New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-18
THE CRTCD 4ND THE CHrRCH.

In singular and perhaps instructive, proX-
unity there appeared on Saturday morning
two reports to the Presbyterian General As
sembly. one Of these stated that nearly
fifth of all the Presbyterian churches have va
cant pulpits and that LOO churches have
died in twenty years. The other report set
forth that almost two-thirds OF the PrcNhy-
torics desired a revision Of the Confession OF
Faith.
\ Church cannot be tried or judged, let it be
admitted. by the ordinary rules Of business
which apply to money making corporations.
# 4 hank j, losing money, If the number Of us
dcp,eitor> j. diminishing and the amount of
dcpoSits. sensible stockholders propose "A change
in the management But Church may be
for successive centuries d,owned Of men. and
vet the custodian Of the true faith. II may
and must hold fast that which is true and
essential though all the world may scott. Yer
there i, something else 10 he said \ Church
exists for the purpose Of leading and lnilu-
cncing men. and lifting them up TO higher
lives. If its methods or lis crecdS tend 10
drive men away from it, to destroy or impair
its influence over the thought and the lives
of men. il is question to be seriously consid-
cred whether the Church is doing its duty and
filing its proper place in the world.
About twO-thirds Of the communicates of
the PRESBYTERIAN Church affirm that they de
sire a revision Of its Confession Of Faith. This
means that they do not in fact believe what the
present Confession asserts. They accept II
with mental reservations and unSpokcn modlii-
cations Surely it cannot be that all these
COMMITMENTS desire and vote for change III
fine Confession, although it precisely expresses
their own convictions. The records Of dis
cussion in many of the prcSbyterics support
the general understanding that change in the
formulated statement of belief is required in
order to make that formulated statement agree
with the actual belief of nearly tWo-thrdS Of
the COMMITMENTS. Because they do not in
fact believe what the Confession states, or may
in the ordinary acccptation OF words be sup
| uoscd 10 state they ask "A revision. But if so
many Of those who are already members of the
| Church find its declaration of faith "A stumbling
| block to them how many more are there who
| are kept from its membership and repealed from
it's association by the same declaration?
The minority "A little more than third Of
| the Prcsbytcrcs and about the same proper
| tion of the communicates, earnestly oppose re-
| vision But it is a striking fact that not all Of
| these profess to believe all that the Confession
| Of Faith embraces, in its ordinary and natural
Interpretation. Their favoritc argument is that
this ancient historical and grandly venerable
declaration Of doctrine, though it be no longer
an exact expression of their belief ought to
| he maintained inviolatc and unaltercd because
| Of its great part in the worlds spiritual life
| and history This reasoning, however eloquent
ly presented, has behind it the admission that
at least part of those who oppose a revision
| Of the Confession Of Faith do not now find that
| Confession i'm strict accord with their belief
| BESIDES nearly twO-thirds who want "a revision
| because they do not believe just what the
| Confession allirms, a considerable part Of the
remaining third would retain the form OF Con-
fession, though avowing dissent from its ordi-
nary and natural Interpretation.
once more it is pertinent to ask, how many
are reDeled from Church. if its declaration