New-York tribune., 1889-11-05
IN FAVOR OF REVISION.
THE PRESBYTERY OF NEW.YORK VOTES
FOR 1T.
A LONG DISCUSSION RESULTS IN DECISION
FOR CHANGES IN THE CONFESSION OF
FAITH-A VIGOROUS DEMAND
POR A NEW CREED.

PoR NEW CREED.
A meeting of the New-York Presbytery, ad-
iourned from October 7. was held yesterday in the
assembly room of the Scotch Church. No. 53 West
Fourteenth-st The object was to open the dis
cussion on the overture handed down by the
General Assembly last May, which presented to the
various presbyteries throughout the country two
questions, one asking if a revision Of the Con-
fession Of Faith was desired the other. that I'm
case of such an event, in what points and to what
extent should revision be made. A large number
o. clergymen and elders of this and other prosny-
tcries present, manifesting the deep interest
which is felt in the question. The Rev. DR..
r. +. Sample, the Moderator, presided. The first
business done was to rescnd the motion passed at
the last meeting, which closed the doors 10 all
except cergymen and elders Of other presbyteries
pending the discussion Of the questions proposed
In order to start the business of the meeting,
the Rev DR.. Howard Crosby moved that the over
lures be answered In the Affirmative. the Third
Chapter of the Confession and such Others as
depend upon it to be changed. President Hast
ings, of the Union Seminary, presented as SUD-
stitute resolution which called for an answer
in the Affirmative with the provision that the
new Confession should be in the form of simple
creed The resolution read in part as follows
" The Presbytery regards with apprehension any
attempt to remodel the Confession OF Faith. lest
lis integrity should he marred and new barriers
TO Christian union be created; but because the
chapter Oh decrees is capable OF wrong interpre-
tation and is stumbling block to many, not
being an essential and necessary article OF the
system, it is wise to have different statement on
that point Some elements in the Confession are
not in accord with the present ideas OF the Church
~. 1a.~o1 In fran
inc the new creed which was to be a simple
statement of the essential articles of the present
Confession the cooperation Of the Presbyterian
.nd Reformed churches in Great Britain and Ire
land was invited by the resolution.
DIR. Shedd, professor of Dogmatic Theology IN
the Union Seminary, read series OF
resolutions which set forth that the Presbytery
did not desire q revision, and IN support OIL ~
he declared that the movement 1or chhhge
ns not spontaneous throughout the Church only
ia ont Of 2O2 PreSbyterleS expressing thclr uesIc
far IL at the lest General Assembly; thab tie
ssertion that the Confession IS inconsistent Wlu
the Word of God and contains errors III lts iehees
II false that if the changes proposed were auopisu
| tbe Standards would cease to representative
| q the Westminster system, TO which the present
| 0ncration of clergymen and elders had SUD
eribed; that the revision would be CONCESSION S.,
| " enemies who assert that the present system
| untrue and that old controversies would De
| ecpened and no better definitions woulu oe OBJ Oh
| aimed after all " FOR uneSe HNc Ic'SuhS, ",i'
! Dr. Shcdd. 1.-THE Presbytery should not desire
| , revision of the Westminster STANDARDS, puI
yonld have the Church continue to proclaim ana
| lefend them they now stand ana as they nave nave
| been proclaimed and defended by piSp geheraulohs
| If the Presbyterian Church
| IT, was decided 10 divide the motion or Ut;
| Hastings and cEdeavor 10 decide upon the general
| auestion of revision The debate on this question
wos long. and the representatives Of both SIDES
brought out many good points III support oil thelr
! position. ana ,,, A.,
| After n recess from G TO 80 o'clock the
| presbvtcrv came together and resumed the DIS
| cusson. 1t was ruled that DR.. Shcdds resolu-
| ions were ont of order, but they were accepted
as speech in opposition to the proposed revision
| In general, those who supported him, while adj
| hitting that there were certain objections In
the Confession were averse TO revising IL f0r rear
| of disturbing the doctrines presented therein
Those who advocated revision desired that the
objectionable features should be eliminated and
such ambiguity as at present exists in many OF
the articles be removed. Several were in favor
| NJ reducing the tcnets upon which all could
agree. and which are considered vital 10 the
| PRESBYTERIAN Church, TO short, simple and
sctiptural statement which every one could
| Thoroughly understand The lrst part Of DR..
IInstings's resolution, to the effect that the
Prcsbyery answer the first question OF the General
Assembly in the Affirmative, with the understand
inc that the word revision should be used
| broadly TO comprehend any confessional changes y
| was NJ length carried by a vote of 81 10 l5.
| IIpon the motion CT DIR. Crosby, the second part
of the resolution, together with all the substitutes
| and suggestions was then referred 10 n committee
| ~ ten which will consider them and report
| NJ n meeting to be held at p. m on the first
| Monday in December