New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-22
WHY THEY ARE CALvINISTS.
r,ro NOTABLE SPECIFIES On THE PRO.
POSED CREED REVISION. p.
DR.. JOHN HALL DEFENos THE wEsTMINsrER
CONFESSION AS IT IS To-DAY-DR. c. L.
THOMPSON DESIRES SLIGHT CHANGES
NOW AND A CONSENSUS CREED


THOMPSON DESIRES SLIGHT CHANGES,
NOW AND A CONSENSUS CREED
The second day Of the grest debate in the New
xo-r presbytery passed without any signs of a vote
~ the report of the committee recommending that
uo chapters of the Confession Faith should be re
,ed and that the General Assembly should be asked
N have a new Greed prepared But progress in the
debate made, six speeches being delivered in the
,wo hours and half that are allotted to tine daily
sessions. There less wit and more wisdom eX-
limited than on Monday. Tn, addresses had been
carefully prepared, three of then being written fully
The scotch Church, which was thrown open because
the audiences had outgrown tie lecture-roOm, was
comfortably filed. Many studmts and clcpymen
from other PresbyterieS resent, and in the
galleries sat several interested listeners who are
nrohibted by an unwrtten law # the Church from
speakng in mixed assemblies.
The most important of the speeches that given
by Dr. John Hall, of the Fifth Avenue Church 1t
was the first time that he had gvei public utterance
N his views on this question slice the overture
was presented the Presbveries. owing
10 a previous engagement DR.. Hall vas not present
at the November meeting, when the vote taken
on the main question. But he had lot spoken five
words Yesterday before it evident TO all that he
WAS utterly opposed TO the entire revis on movement
He spoke with intense earncStncsS after EXPRESSING
sorrow that much lev1ty had been displayed on
The previous day. He took mp the report section
by section and answered many Of the arguments that
have been made in favor of changing he historic
Confession.
Dr. Charles L. Thompson the successor Of Dr.
Robinson i'm the Madison Avenue Church. who
presided so gracefully and effectively Moderator of
the Centennial General Assembly, in Philadelphia. in
1SSs spoke for the report. He member of the
committee which prepared the report, and in his
easy. pleasing manner he told why the Confession
should be revised in the two points recommended
His paper was in the line of new Greed also in
accordance with the suggestion of the Committee 10
the Presbytery. This Greed he would not have take
the place of the Westminster symbols, but be AL ex
PLANTATION of them.
Dr. II. Il. Booth. of the Rutgers Riverside Church {:
Dr.. e. W F. Birch. of the Bethany Church; ID. ]. C.
Lowre secretary of the Board Of Foreign Missions.
and DR.. Alexander Mclean. a secretary Of the Amer
Bible Society also spoke on the subject the last
three being opposed 10 revision and therefore opposed
10 the answer prepared by the committee.
DR. HALL SPEAKS FOR THE CONSERVATIVES.
Promptly at O'Clock DR.. sample called the
Pres5ytery 10 order and asked Dr. John Hall TO offer
the opening prayer. Dr. WOrrall moved that all
demonstrations of approval be withheld because ap
plause is not becoming in religious bodies and because
il largely from outsiders. In the absence Of
DR.. Van Dyke. who had obtained the floor Monday,
DR.. J. c. Lowrie the first speaker. lie OPP
posed TO changing the Confession of Faith.
When DR.. John Hall to speak he began with
the statement that in the discussion Of question
vital the before the Presbytery the members
should not grudge the time that may be needed
properly to reach the truth at issue Continuing,
DR.. Hall made these points
1t perfectly clear TO as DR.. Paxton proved
yesterday that H. as recommended in the committees
port the first section Of the third chapter Of the
Confession, committed 20 the rest. Do the
brethren find anything criticise in sections 9 s. g. g
cannot speak nay brethren IN the ministry, but am
for myself that these sections contain truth
which have different times In my pastoral experience
preached and explained TO people from the pulpit and
in the Bible class. Perhaps explanatory note couid
be made by the General Assembly to sections and
The point made yesterday that anything censurabe
contained in the chapter II ought to be removed But
objection De raised with equal emphasis 70
ytnc contained in the Scripture that Is not pleasing
to the human mind.
"oh saws Dr. Schar read the Scripture in It's con-
nection whole, and will have no dihcuty why
no. do the thing with the Concssion1 Take for
example that verse the Proverbs The Lord hath
made all things for Himself yea even tn wicked Tor the
day Of evil or as the Revised Teron 'eve1y-
thing for It's own end" etc. BY itseI, how do you
that Or take the Second Commandment
in the Decalogue: God is jealous God visiting me
iniouitv Of the fathers upon the children unto the third
and fourth generations Of them That hate Me- Ho" an
innde could and abuse that statement But arc We
to reject Bible because it contains statements con-
sdered censurabe by It's enemies Dr. Scesh III his re-
ply yesterday quoted John fiji. 10 "God 80 loved the
world that He gave begottn Son. thu; who-oev"r
tAeyeth on Him should perish but have everlasting
lfen But did Dr.. Schsf read this verse IN
It's connection The first ;wenty-one verses Of
this chapter record conversation oil our
Saviour with Nicodcmus a highborn Phsrses, who be-
lved that MS birth entitled certain privileges but
Jesus said .'No. you must be born again" NicodcnuN
thought that when the Messiah came lie "ond come JOY
the Jews but Jesus says: NO for the WorI.' Nlco
derps believed that Christ would to Judge me world
hun Jesus says: mo; bring salvation TO the world
m Parton i'm his argument referred - the oppression
.Jcob have loved and Essu have hated" am he was
answered that this referred not 70 eternal ssNat Du' "
80 d,..dvantage Suppo.e that It does refer %
,hI,. d.dvantage II God can be unjust in The earthly
disadvantage. why not in the heavenly! You sN IL i'
,o- n Providence matter it is not Calvnism That l.
involved but Thcism II God can be unjust IN Hue ~
ran be unjust in much. The truth j. that man - 'os'
tutng himself Judge Of what GOD Is ana "ha' NJ u1t"
te The second tendency II 70 rule out OF the Be q"
r,insnred ANYTHING conflicts with hi" idea Inc
third tendency OF the times is to set UP ChrS" 'o"
sciousness a. the rule OF fsith' -
we are :old that lose good and especially young
students bv our doctrine predestination Where DO they
,o1 m tho Armini.n Church, have been forty YEAR
in the ministry and cannot recall shgic instant
students leaving Church because OF lts hFn
and going r. the Methodist s"minares' 4he' :" " w
who In their best DAYS stood "hefe "
a. where do the poole got Some OF them 90 % one
denomination because fashion. perhaps ana d" '"o
" bo 90 for thu reason Is safe 70 shini TWO 1l- w.
Thc do no, know the Confession which they aDHhoOn w.
,ncv do mo- know the articles Of faith that they sAe up
, - - ., wore true that the doctrines complained OF
were blocks stall they for this reason pe '"N
douedl Did Paul abandon the cross OF ChflsV D'oS"o
WAS a s:umbling-block iome 10 whom he pr'schou'
feel that II reNise Standards a. pOpo7'u ~
committee whose report considering that We vi"
lose more than We will gan. We shall break win .ns
dutch Reformed Church sd with our brethren Oh INC
Southern Presbyterian ChuIth. -.
Dr. Hall next took up the sentence 50 freduently
quoted that Revision Is in the air. ana sald tlau
in the air there are loose, mean unworthy views VI
God that lie is Of infinite good nature. and that inc
chief end Of Him is 10 give all III, creatures good
fine irrespective Of characer" lie closed with an
earnest statement. rearirmhg the position already
,l, that II God had not sa'cd one human being no