The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-05-30
ENDED IN HARMONY.
Report of the Committee on
Method of Revising the
Greed Adopted.
A Committee to Be Appointed
to Report on Revision at !.
the Next Assembly.

SARATOGA, n Y, Special.-In the Presby-
terrain assembly to day, after addresses by
DR.. McCosh, ex-president of Princeton col
lege, and Rev. George D. Matthews, general
secretary of the reformed alliance, former
ly of this country, but now of London
DR.. 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 assembly directed
an overture to be transmitted to the presby-
teries in these words: First, do you desire re-
vision of the confession of faith? second, if ir
what respect and to what extent? and. whereas,
it appears from the report of the special COM
mittee 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 a 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 ''the assembly's
committee on 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
1891 such alterations and amendments to the
confession of faith as in their Judgment may be
deemed desirable. Second, this committee ON
revision shall meet at the call OF 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 I'LL vacancies. Ihlrd, this
committee 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
answered mo- to the first of the above ques-
tions. and sixty-nine presbyteries OF those an
swering Eyes" have expressly said that they de-
sire change in 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 or 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
Presby terrain doctrine. The report was
adopted by 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, 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
jamin F. Bittinger. Baltimore; William A. Alex
ander. Catawba; Frank V. Mills, China; Robert
Douglas, Colorado; Curtis c. Strong, Columbia;
William G. Roberts temporary chairmanl, Hi
nois; Thomas Tracy, India; Henry B. Saylor,
Indiana; John Edwards, Indian Territory;
William G. Donnap Iowa; Lewis I. Drake, Kan
sas; James Barbour, Kentuck; John r. Oxtoby,
Michigan Daniel R. Noyes, Minnesota Frank J.
Baird, Missouri; Samuel ?. Davidson, Nebraska;
Nathaniel w. VOORHEES,, New Jersey; Samuel D.
Fulton, New Mexico George Alexander, New
York; James M. Anderson North Dakota: Dan
iel II. Evans, Ohio; Henry B. Gage, Pacific; Ebe-
nezer Erskine. Pennsylvania; Elliott L: Dresser,
South Dakota; Samuel T: Wilson. Tennessee;
Henry S. Little, Texas; T. Werner Moore, Utah;
Everett C. Eastman. Wisconsin.
NEW CONSENSUS CREED.
DR.. Roberts said that the overtures of
twenty-six presbyter1es in favor of the new
consensus creed should be referred to
committee Of nine 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 churches are agreed not a sub
stitute for, but supplement to the West
minister confession. 1t must contain the
essentials of reformed faith and be the
basis of union and cooperation by all
work in foreign lands. DR.. Herrick
Johnson made some remarks in opposi-
ton to, and DR.. G. L. Thompson strongly
favored the construction of such creed.
DR.. Roberts said that we ought to take the
lead as we are the strongest of the reformed
bodies, and that it would be better for us
to draw up and propose such creed to the
other reformed bodies. This will save
much time. The plan proposed, to do
nothing except with the cooperation of the
other branches would take too much time.
God seems to be leading on in the move
ment so eloquently and tenderly advocated
sire us to flow together in love.
DR.. Patterson advocated the motion. He
voted for the appointment of the commit
tee this morning because he was sure it
would fall But he thought that consen-
sus creed for popular and many other uses
would be good thing. The motion, alter
much discussion as to its scope aud effect,
was passed by large majority. The COM
mittee on theological seninaries made re-
port, which told of cheering progress in the
thirteen institutions of this church and
pledged liberal aid tor their schools, which
are training German and colored ministers.
The recommendations OF the report of the
committee on the consensus creed was
adopted.
Mr.. RUSK'S REPORT.
E,c+e ~ Io+oroe+ Contained IN +ho