From: The Session of Faith PCA Church, Mount Mourne, NC
To: The Central Carolina Presbytery, Bills and Overtures Committee
Re: Creation Length of Days Issue

WHEREAS, in the following passages, God references the six days of creation and the seventh day of rest, as the pattern for us of six days of work and one day of rest:
Exodus 20:10 "but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you."
Exodus 20:11 "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy."
Exodus 23:12 "Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor in order that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves."
Exodus 31:17 "It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed."

AND

WHEREAS, there is no obvious indication in any of these passages that God meant long days regarding creation, but short days regarding His commands to us concerning the Sabbath,

AND

WHEREAS, in Chapter IV of the Westminster Confession, "Of Creation,":
I. It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,[1] for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness,[2] in the beginning, to create, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days; and all very good.[3]

AND,

WHEREAS, there is no obvious reference made to this meaning anything other than six normally understood days,

AND,

WHEREAS, in church history, with few exceptions, the traditional understanding of these matters has been the 24 hour day view, rather than an obscure other-than-24-hour-day view,

AND,

WHEREAS, as of late, in the examination of candidates before Central Carolina Presbytery, for ordination or licensure, exception has been taken to the standards of the Scriptures and the Westminster Confession regarding the length of the days of creation, 

AND,

WHEREAS, there has been no clear nor sufficient Scriptural grounds given for a departure from the traditional understanding of these issues,

AND,

WHEREAS, "God is not a God of confusion but of peace..." 1 Corinthians 14:33

AND,

WHEREAS, there has been much time spent examining those with very vague and unclear views concerning this matter,

THEREFORE,

WE, THE SESSION OF THE FAITH PCA CHURCH IN MOUNT MOURNE
do hereby make overture to the Central Carolina Presbytery:

To deny licensure or ordination to any candidate whose creation view departs from the Biblical and traditional Westminster Confession view of 6-24 hour days, UNLESS he can, from Scripture, no science, sufficiently and succinctly, justify to the gathered presbyters, not only the possibility of another view, but ALSO the NEED for another view.

Date: November 19, 2000

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