The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1890-05-29
ENDEDIN HARMONY.
Report of the Committee on
Method of Revising the
Creed Adopted.
A Committee to Be Appointed
to Report ON Revision at
the Next Assembly.

SARATOGA, N. Y, Special-In the Presby-
terian assembly to day, after addresses by
DR.. McCosh, eX-president of Princeton col
lege and Rev. George ID. Matthews, general
secretary ofthe reformed alliance, former
ly OF this country, but now of London.
DIR. Erskine, chairman of the committee on
method of revision read the report of his
committee, as follows:
Your committee respectfully report that they
have unanimously agreed upon the following
preambles and resolutions the adoption OF
which they recommend:
Whereas, The last general laasssmAply directed
an overture TO be transmit ted 40 the presby-
terieS in these words: First, do you desire a re-
vision of the confession OF faith? second, if SO in
what respect and to what extent? and whereas
it appears from the report of the special com
mttee appointed to canvass the answers OF the
preSbyteries to said OVertures, that 134 preSby
teries have answered Eyes" to the first question:
therefore
Resolved, That committee composed of one
member OF the assembly from each synod to wit.
nineteen ministers and ten elders be appointed
by the moderator to nominate to this assembly
a committee consisting of fifteen ministers and
ten elders, which shall be called 1.-The assembly's
committee revisi n of the confession of
faith" which committee, when constituted by
the general assembly, shall consider the sugges-
tions made by the presbyteries in their answers
to the second OF the above questions, and
formulate to the general assembly OF
1891 such alterations and amendments to the
confession Of faith as ill their Judgment may be
deemed desirable Second, this committee on
revision shall meet at the call OF a temporary
chairman, to be named by the moderator of
this general assembly, and SHALL upon meeting.
appoint their own permanent chairman, and
shall have power to fill vacancies. Third, this
committee on revision is instructed to meet at
an early date, not later than Oct. 81, 1890, and
diligently to pursue it's work, that it may report
promptly at the meeting of the general assem-
And whereas, sixty-eight presbyteries have
to tl,a ffp.f Of fl.a
tions and sixty ynine presbyteries of those an
swering yes have expressly said that they de-
sire no change i'll the confession of faith to be
made that impairs The integrity OF the system OF
doctrine taught therein, therefore
Resolved. That this committee on revision be
and hereby are instructed that they shall not
propose any alterations amendments that
will in any way impair the integrity OF the re-
formed or Calvinistic system of doctrine taught
in the confession Of faith.
UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED.
In opening the discussion he expressed
thanks to God for the success of the COM
nlittee in agreeing upon it, The commit
tee recommended only the restriction of
the committee to the matter suggested by
the presbytcries, and to the Calyinistic or
PRESBYTERIAN doctrine. The report was
adopted by a rising vote unanimously,
after which the doXology was sung with a
will and the moderator offered prayer Of
thanksgiving. The moderator appointed
the nominating committee Of nineteen
ministers and ten elders at once, naming
DR.. William c. Roberts, a member from
Illinois, as chairman. This committee was
called by its chairman to meet at noon to
nominate the permanent committee. Their
report will probably be given Monday.
The moderator announced the following
committee:
H. Hamilton Hunter, synod OF Atlantic; Ben
iamin F. Bittinger, Baltimore; William A; Alex
ander, Catawba; Frank V. Mills, China; Robert
Douglas, Colorado; Curtis C. Strong, Columbia;
William G. RohN is Temporary chairmanl, Hi
lcy, India; Henry B. Saylor,
Idwards, Indian Territory
Iowa; Lewis l. Drake, Kan
sa sj>.r; Xt@@sao X@sntqgsk J9hq = rSGsstsE
Baird, Missouri; Samuel P. Davidson, Nebraska;
Nathaniel W. Voorhees,, New Jersey; Samuel D. j.
Fulton, New Mexico: George Alexander, New
iel H. Evans Ohio; Henry B. Gage, Pacific; Ebe-
nezer Erskne, Pennsylvania; Elliott L. D dresser,
South Dakota Samuel T.; Wilson, Tennessee;
Henry S. Little, Texas T. Werner Moore, Utah;
Everett c. Eastman, Wisconsin.
NTW CONSENSUS CREED.
DR.. Roberts said that the overtures
twenty-siX 1resbyter1es in favor of the new
consensus cFeed should be referred to a
committee o4nine, who shall invite the CO.
operation Of the reformed bodies in pre-
pairing short clear, comprehensive state
ment of the points i'll which all the re-
formed chuTches are agreed not sub
stitute for, but a supplement to the West
minister confession. 1t must contain the
essentials of IFformed faith and be the
basis of uni$n and cooperation by all
affiliated bodies, especially in the
work in !oreign lands. DIR. Herrick
Johnson made some remarks in opposi-
ton to, and fgr: c. L. Thompson strongly
favored the obstruction of such "A creed.
DR.. Roberts sid that we ought to take the
lead, as we die the strongest Of the reformed
bodies, and that it would be: better for us
to draw up and propose sueg.a creed to the
other reformed bodies. This WfRlessavea
much time. The plan ptoposed, to do
nothing except with the co-epefation of the
other branches would takefeosmuch time.
God seems to be leading on4m the move
ment so eloquently and tendefly advocated
by DR.. McCosh this morning and to de-
sire US to- flow together m love.
DIR. Patterson advocated the motion. He
voted for the appointment of the commit
tee this morning because he was sure it
would fail. Eut he thought that consen-
sus creed for popular and many other uses
would be a good thing. The motion, after
much discussion as to its scope aud effect,
was passed by large majority. The COM
mitee on theological seminaries made re-
port, which told of cheering progress iR the
thirteen institutions of this church and
pledged liberal aid for their schools, which
are training German and colored ministers
The recommendations OF the report of the
committee on the consensus creed was
adopted.