding to that. Instead the the church affirmed the two principles articulated Spirit had been given to bring people back to the in the overture and by the 1956 Assembly, but the Word of God, Jesus Christ, that Jesus might be glo- challenge remained how to describe the balance rified. between the two principles which were in tension As a result of feedback to the three proposed with each other. The Committee wrote, “Our con- ordination questions and the discussion of the cern is that the [ordination] vows shall joyfully af- Church’s relation to its standards, the Committee firm our binding to Jesus Christ our Lord, as testi- came to the 1958 Assembly with a new approach. fied to in Holy (A&P 1958, 246- Scriptures and as “Our concern is that the [ordination] 248) A preamble confessed by the to the ordination Church in creed vows shall joyfully affirm our binding questions was and life.” (A&P to Jesus Christ our Lord, proposed, moving 1957, 229) The much of the cum- word “binding” is as testified to in Holy Scriptures bersome language important here. In and as confessed by the Church in the questions to saying “yes” to the the preamble ordination vows in creed and life.” leaving the ordi- the ordinand was nation questions willingly, joyfully standing under the creeds and almost unchanged from their 1878 form. The 1878 confessions of the church. The voices of the past, questions had had no set preamble; the creation of heard in the creeds and confessions, were to be a prescribed preamble was an addition to the ordi- acknowledged for their work in struggling with nation practice of the denomination. The draft pre- Scripture and the Spirit to hear the voice of Jesus amble articulated the tension between on the one and were to have a place as an interpretative norm hand that: for The Presbyterian Church in Canada in the life and teaching of Ministers of Word and the “faith is embodied in the Westminster Confes- Sacraments. This called for humility before the sion of Faith which is our subordinate standard, the Spirit who has spoken in the past. The ordinand doctrine whereof we hold and maintain in all our was also to recognize their humility in the present teaching”, and on the other hand “having due re- moment, for just as the Westminster Confession of gard to the Church’s continuing function, under Faith states, all human attempts to speak of the Tri- the Word of God and the promised guidance of the une God of grace are fallible.
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