New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-17
PRICE THREE CENTS.
REVISION RISES AT ONCE.
DEBATE ON PROPOSED RULES.
PRESIDENT PATTON DECLARES THAT THEY
WEAKEN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
ITS LEGISLATIVE FUNCTIONS IN PERII-DR VAN
DYKE SEES no SUCH PROSPECTIVE HARM
HOW THE PREsBYTERIEs VOTED
GREAT INTEREST SHOWN IN
THE DISCU SSION.

|
GREAT INTEREST SHOWN IN
THE DISCUSSION.
,Br TELEGRAPH TO THE TKrBUSE.I
Saratoga, Nay 1G-It is Revision Day IN
the General Assembly, and it is appar-
emily only the opening day. As no one
dared predict last night what day might
bring forth, so tonight dares hazard
guess what the brethren will do before they dis
pose of the Creed matter. Twice to-day it came
| before the body and the gavel fell with two men
| on their feet and both promised hearing to-
morrow morning. For nearly two hours and .
| half this afternoon the large audience listened
| intently TO the mastery argument, the skilful
| handling OF opponents, the wisdom and the wit
of five learned men. For one brief moment per-
sonalities cast shadow over the otherwise fair
| debate. The question deemed Of greatest i'm
porance at this meeting of the Presbyterian
| Church, namely, the proposed revision of the
| Westminster Confession of Faith, said to be
of secondary Importance when compared with the
subject which occupied the attention of the body
| in the afternoon, which had TO do with the meth
| DDS of making revision.
II has been the wish Of all parties that the re-
vision overture should come up at an early date
in the session, in order that sufficient time should
be taken for a full, fair frank, free and fearless
discussion, should either side be disposed TO open
| the debate which has been carried on SO vigor-
ousy for several months in more than 200 pres
| byteries The opportunity desired was offered
to-day, when Dr. Roberts, the stated clerk. re-
ported that the overture Do you desire re-
vision of the Canfcsson Of Faith? II so. in what
| respect and to what eXtent?' had been answered
| by the presbyteries follows:
! Affirmative. e...............133 Declined to answer.7
Negative .............. 60 Failed to repy......7
| DR.. Roberts suggested tnat q committee be ap.
| pointed to consider the answers Some of the
members thought that the Committee on Bills and
Ovcrtures should be entrusted with this subject.
but Dr. Roberts said that the chairman of the
committee DR. w. c. Roberts, the last Moderator.
had asked to be excused from this arduous task
in addition to all that will naturally come to
the committee A special committee was or
dered to canvass the answers, and the Moderator
! was laid the responsibility Of naming this COM
mittce. DR.. Moore was elected Moderator unani-
mously yesterday. leaving him las he said to
| friend with no friends to favor and no foes to
pacate. He gave a practical exhibition OF his
fairness and his freedom to-day when he appointed
on the committee to handle the creed revision
| answers two men from the minority ana thfee
! from the majority. which is not exactly tle
! proportion maintained by some Of the presoy-
| teries Further, Dr. Moore appointed as chair
|
opponents of revision among the 500 commissions
crs in the Assembly SO pronounced is Presi-
dent Patton's attitude in defence of the Stand.
| ards as they exist to-day that the editor of
| leading religious journal which advocates re-
vision is said to have remarked that. II he
! had read DR.. Pattou's paper before the Presby-
| terian Union in New-York last winter before he
had committed his paper, lie would have come
ont with leader r opposition to the revision
overture. The second name on the committee
| is that of Vice Chancellor Mace Cracken. OF the
| University of the City Of New-iork, lie is as
| ardent in his devotion TO revision as Dr. ration
is in his opposition to it. The Rev DR.. Maurice
Edwards. of St Paul. is a revisionist. as is also
Judge Shanklin, of the FTesbytery of Crawfords~
vile. Indiana. The other ruling elder, j. \.
Thornton, Of San Fra;ciSco, is conservative
The committee received the big bundle of an
swers ut the close of the afternoon session and
Immediately began work upon their labor of love.
Before taking mp this task, however there was an
opportunity for Or. Patton to declare publicly his
positon in regard 70 the Standards Of the Church.
| The whole afternoon session was taken up with
one Of the most brilliant debates that have taken
place in the Assembly for years. Five speeches
were made. two of them by eX-moderators. one
by judge in Philadelphia. another ny the stated
clerk Of the Assembly, and the fifth uy an eminent
lawyer in Philadelphia
The order of the day was the discussion of tho
report submitted yesterday By the committee ap-
pointed in 1887 to submit a plan for eiectinG
changes in the Confession of Faith and TIE Con-
stitntion of the Church. DR.. w. II. Roberts,
tie stated clerk. is chairman of the committee,
and associated with him is that able iurst eX-
Judge William Strong. of the United States
Supreme Court; his nephew. Judge Robert -
Wilson, of Philadelphia the Rev DR.. j. T..
Icftwich Of Baltimore, and the Rev. DR.. Everard
Kcmpshall Of Elizabeth, y. j.
The report read yesterday by Or. Roberts was
published in the papers to-day The chapter susg-
gcsted by the committee as an addition 10 the
form of government, making provision for amend
lng and altering the Confession and the Constitu-
tion seems on the face of 1t 20 be an easy son-
ton 10 the problem now puZzling some of tls
leaders in lie Church, as TO whether onc-ha,f
or twO-thirds of the Presbyteres must appro 20
Il change in the Confession before it is binding;
i'm other words. whether the overture now before
half or two-thrds of the Prcsbyteries before
the Assembly can proceed TO formulate the revised
Confession. DR.. Roberts spoke briefly in favor
of his report to-day, and was followed by DIR.
Patton, vino was at his best lie contended thai
the report asked The Assembly tO place abso-
lutey all lis legislative functions in tho
hands OF the Piesbyteries. The report
now before the Assembly, he declared, was
of far greater importance than the mere
question of revising the Confession, for IL con-
cerncd the very methods by which the Confession
should be revised. Dr. ration spoke IN clear-cut,
linging sentences, every word OF which heard
in the furthest corner of the room. Commissioners
listened rs II the fate Of their Church hung In
the balance Ladies leaned over the front of tls
galleries lest syllable should escape them of ths
tine rhetoric in which the solid arguments were
hidden. Now and then a playful alusion
CURED. as when the speaker remarked that prece-
dent did not make thing right if it were wrong.
lie instanccd a man tempted to steal pocket
book lie Yields, and thus establishes a prece-
dent Next year lie yields again. confirming the
precedent. lie continues 80 break the Eighth CON-
mandment for dozen years and, when appre-
hcndcd at last attempts TO justify his conduct by
claiming that he has been following precedent
established 10y himself years ago. Applause greeted
this illustration of the manner in which the AS
sembv seeks 10 continue following a bad prece-
h, rlN