The morning call., 1891-05-23
CHURCH MATTERS.
Meeting Of the Presbyterian
Assembly at Detroit.
Reports Of The American Baptist Publ
cation Societies.
Large Increase in the Number of Mission
aries LabOring In Home Fields.
Work In the South.
Special to THE MORNING CALI.

DETROIT, May 22-The Presbyterian Gen.
eral Assembly met at o'clock this morning.
After the season OF prayer and conference
the minutes were read and the standing COM
mittees announced. The Stated Clerk read
the list of presbyteries that voted on the
proposed changes in the method of amend
ing the standard. Ninety one voted aye,
no, refused to report, and IA have not re-
ported. The clerk also read statement as
to the overture on deaconesses.
The report of the Committee on the Re-
vision of the Confession of faith WAS read
by tue Chairman, Rev. William G. Roberts,
President of Lake Forest University. He
said in the introduction that the copy from
which he was reading was the only correct
one, and that he regretted some Of the daily
papers had by some means got hold of and
published one Of the partially incorrect
copies. After reading the report it was
moved that it be sent down to the presoy-
terieS, as recommended BY the committee,
and the committee cOntin ued, to make a
final report ID the next assembly.
DIR. Smith warmly seconded the motion,
and Rev. DIR. Patton of the Revision Com
miItee supported the motion. He would
have preferred, on strictly technical grounds,
that the report be recommitted and the
committee be directed to send it down to
the presby terie5 rather than for the assem-
6ly itself to send it down, because some
might understand that action as implying
in some degree the Endorsement OF the rec
concentrations of the report. He said: II
think in the changes proposed in the re-
port the essence of CalviniSm is wholly
preserved. We did not mean to decalvin-
iZe, and we did not. Every one who eX-
pected anything of that sort will be diSap-
pointed. We were not unanimous, although
so harmonious. We want to see how the
church views the proposed changes, and
the proposed methods Of making the
changes, before deciding to stand out for
anything that does not appear in the report.
We want the report criticized without any
reStrsint from mlSapprehensiOn OF unanlm-
ity in the sessions of the committee.
The motion was unanimously adopted
ana the great debate is over for this year as
far as the General Assembly is concerned.
Reports of the Committee on Unemployed
Ministers were made the second order of
the day for tomorrow. That of the Com
mittee OH Seal was made the second order
of The day for this afternoon.
DR.. Francis of Cincinnati recommended
method aud time for dealing with the ques-
ton Of accepting or vetoing the election of
professors in theological seminaries at ses-
sions of the assembly Referred to the
Committee on Theological Seminaries TO re-
port at the earliest convenience.
The report Of the Committee on the Text
of the Constitution of the Church was read.
specifying certain emendations il made in
wording. punctuation, etc.
Judge Hand Of Scranton. Pa, made a re-
port for the committee on the business man
agement of the Board of Publication.
The committee finds that the recommended
tiOnS of the special committee last year
we're good and wise, and states that the
most important of these recommendations
have during the year been adopted by the
Business Committee of the board. The re-
port states the committee thinks the man
agement of the board during the last fifty
years a remarkable success. Its real
estate investments were very profitable
The committee recommends the division of
superintendent into building, publication
ana distribution, instead Of imposing them
all upon one Superintendent; also that the
management of this work be located in a
board which may have upon it men of tech
nical knowledge, rather than an outside
committee. The committee recommended
specific methods Of carrying out the above
views. The reports were accepted and
made the second order for Tuesday after
noon.
CHANGES RECOMMENDED.
Among the changes recommended by the
Committee on Revision are: In Chapter /
Of the scriptures, Section 5, are inserted the
words, "and truthfuness Of history, faith
full witness of prophecy and miracle" as
among the arguments for the inspiration of
scripture. Chapter 3, '0f Gods Eternal
Decree" has sections 8 and stricken out.
Section 3. which is portion of the present
confession relating to foTe0rdinatiOn, be-
comes Section 3, and is amended to
read as follows: God, before the foun-
dation of the world was laid, according
to his eternal and immutable purpose and
secret counsel and good pleasure of his will,
has predeStined some Of mankind unto life,
and hath particularly and unchangeably
chosen them in Christ unto everlasting
glory out of his merciful grace and love
without any foresight of faith, or good
works, or perseverance in either of them,
or any other thing in the creature as con-
ditions or causes, moving him thereuDtO; /;
and all TO the praise OF his glorious grace"
Section 6 remains unchanged and be-
comes Section 4. Section was amended
and becomes Section 8, and is as follows:
8. With the rest of mankind God was
pleased according to the unaearchable cOuu-
sci of his own WILL whereby he extendeth
or withhOldeth mercy as he pleaseth, "not
to elect unto everlasting life, but to ordain
them to dishOnOr aud wrath for their sin, TO
praise of his glorious justice. Yet so as
hereby neither is any limitation put upon
the offer Of salvation to all, JpOn condition
of faith in Christ; nor is restraint laid upon
the offer of salvation to all, upon condition
of faith in Christ; nor is restraint laid upon
the freedom If any one 80 hinder his ac-
ceptance Of this offer.
The chapter on free will-n0w chapter 10
Is amended by the addition o.: three words to
declaration of insutficlency OF will OF man
for spiritual goodness, Yet his response
bility," as a free moral agent Is not thereby
impaired. In pTOnUuucement upon the law
OAthS iSh
scribed simply as " Monastc VOWS" Similar
changes with regard to the term "Papist"
are made in the chapter on marriage and
divorce, and the Pope OF Rome ceases, in re-
vision, 10 be described as anti Christ. Sacri-
fee of mass is also referred to as Roman
Catholic doctrine" rather than "Popish,"
but it continues to be designated as abomin-
ably injurious.
Clause 8 of Chapte: 12 is changed to read
as follows: "All infants dying in Infancy,
and all other persons whe from birth to
death, are incapable of being Outwardly
called by the ministry of the word, are re-
deemed by Christ and regenerated by the
Spirit, who worketh when and where and
how he pleaseth" This is radical altera-
tion. differing from the old confession in the
insertion of the words "all, from birth TO
death, ''are redeemed and are regenerated
by the Spirit" Ar entirely new clause is the
following: Chapter %, Section 6-There is
no other head of the church but the word
Jesus Christ, and the claim of the Pope Of
Rome to be vicar of Christ and the head OF
the church universal is without warrant in
the Scriptures or fact, and is usurpation
dishonoring to the Lord jesus Christ.
Afternoon Session.
At the afternoon session Rev. DR.. Me-
Cook read the report of the Committee on
Church Seal. Considerable dissatisfaction