Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-03
WHAT PREsBYTERIANs BELIEVE.
Discussing the Proposed Revision Of the
Confession of Faith.

Il
Confession Of Faith.
| TIE DEBATE IN TIE PnEsBYTERY OF WASHINGTON
| cfTY-REvIsIoN FAVORED AND .oPPosKD-rHa
POPE A. ANrIcHRIsr-INFANT DAMNArIoN-
| OTHER DocTRISAL POINTS
Debate was the order of the day at the meet
ing Of the Washington city presbytery this
morning. A large representation Of the minis
tiers and elders Of the presbytery were present
in the Ninth Street church when the moderator,
Rev. W. s. Miller, raped for order. The
topic Of discussion was the revision Of the con-
fession of faith. Under a resolution adopted
at the last meeting q vote will be taken this
afternoon on the question, "Do you desire q re-
vision Of the confession Of faith?"
REV. DIR. cHnp's POSITION.
Before the revision debate began Rev. DR..
Hershey called attention to the letter presented
to the presbytery at the last meeting from Rev.
DR.. Chllds, asking that his relations with the
presbytery be severed so that he could unite
with the Episcopal church. While wishing to
show no discourtesy to Or. Childs, with whom
| said that he did not think that 1t was right for
a man to take the initiatory steps leading to
Withdrawing from the church and yet propose
to remain long enough and by his vote to help
|
These remarks brought out from Rev. DR..
Childs the explanation that he delayed in
| bringing the matter before the presbytery be-
cause he had expected that the revision ques-
| ton would have been settled. The matter had
| dragged along and he was unable to wait any
longer. He had, however. decided neither to
speak nor to vote on this question. He asked
simply for a letter Of dismissal
DR.. Hershey said that the explanation was
satisfactory to him and Rev. DR.. Bittinger
moved that certificate Of good standing in
the Presbyterian church be granted to DR..
Childs. He said that the presbytery could
not issue letter of dismissal, as the Episcopal
church did not recognize the ministry OF the
Presbyterian church.
..Such a letter would be regarded as rather
insulting" observed DR.. Bartlett.
The presbytery then voted to grant DR..
Childs certificate OF good standing.
DIR. CHESTER OPENS THE REVISION DISCUSSION.
The discussion of the revision was then
formally opened by Rev. DR.. Chester. He said
that the report of the committee seemed to
express. the mind of the party in
his opinion the report proposed
not revision but reconstruction. He argued
that the omission of section 7, chapter III. was
really the omission of what was taught in the
Bible He characterized the proposed changes
OF section 8, chapter vi, and section l, chapter
II, and section 4, chapter V, as
RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BIBLE.
But what alarmed him the most in the recon-
mendations of the committee, said the
speaker, was the proposition to omit the words
which affirmed that the pope of Rome was not
the head of the church, 'but is that anti
christ that man of sin and son of perdition."
The speaker said that the popes accept this de-
scription and he quoted from Pope Nicholas in
confirmation of this statement. He said that
the claim was plainly made by this pope that
he was God. He thought that the Presby-
terrain church might be willing to accept what
the popes claim for themselves. DR.. Chester
also objected to the recommendation to omit
the words
'PAPIsTs OR OTHER 1DoLAToRs;"
also all other controversial illusions to the
church Of Rome. He defended the position
that papists were idolators, and said that no
other belief could be held unless the catechism
was revised. He said that it was no defense
to say that the images themselves were not
worshipped, but what they represented.
he said, for all idolators, modern and
ancient. He quoted from what he mentioned
was Catholic New Testament in support of
this position. He added that there is distinc-
ton between many in the Catholic church and
papists. He believed that there were Chris
tians in that church, but he was talking about
the church as a whole. In the same way as
the Episcopal church held to the doctrine of
apostolic succession, but there were large
number in that church who were not
prelates. In speaking of the Episcopal church it
would be necessary to consider 1t from the
standpoint of its doctrines He was opposed
to the omission of these illusions to the church
OF Rome because that church had rot changed;
in fact it was her boast that she never changed
He spoke OF the proclamation Of the doctrine
OF lntalllbility and of the immaculate concep-
ton evidence that the Romish church had
not changed In these later days.
In reply to the criticisms frequently made
that the beliefs of the Presbyterian were severe
and extreme he said that the church was
THE MOST LIBERAL OF ANY PROTESTANT CHURCH
in the country The Episcopal church would
admit, he said, members from other
churches only upon being confirmed.
while the Baptists required INNER
sion. All that the Presbyterian church
demand was faith in Christ. At the beginning
of the discussion he had rather favored re-
vision. as he thought some verbal changes
could be made, but as he had watched the pro-
gress of the discussion, both here and else
where, he had reached the conclusion that it
was reconstruction, not revision, that was in
view. For this reason he would vote against
any revision.
REV. MR.. LIrTLE's OPINION.
The next speaker, Rev. Mr.. Little, read from
an editorial in the Chicago Interior. which
stated that the action of the presbyteries of
the country so far had been conservative and
had favored changes mainly in the extra
scriptural parts OF the confession. The in
| tegrIty of the confession thus far had not
been attacked and no serious changes pro-
| posed The speaker was Of opinion that
| this policy would be continued the other
presbyterles were heard from. He thought
the report OF the committee was in line with
| the average conclusion reached by the other
| presbyteries as far heard from. He ex-
| pressed the belief that the conservative
| men of the church were behind
| this movement He commended the
bravery of the general assembly, which, by
referring this matter to the church at large,
| showed that it was not afraid of discussion of
| its doctrines nor of the members OF the
church. He said that the Presbyterian church
was not only the most manly in the world but
the most liberal. He was
| HEARTILY IN FAVOR OF REVISION.
Several members expressed the fear that the
action in this matter would not be az conserva-
| tive as Mr.. Little seemed to think.
Rev. Mr.. Ramsdell said that when the next
| general assembly came to consider the recon-
mendations sent up from the presbyteries that
| it would be apt to go beyond the line, as con-
| templated by the last assembly.
Attention was called by Rev. DR.. Fullerton
to the fact that in the Chicago presbytery
| twenty votes were cast in favor Of doing away
entirely with the confession.
| OPPOSED TO REVISION.
Rev. Mr.. WynkoOp then took the floor. He
opposed revision on the ground, first, that the
method adopted Of bringing the matter before
| ba hut xv % atifut;onal u ala