St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-04
REVISION OF THE CREED.
New York's Presbytery FavOrs 1t
by q Vote of Two to One.

New York's Presbytery Fayors 1t
by a Vote of Two to One.
NEW YORK, Feb. 3.-The Scotch Pres
byterian church was filled to its utmost
capacity this afternoon when the New
York presbytery met to vote on the
proposed revision of the confession of
faith reported by the committee APP
pointed to prepare an answer to the
general assembly's overture, and to
submit that answer to the preSbytery.
The body of the church was crowded
with clergymen and elders, and the
seats and aisles in the galleries were
occupied by members of the various
churches. Rev. DIR. Robert f. Sam
pie, moderator, called the meeting
to order, and after prayer had been Of
Tered business was begun with read
ing of the report, which had already
been read dozen or more times and
was known by heart to many of the
clergymen present. The preamble to
the committees report was adopted
without discussion. 1t detailed the
work which had been done by the com.
mittee and spoke of the care with which
they considered
THE QUESTION OF REVISION.
and laid stress on the statement that
they deprecated attempts to remodel
the confession, beyond making these
changes which were urgently needed
and generally asked for. The presby
terry then took up those sections of the
report which provided for the revision
of the confession of faith. They were
as follows:
First-We desire that the third chapter
after the first section be so recast as to in
elude these things only: The sovereignty OF
God in election; the general love of God for
all mankind; the salvation in Christ Jesus
provided for all, and to be preached TO every
creature.
Second-We desire that the tenth chapter
be so revised as not to appear as discriminate
ing concerning infants dying in infancy"
or so as to omit all reference to them (sec.3);
and so TO preclude that explanation of sec. 4
which makes it teach the damnation of all
heather, or makes it deny that there are any
elect heather who are regenerated and saved
py Christ through the Spirit, and who en-
deayor to walk in penitence and humility,
according to the measure of light which God
has been pleased to grant them.
Rev. DR.. Paxton, of Princeton. moved
that all that portion OF section after the
word chapter be stricken out, and the
words ''remain unchanged" be inserted
instead. The moderator said that DR..
PaXton'S motion was inconsistent. Rev.
Dr. Howard Crosby remarked that DR..
Paxton had the right to make a foolish
motion if he desired. DIR. Paxton said
that the third chapter had been fixture
in the confession for 900 years, and that
it was essential to CalViniSm. Pretori-
ton and reprobation, he held, should
not be excluded from the confession.
They were half of its care. Rev. DR..
Crosby, in reply, argued that the third
chapter was the proper place to intro
duce the love of God. just as many of
the old school as those OF the new school
desired revision, and argument to the
contrary was stale. Elder Henry Day,
of the Fifth Avenue church. said that
they had no right to be bound by any
CONTRACT OF THEIR GRANDFATHERS.
They were not bound by Calvinism to
believe in the damnation of infants.
Prof. Charles Briggs said that pretoriton
was not an essential of Calvinism and
ought to be excluded. DIR. Charles S.
Robinson moved that the vote ON DR..
Paxton's motion be taken by calling the
roll. This was lost by vote of Sc
against 20. On motion to reScind the
vote taken on DR.. Robinson's motion for
the roll call it was again lost by vote
of IS to 80. The motion of Dr.. Paxton
was lost by decisive viva voce vote.
Rev. DR.. John Hall, an enthusiastic
anti-revisionist, then offered substitute
for the section which provided that
proper il should formulate a brief
foot-note to the third chapter of the
confession explanatory of its interpre-
tation, and thus do away with any
stumbling blocks or conflicting interpre-
tations. Rev. Van Dyke claimed that
if the chapter needed such an eXplana-
tory note that was sufficient to warrant
it being cut out altogether. Rev. DR..
Hall had sala that in these days of Uni
verSaliSm they should take decided
stand on the questions contained in the
chapter, and to this DR.. Van Dyke re-
piled that the speaker had no right to
introduce the subject of Universalism
into the discussion. DR.. Hall said that
he had intended nothing personal. DR..
Crosby, in opposing DR.. Halls substi-
tute, said that his only objection was
that it placed
GODS LOVE IN A FOoT-NoTE.
The moderator here announced that
If there were any more applause, he
would entertain motion to adjourn.
The substitute was lost by vote of
eighty against forty-four. The report
favoring revision was then adopted as
presented by the committee. There was
general discussion as to whether the
roll should be called at this point, as
the report really ended here. or whether
the preSbytery should vote on the rec
concentrations added to the report by
the committee, and it was decided to
call the roll. This resulted in ninety
three clergymen ana elders voting for
the report, and forty-three clergymen
and elders against it. AS the matter
stands the New York presbytery has
declared itself in favor of a revision of
the Westminster confession of faith by
a vote of more than two to one.