New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-31
THE GREAT CREED DEBATE,
DIR. HASTINGS TO SAY THE LAST WORD.

sCHAUFFLER INSISTS on HOLDING THE
PREsBYTERY TO ONE QUESTION
Apparently the beginning Of the end Of the Con.
fession debate has been reached the PresbyteTy
This afternoon. at go O'Clock. in the Scotch Presby
terrain Church. in West Fourteenth st., President
Thomas s. Hastings, of the Union Theological Sem.
mary will make the closing argument on the report
us the committee favoring revision and new
Creed over which sixty speeches have been already
made The Presbytcry VII convene as usual at 3
n m. today and will continue the discussion for
two hours and a half, when Dr. Hastings will up
for the committee. Then the Presbytery will sd
iourn until Monday afternoon, when the vote will be
TAKEN
The debate Yesterday was largely In favor Of
ev,son OF the seven speeches only two opposed the
report II was largely day In which the young
men came TO the fO9t. DR. schaufer. who has
charge of the students In the Union seminary doing
mission work. spoke for the report. lie heid a COPY
OF the Confession Of Faith in one hand ana Bloe IN
the other and asked again and again. with great
effect, this question:
Does this Confession as whole lie alohgSlue one
Bibe as a whole as closely IL can be made TO ne'
This be insisted was the main question 10 be con-
sidered. All other questions are secondary Ihen
he took Nd one after another, the objections rssco
nv the revision advocates. and waved them away
with the comments That is not the duesuoh Dei"is
U.S. The question to be decided IS
Does the Confession OF Faith, as whole lie along
side the Bible, as whole, as closely as IL can %
made to Hep Next he took up the objections OF inc
antl-revslon men and disposed OF them WIN tho
same question He concluded, from his study OF tue
pihIe and the Confession that they do not. as
whole. lie so closely together as they can be made
10 lie and therefore only and therefore strongly ne
would have a revision male.
. The Rev. Walter d. Buchanan Of the Chalmers
Church. formerly a mission connected with the FINN
Avenue Church, spoke the conservative SIDE dehS
ing many of the statements made by the revision ad-
vocates. and affirming his strict adherence to the
PRESBYTERIAN Church and to Presbyterian principles
He is afraid Of the new Greed because OF some OK
the arguments made by some Of its strongest advo
Gates.
PLEA FOR THE REVISION.
The Rev. Arson p Atterbury spoke for the report
saying among other things
l. 1 favor the report OF the committee IN ths nrs'
place because it is not change OF substance OF uoce'
Few II any, want that. We stand by the ou Ca'i.iH'
What points are invol led this discussion are II not out
ron at least unessentia doctrines in the Confession OF
Faith Perhaps the strongest point in Dr. HAIRS speech
was when he showed that reprobatlon and preoeneon
are logically involved the first sections OF Chapter IL
which section the committee proposes IN Keep But al
ready there why repeat them succeeding sectionsl Dr.
Worran replied by saying We would keep them tLefe
so as to force you all TO that as the only undefsonE
the first clause" We reply in turn that the presbyterian
Church at large does hold these substance OF doctrine
and does not wish its ministers 70 De lofceu '" ~ "
narrow channel OF belief
3 only is the substance OF doctrine retainer u"
changed but it is made more Biblical IN us
lions Give Biblical proportion and balance tna'
is want in Creed and an approach to"sru H
is what the committee recommends
The report is in the line Of progress FOR the Church
The great souwnnes OF the day do not dwell very largely
on such subtle questions whether God Predetermined OF
His own good pleasure because he foreknew concerning
man they simply Accept Christ and you VIII Dc
saved; reject Him and you will be lost"
L. The Church has already decided the matter IL Is
for us simply question TO whether we shall agree win
this decision or let matters drift for few years to face he
question again. result Of this debate must be that Tor
large mart Of the membership OF the Presbyterian Church
Of New.York City Confession Of Faith. left as IL Is
will be shelved.
DIR. MINGINS APOLOGIES TO DR. ROBINSON
Following Mr. Atterbury came another revision
advocate the Rev. George j. Mng1ns, OF the Union
Tabernacle. He said that he was revisionist, pure
and simple, and began to explain why he hao nos
spoken earlier Among the reasons assigned was that
~ modesty But he added, Z" l am not SO big
fool as / look This confession was greeted WIN
an outburst of laughter, contrary to the rules Oh n'
Shall we hear this again1' said Dr. Charles S.
Robinson rising and addressing the Moderat9ri NJ,
Dr. sample answered that his grace, 10 WDich Mr.
Ningns had previously referred was well-ngh eA.
hausted and reminded the speaker that he must se'
DR.. Robinson was a long time getting nowhere
and 1 shall be short time getting somewhere re-
II said not one word about the speaker or his
speechU said DR.. Robinson II referred simply to
Mr.. Mingins-Then I apologize to DR.. Robinson.
DIR. Sample-Pease hasten on with your address eI,.
Harmony being restored, Mr.. Ninglns MADE a Drign.
speech in favor Of the report, asserting that te bids
was his Confession of Faith, -, ..-- .os.o, ., t,o
The Rev. A. w. Sproull, the new pastor OF tne
Church of the Sea and Land spoke elOquenty of the
love Of God for all mankind riyalng IN nus earnest
the feryor for this Divine attribute nS ge
he added, :" shall vote against the report ne ue
pored the fact that the discussion hah 9een iorTf1
upon the Church, as II Is fraught with evii ana Grg
evil 1t had had saluary effect, however IN orlis,
ing to the surface these two iacS In Siy6 ts9
against itself Let take warning here he added;
"A house divided against itself cannot stand; a.,
That the dissatisfaction Of many with the Coniesson
as il stands arises not much because OF nencIes
of expression or harsh and severe stsIenenss o,
Scripture truth. but because they are wholly oppose
To the Calvinistic system set forth IN Tue tOn.
fession of Faith, even TO the substance OF doctrhe
He added:
az thasa standards nav say have been all my life
mbued with the sentiment that they were the monument OF
the scholarship the pety the eieancut CONTIGUOUS tne
logical Of as noble oand OF men aS were ever
faith OF Christ-worthy 70 sahd Win tas
nrimitve band anolnted by the Holy Ghost TO preach
glad tdngs to pershing world Indeed never DOUBTED
this And in this conviction have been strengthened
by every added year OF study DeieVe thae he Cohes'
sion OF Faith merely for substance Oh doctrine he
aVat meaning OF which difficult 10 defne) but IL Is.
k as clear statement OF Bible teachings IL Is possible
10 make so long In the flesh And II there are
dncultes-some hard sayings yelling mysteres is only
because these are revealed In the Word Of God Sir.
have no sympathy with the disposition shown by 20
rature the Confession OF Faith setting forth certain
doctrines which abhorTent TO member Of this
Presbytery and then eloquent in their condemnation
Sir some of peadngs during this debate
have been elected while CRUSHING Of straw that the
sneakers have set up. The Ave points Of Cayinsm. with
which we entertained the other day such
we would have expected to have from the esteemed
brother who presented them. have heard during my min
sry the doctrines Of the Presbyterian Church combated
and held up public rdcule by It's enemies but
thoroughly during this discussion by its supposed
friends. Tho berest foes OF Confession it stands
are within.
The Rev. II. T. McEwen Of the Fourteenth street
Church, and 7. 5. strong, an elder in the Madison
Avenue Church, spoke for the report Mr.. McEwen