Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-12
THE PRESBYTERIAN DEBATE.
The Discussion Continued by Ministers
and Elders Today.

rASrs-sALvArIox AND REpRoBATIoS - CAL
NNrsN AID fATALIsM
The third day Of the great debate in the re-
vision OF the confession of faith was begun this
morning in the Washington city presbytery.
The discussion has been carried on with great
spirit and nearly all the clerical members have
made set speeches - well a. taken part in the
general discussion.
The revision party, led by Rev. DR.. Hamlin,
has been opposed with much skill and fertility
OF resource by the anti-revision party under
the able generalship Of Judge Drake. He
has stubbornly contested every point and his
training as . lawyer and a judge has
been manifest not only in the ex-
ceptions and demurrers, as they might
be termed. which he has filed, but by the
| special pleading. which has appealed to the
At the meeting held more than week ago the
vote on the question Of whether revision was
| favored demonstrated that the revision
party was largely in the majority. The
it was only after two days Of debate that, at the
| close of the session yesterday, vote was
reached on the first change proposed by the
committee, namely, the omission from section
g., chapter 8, OF the words land
| change was agreed to by a vote Of IL to 10. The
discussion was prolonged because Of the i'm
portance of the question involved. as upon
these words is based mainly certain interpre-
tation Of the doctrine of reprobation.
ANXIOUS TO CLOSE.
The members of the presbytery are becoming
somewhat weary over the prolonged sitting and
the feeling that the discussion ought to be
trought to a close was expressed by Rev. DR..
Hamlin. When the presbytery convened
this morning he said that number
OF the ministers as well the elders were
greatly inconvenienced by the prolonged de.
bate. He hoped that the presbytery would
take action on the next change which followed
that adopted yesterday without debate.
Judge Drake was of the opinion that after
the action OF yesterday debate would not be
necessary.
ADOPTED WITHOUT DEBATE.
The following change was adopted by viva
voce vote: Omit the entire fourth section Of
the third chapter, which reads as follows:
''These angels and men thus predestinated
and foreordained are particularly and un-
changeably designed, and their number is 80
certain and definite that it cannot be either in
creased or diminished"
NOT APPROVED.
The next proposed change was as follows:
Section 6, same chapter, reads as follows: AS
God hath appointed the elect unto glory SO
hath He, by the eternal and most free purpose
of His will. foreordained all the means there
unto. Wherefore they who are elected being
fallen in Adam are redeemed by Christ, are
effectually called unto faith in Christ by His
spirit working in due season; are justified
adopted, sanctiied and kept by His power
through faith unto salvation. Neither are any
other redeemed by Christ effectually called
justified, adopted sanctified and saved but
the elect only" Omit the last sentence. Also
in chapter X, section /, omit the words ''and
those only"
In its report the committee states that these
omissions recommended not because the
statements are untrue but because they are
superfuous in these places.
Judge Drake made brief speech in opposi-
ton to this change, and also Rev. Mr.. Rams
dell, who stated further that he would vote
against any change proposed by the committee.
The change was not approved by vote OF
to
RETAINED WITH ALTERATIONS.
The next recommendation Of the committee
was as follows:
That the whole of section in chapter III be
omitted. 1t reads as follows: "The rest
Of mankind God was pleased according
to the unsearchable counsel Of his
own will, whereby He extendeth or with
holdeth mercy as He pleaseth, for the glory Of
His sovereign power over His creatures, to
pass by and to ordain them to dishonor and
wrath for their sin, to the praise of His glorious
Justice"
In the opinion Of Judge Drake if this change
was approved there would be no statement left
In the confession showing that men were to be
punished for their sins. It would then appear
that all men would be saved
DR.. Bittinger explained that as a member of
the committee he was opposed to this change.
sense in which the doctrine is taught in the
Bible; that is, that men if lost are lost not
merely by an arbitrary decree of God but al
together for their wilful and deliberate rejec-
ton of the free offer of salvation.
DR.. Hamlln said that he would propose on
behalf Of the committee and in the interests of
harmony the retention Of this clause with SIM
ply the omission Of the words ito pass by and
and them" He added that by this change
the statement OF punishment would be retained
DR.. Bittinger assented to this change.
1t was maintained by Judge Drake that even
this omission would open the way tor the doc
trine of universalism.
Considerable discussion followed, in the
course Of which Rev. Mr.. Wynkoop said that
the adoption Of this change would be incon-
sistent with the action Of the presbytery yes
terday when. a. he understood it, the doc
trine Of Reproduction had been stricken out from
the confession.
Judge Drake said that the doctrine Of repro
baton had not been stricken out, but only the
words s'foreordained to everlasting death''
to omit from the clause the words suggested BY
DR.. Hamlin, instead Of the entire section, as at
first proposed
ANOTHER PROPOSED CHANGE NOT APPROVED
The next change proposed in the report Of
the committee was the omission Of the middle
clause in section 4, chapter s, beginning with
the words land that not" and ending with the
words His own holy ends"
DIR. Hamlin said in explanation that this
clause added nothing to the sense but obscured
the meaning.
DIR. Bittinger said that as a member of the
committee he did not favor this omission,
In the opinion of DR.. Bartlett this clause in
volved no great matter Of consequence, and az
the presbytery was not engaged
in tinkering the confession, he was
unwilling to make any more changes than the
practical needs Of the times demanded, He
therefore was opposed to the proposed change.
The vote Of the presbytery was against the
change.
The presbytery also refused to sanction the
following changes proposed by the committee:
Omit the whole Of section 6, chapter V, and
omit the last clause in section 1, chapter vi.
A SUBSTITUTE ADOPTED.
The next proposed change was as follows:
Section 4, chapter vi, now reads: From this
original corruption, whereby we are utterly
indisposed, disabled and made opposite to all
good and wholly inclined to all evil, do pro-
coed all actual transgressions" The reading
proposed by the committee ia as follows: From
this original corruption, whereby we are indis-
posed to good and inclined to evil, do proceed
all actual transgressions."
In explanation Of this change DR.. Hamlin
hat he xvor1a ind IA &hax oh