Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-14
PRESBYTERIAN REVISION.


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PRESBYTERIAN REVISION.
Question Before the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
of the Washington Presbytery.
1t is probable that the meeting Of the gen.
eral assembly of the Presbyterian Church.
which convenes tomorrow at Saratoga, will be
one Of great historic interest. For the past year
the various presbyteries throughout the country
have been considering the question Of revision
of the confession Of faith, and now the entire
matter is to come before the highest body in the
church. While the general assembly has power
to decide that the Westminster confession shall
be revised, and also the form of revision, its
decisions does not become binding on the
church until it has been ratified by the presby-
teries individually and also by some subsequent
general assembly. The general assembly's
modus operandi will probably be. after voting
for revision, to decide in general way as to
the articles to be revised. and then to appoint
a committee to formulate the proposed changes.
The committees report will afterward be voted
on by the presbyteries after which it will come
before the ensuing general assembly. All this
will necessarily take time, and several years
Will probably elapse before the Westminster
confession is altered or shorter creed adopted.
The general assembly is not likely to get at
the work Of revision until next week. The
first days session, after a sermon by the Rev.
Dr. Roberts Of the Lake Forest University,
moderator of the last assembly, will be devoted
to organization and the election of a moderator,
who will spend the rest Of the day in appoint
ing committees. Friday reports of the various
Presbyterian institutions Of learning and other
routine business Will occupy the time of the as
sembly and little or nothing will be done on
Saturday. The question OF revision will, there
fore, be postponed until Monday or Tuesday Of
next week.
If home and foreign mission, to which two
days are usually devoted, take precedence of
the revision question it will necessarily be
postponed until Wednesday or Thursday.
THE QUESTION OF REVISION.
The propriety of making some revision Of
the confession in order to bring it more in
harmony with modern ideas, especially on the
questions OF election, the salvation of I'M
whom Christ was never preached, has for some
time been discussed, but no decided ac-
ton taken until the year 1888, when
an overture was presented to the general
assembly from the presbytery OF Nassau, Long
Island, asking that proper steps be taken for
revision OF the third chapter (of Gods eter-
nal decree) Of the confession of faith, with
special references to sections 8, 4, 6 and T."
But the assembly was preoccupied with its GEN.
tennial celebration and did not take much in
being shelved, and it was only by accident so
to speak, that the friends Of the overture
secured a reference Of the question to the next
general assembly. During the intervening
year the Nassau presbytery, by circular letters,
sought to interest other presbyteries in the
question. and a result of this Is Of the 2l1
presbyteries sent up an overture on the ques-
ton.
QUESTIONS FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
The assembly, which met last spring, conse-
quently sent down to the different presbyteries
substantially these two questions for them to
answer: DO you want a revision of the West
minister confession? and, if SO, in what partic-
ulars! As a result the 225 or more presby-
terles have, at different times during the past
six or eight months, had earnest debates as to
the advlsabllity OF revision, and as to what that
revision should consist. In these debates Discus
sion on Fixed fate, free will and foreordina-
ton absolute" naturally took prominent place
As result Of these different debates the advo-
Gates of revision were victorious all along the
line. Over two-thirds of the presbyteries have
voted In favor of revision, and when the gen.
eral assembly takes up the question il will be
with large majority Of that way of thinking.
TIE POSITION OF The WASHINGTON PREsBYTERY.
Like the other presbyteries that of Washing
ton city has taken part in the revision debate.
carefully prepared report was presented to
the presbytery by a committee consisting of
rev. L. D. Hdulllu, d. new. D. I. BlttlnKer,
D. ex-Justice VIM. Strong and Gen. W. n.
Gusts. Over this report the friends and oppo-
nents Of revision engaged in a discussion,
which lasted for DAYS and finally resulted in
its adoption substantially as reported.
The committee in its report was careful to
| state that 1--WE do not desire any sweeping re-
| vision of the confession of faith, nor such as
| would eliminate from il the system of doctrine
| known as Calvinism. We find in il
| (the confession) certain controversial utter
ances which do not properly belong in such a
| document and certain unscriptural or extra
scriptural statements. These we desire to have
| expunged." The chief recommendations in
| the report involved changes in the statements
| relative to the question OF election, infant
damnation and the fate Of the heather. These
| recommendations were retained i'll the report
| finally adopted.
The presbytery Of this city will be repre-
sented in the assembly by Rev. DR.. Bittinger
and Mr.. F. B. Dalrymple.
Officers Of the Woodmont Club.
At the regular annual meeting Of the Wood.
mont Rod and Gun Club held last evening q
the offices of the Columbia Fire Insurance
| Company, Kellogg building, the following
officers were elected for the ensuing year
Andrew Nc Callum, president; Judge Jeremiah
NJ. Wilson, vice president; DR.. w. 8. Harlan
secretary and treasurer; A. r. Tichenor, auditor
Andrew McCallum, Jas. p. Willett, DIR. r. b
| Donaldson, b. X. Plain and DR.. W. S. Harlan
| executive committee.
Hon. j. W. Throckmorton has written letter
! to the people of Texas Withdrawing from the
| governorship candidacy. He says his continued
ill-health will not permit him 10 become q can
didate.
Charges have been made before Mayor Ds-
| wilson of Baltimore that money was used in the
| state legislature and the city council to pass
the bill for belt line road, which Is to give
the Baltimore and Ohio a through route from
| Washington to Philadelphia.
Raymond Carroll, who Is said to be the SON OIL
the mayor OF Rochester, MY, was placed undeI
bail in New York police court for assaulting
Judith Torrey, who has been living with him
as his wife. She claims that Carroll has squan
dered $4,000 OF her private fortune.
The Mexican senate committee reported
favorably bill granting an indefinite term
| to President Diaz.
The strike Of the granite cutters at Quincy
Mass, is ended.