The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-23
JApANRsr PREsnYrnR1ANs.
They Make Changes in the Creed o
the Church

WASHINGTON, March Pain an official
report to the edepar tment Of state Mr.. Swift.
late United States minister to Japan, saws
that after long delberation the native
Presbyterian church in that country has
seen &c to rscast the time tried doctrines OF
the Presbyterian church and even to make
additions to the sacred Apostolic creed
Minister Swift seys that the Presbyterian
church, like most of the other Protestant
christian denominations established by
missionaries, b as achieved such progress
in Japan, and the native membership
has become 30 numerous and influential, as
to justify it in controlling the local organ
izatiou and government of the church, and
this it has proceeded TO do. This step car
ried with It definition of the faith itself.
For some time a certain spirit of energetic
restlessness had been observed to prevail
among the native congregations. evidenced
especi lily in frequent dissent from foreign
teachers on doctrinal points. A tendency
to conciliate rather than Rntagonize this
tendency induced the missionary members
of the synod to assent to the recent modifi-
cation ia the canons OF belief.
coMMTTrEE on REVISION.
With tois view, committee composed Of
judicious and conservative men, believed to
have a controlling influence, was EN-.
powered to report such changes aud modifi-
cations in the articles OF faith as would. in
their Judgment afford maximum latitude
to the progressive school Of the japanese,
with minimum disturbance Of ancient land
marks. The committee recommended the
substitution of the twenty fourth article OF
faith OF the English Presbyterian church
for those of bort and Heidelberg.
then in force. The change failed
to meet the demand of the progressive Japa
nese, and the report was rejected. Thesynod,
which met last November, prepared and
adopted a standard OF faith expressive OF
the strict Japanese christian opinion An
addition was made to the Apostles Creed by
the insertion Of clause, in the following
words, as a preamble to the creed itself
"The Lord Jesus Christ, whom we worship
as God, the only begotten Son Of God, for
us men and for our salvation was made a
man and suffered. He offered up perfect
sacrifice for sin, and all who are one with
him by faith are pardoned and accounted
righteous; and faith in him, work
ing by love, purifies the heart.
"The Holy Ghost, who, with the Father
and Son, 10 worshiped and glorihed, re-
veals Jesus Christ 20 the soul, and without
his grace, q man being dead in sin, cannot
enter the kingdom of God. By him the
prophets and apostles and holy men of old
were inspired, and he, Ia speaking In the
Scriptures OF the Old and New Tsstaments is
the supreme aud infallible Judge in all
things pertaining unto the faith and living.
From these Holy Scriptures the ancient
church of Christ drew its confession, and
we, holding the faith once delivered to the
saints, join in that confession with praise
and Thanksgiving.
Minister Swift says that to these chang es
in the creed the Americas and Enros can
members Of the synod assented, and the
new creed was formulated and prom lgated.
He further says it is a frequent and COM
mon claim made by native christian con
verts that the spirit and meaning of chris
tianity in its broader aud more universal
scope has never been properly compre-
hended among the western nations, and that
the faith needed TO be transported to Japan
for final development and perfection. Con-
sequently he apprehends that this change
will be followed by other and more radical
changes.