The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-04-10
THE |REVISI0N QUESTION
Which is Now Agitating the
Presbyterian Church.
THE INTERESTING DISCUSSION
OF tho Subject TT tho Washington
prcsbytcry-Dr. Cook. OF Wheel.
Ing, Opens the Dcbntc-NlinOr.
ity and Majority Reports.

Tho spring meeting OF tho Washing
ton Presbytery, now in session ut Clay!
vile, Pa, has been looked forward
with moro than ordinary interest, fo
the reason that 1t was known that tn
proposition TO revise the Confession G
Faith would be under discussion. Wash
ington Presbytery has the reputatio,
throughout the country OF being one o
the most conservative bodies in th
whole Presbyterian church, and ii i
passes the resolution to revise the Con
iession OF Faith it will be looked upor
rs m indication that the revision il
necessary and eminently proper.
The meeting began Tuesday evening
with sermon by Rev. A. d. Loves, oI
Washington, tho retiring Moderator
Rev. J. l.. Weaver, of Burnstown, was
chosen Moderator, Rev. J. G. Carver. OF
West Liberty, was chosen Writing Clerk,
and Elder G. i. Cranmer, OF this ci.y.
Reading Clerk. Yesterday morning was
devoted to the receiving OF reports iron,
the individual parishes, and the exam.
ination OF four young men who ure can.
didates for ordination.
In the afternoon the report OF the
committee appointed ut the last meet
ing ofthe Presbytery to report upon the
advisability Of revising the Confession
of Faith was made special order of
business. The committee was composed
Of Rev. DR.. Cooke, Chairman, Rev. +.
W. Hamilton, Rev. W. Fl. Lester and
Rev. DR.. J. y. Molat, Elder G. L. Gran.
mer, Elder Joel Truesdcll and Elder
John Aiken. Their report was read by
the reading clerk as follows:
THE COMMITTEES REPORT,
The majority Of the committee. consisting of
Drs. Hamilton and Lester. and Elders Crauiner
and Truesdcll, recommend that the first 0ups.
ton: DO you desire revision OF the Comics.
sion OF Faith" he answered in the negative.
The minority OF the Chairman. Wm. II.
Cooke, b. d., James D. Moilnt, D. D.. and Elder
John Aiken. beg leave to submit to the p.csby.
tery The following report:
We arc unable TO join with the majority IN
recon mendng Il negative reply. becut.Sc OF our
belief that some forms Of statements In our
Contest on OF Faith are liable 10 misunderstood.
Ing. and expose our system Of doctrine to IN.
merilCd crltic!sn:" and that 1t Is the pfessin,,
duty oi our church to give such expres,i t1
our present BELIEFS TINT Ill who read may un.
derstaMd 1t as we hold it-so far us II may he In
our power by verbal changes or improved
to SECURE this object
This question OF revision has been forced
upon our attention III the providence OF God,
aud whist We might never ask revision
i ior ,npS pGFs9nal On relief we yet eel con-
mud TO- answer the questions OF our AS.
sembly In such way az Sre,ns to Us bes, atlaut
cd to put the Confession OF Faith In true lirhi
before the church aud the world: aud TO uIlay
the growing and wide spreGdIpg dIssytisfactini,
with Its forms OF expression.
At the same time, we arc opposed to the
omission er partial abandonment of any doe.
tr!ne. constituting part OF whit Is commonly
called the Calvin,stic system. For this reason
which refer to the doctrine Of Prcterition or
Eeprobnt'on. Nor are we willing that the sec.
tion which describes how infants dy
in4 IN Infancy. and oirer person. in.
capable Of being ,ou!watdly. called. are re.
generated and saved. should either be omitted
or SO modified that all reference to the salvation
Of infants shall bc removed as It is the glory OF
our Confession tLnt, alone among the great his.
loric crecds OF Christendom, 1t gives my pincc
1t be so modified as to give expression to the
present. belief OF our Church on the subject,
The other changes We favor are com parntiyclr
but II the work OF revision be
undertaken II is better that these also be con.
,idcrcd and our Confession be freed from cycu
verbal infelicities.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
We therefore recommend:
1st.. That the tirsI question. 'Do you desire
rarlE{ou ri fhp ltnnfNgSfon nf E,,tt 1, !
sweicd In the affirmative: with the full under.
stnnning that III any revision to be submitted hy
the General Assembly. the fall Integrity Of the
system Of doctrine contained In the Confession
Of Faith shall be kept invIolatc.
end. In reference TO the second question
which Is. III SO, In what respects. md to what
cxtent?" we recommend. III TINT sections 4. i
and In Chapter III, relating TO the Elect and
Son'clect be rewritten. SO that all suspicion OF
supralapsariauis,n may be avoided, and thnt the
doctrine OF fretcrition is the absence OF Flee.
ti0n: and 10 avoid such differences, rs TIM, God
wilhhOlls mercy from any who are willing To
receive 1t. aud takes any pleasure In the death
OF the wicked.
(!) That the word "clect" be stricken from
section Of Chapter Y. In the two plnces where
It occurs. The two parts Of the section might
also be rcarrancci so as to read ny follows:
"lnfants. dying In infancy, and all other per.
called by the ministry Of the Word, are regcncr.
atcd aud saved by Christ through the Spirit.
who worketh when, anu where. und how He
plcasc!h.' lnasnuchRs 1t Is elsewhere In the
Confession taught that none but the elect arc
saved, the omission OF the term it0m this section
can work no loss TO any doctrine but /, will
avoid the Troublesome inference sug gesled by lis
presence.
i3) That from section 2 OF Chapter XXIv the
word "o,her" be omitted, SO as 10 avoid the IN.
necessary inference that all intidels aud papIsts
ntc idolnters.
~ That from section G OF Chapter NXv, nil
after the first sentence be omitted. The denial
that the Pope Of Rome cnu in any sense be lhe
affirmation that "Therc Is no other head Of Inc
Church but the Lord Jesus Christi" and. In on r
Judgment, the efr0Es IN doctrine and prRetIee nj
the Roman Catholic Church are sufficiently con.
demned elsewhere IN the Confession TO Justify
our omission OF declarations founded on ,I0uhi
tul c1egcsis Of difficult passages OF Scripture.
(5l That the love OF God manifested Ia the
whole world In the Gospel OF Ills Son, MS taught
In john B. 10th. and in Matt, 2s. 18th be definitely
expressed aud be given IN appropriate pace in
the Confession. ". Z. CROOKS
Chairman.
Following are the articles which il is
proposed by the minority to change:
CHAPTER Ill.,. SECTIONS 3, 4 ASD7.
SECTION g. by the decree of God for the man.
Hesitation Of HIS glory, some men mud angels urc
pyedcsiincd INTO everlasting He, and others
fOrc.orduncd 10 everlasting death.
SECTION I. These angels md men, thus nre.
destined and tore'ordnine,l. urc Particularly nud
uuchnngenbly designed; aud their number Is so
certain and definite that It cannot he either In
creased or diminished. -
SECTION T. The rest Of mankind. God ,r,s
pleased, according to the unseatchable council
Of His own VIII, whereby lie exteudeth or with.
holdeth mercy us He plcasclh, for the glory of
Ills sovereign power over Hi creatures, 10 mss
by, and to 0rtiain them to dishouour and wr,ih
for their Hin. 10 the prase Of Ills glorious ius.
t!ce.
CHAPTER X.
SECTION 2. Elect infants, dying In infancy. are
regeherated and saved by Christ through the
Spirit, who wotketh when, nn,l where, and how
lie pltaseth. So. also are all other elect persons,
who are incapable OF being outwardly called by
the ministry OF the world.
CHATTER XIV.
SECTION 8. 1t Is awful for all sorts OF people to
marry who nre able with judgment to give their
cousent, yet Il Is the duty OF Christions to marry
only In the Lord. And. therefore. such as con.
iess the true reformed religion should no, marry
with intdels, papists, or other idolltOrs neither
should such "a are godly be uuequal!y yokci. By
marrying with such as arc no,orlously wicked
iu their life or maintain damnublc hereslus.
CHATTER XIV.
SEcfIoS G. There Is no o!he. head OF the church
but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can any Pope d
Rome. In any senso, be head thereof; but ia thal
nut!.christ, that man Of sin. and son OF perll
tio1, that exGlteth himself iu the church
against Christ, aud all that Is called God,
4. r