The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1891-05-28
REVISION POSTPONED.
The Presbyterian General Assembly Post
pones For One Year q Revision of the
Confession OF Faith.

The Presbyterian General Assembly Post
pones For One Year Revision of the
Confession OF Faith.
DETROIT, Mich, May 23.-The Pres
byterian assembly met again at 0
o'clock. The stated clerk read the
list of the presbyteries that have
assented to the proposed change in the
methods of amendment of the standard.
Ninety-one voted aye, seven no, six re-
fused TO report and fourteen have not
reported. A committee of three minis
ters and two elders was appointed to
canvass these returns. The stated clerk
read a statement as to the overture on
deaconesses, and a committee was
also appointed to canvass these returns.
The report of the committee on re-
vision of the confession of faith was
read by the chairman, Rev. William c.
Roberts, ID. D., president of the Lake
Forest I'll. university. He said in in
PRODUCTION that the copy from which he
was reading was the only correct one
and that he regretted that some of the
daily papers had by some means got
hold of aud published one of the par
TALLY incorrect copies distributed to
the assembly.
1t was moved by DIR. Hayes that the
report be accepted as a report of pro-
gress and the stated clerk directed to
print the same under the supervision of
the committee and send it to the pres
bytcries in accordance with its recon-
mendation, and the committee be con-
,inued to make final report to the next
assembly. DIR. Joseph L. Smith second
I'D the motion.
One conservative elder who, fifty
years ago, went through the debates
between the old and new school, said
that the confession of faith was an an
vii that had worn out every hammer
that had pounded it. The mischief had
always been started by the ministers,
not by the elders
Rev. DIR. Patton, of the revision COM
mittee, supported the resolution. He
would have preferred on strictly tech
nical grounds that the report be recon-
mitted aud they be directed to send it
down to the esbyteries, rather than
for the assembly to itself send it down,
because some might misunderstood
that action as implying some degree of
Endorsement of the recomme ndations
of the report He did not wish to
speak on the merits of the question
now for any one but himself. The scs-
sions of the committee were harmonious
although very free in urging views
that were more or less antagonistic. II
think" he said, "that in the changes
proposed in the report the essence of
Calvanism is wholly preserved. l did
not mean to de-Calvinize and we did
not Everyone who expected anything
of that sort was disappointed-to his
satisfaction or dissatisfaction as the
case may be. We want the assembly
to continue the committee that it may
get the benefit of criticism of the
presbyteries and also think more at
length about some mooted points be-
fore making final report Some
who might, if it had been
final report have felt con-
strained to make a minority report
have not done so upon some points
We were not unanimous, although har-
monious. We want to see how the
church views the proposed changes and
changes before deciding to stand out
for anything that does not appear in
the report We want the report to be
criticised without any restraint from
misapprehension of unanimity in the
sessions of the committee"
The motion was unanimously adopt
ed and the great debate was over for
this year as far as the general assembly
is concerned.
Rev. DIR. Herrick johnson, of McCor-
mick seminary, chairman of the COM
mittee on unemployed ministers, re-
ported plan to bring unemployed
ministers and vacant churches together.
He advocated scheme to remedy the
universally deplored evils of the exist
ing state of things which would depend
upon Presbyterian action for its prac-
tical working with permanent, paid
corresponding secretary for the whole
church.