Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-02
APPLYING THE CREED.
A Scathing Dissection of the Report
Made on Revision.
HE AHyTCE OF DOCTOR PATTON
To Cling Close TO the Ancient Forms
Earnestly Urged.
CHANGES MADE IN THIS CONFESSION
ESPECIAL =saneRAM 70 TEE prsrXrcH.i

the Westminster Confession of Faith are in
creasing. An explanatory letter from the
chairman of the revision committee, the
Rev. Dr.. William {. Roberts, of Chicago, is
70 appear in the denominstional papers of
New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and San
Francisco tomorrow. DR.. Roberts repre-
sents the majority of the committee, which
stood Is to 8 in favor Of the most important
changes in the confession proposed. These
changes involve the practical abandonment
OF the fatalistio doctrines of Calvsnism that
distinguish the Westminster Confession
the destruction of the human will, the dam
nation of diving infants, the Denomination
90 sin and to its consequences.
This Interpretation Of the symbols, Pres
byterians have long repudiated, and now
great majority of the churches are working
for a complete reconstruction of the Confes-
sion, which shall eradicate the offensive
words and forever silence these criticisms.
A two-thirds majority is necessary to secure
this, and Princeton at the head Of q strong
minority Of Ultra-Calvanists, is striving to
prevent revision. This opposition, which
began IN a speech of DIR. Francis L. Patton,
a member of the committee, at the Detroit
Assembly last Nav, and which has eontin-
ned quietly during the summer, has called
forth an explanation from DR.. Roberts.
CHAIRMAN ROBERTS eEPoRz.
The letter of Chairman Roberts deals
with the provisional report of the commit
tee. This report was accepted by the last
General Assembly, and sent back to the
PIG Preshyteries for amendments and ap-
prevail The committee was continued to
nollate the votes and amendments of the
Prcsbyteri:s and to report finally at the
next Gene al Assembly. Each change pro-
posed must receive the approval of 145
Prcsbyte-ies before ii is effected; and to get
and TO prevent this vote is now the strife
between Princeton and the liberals
The important changes proposed are in
three chapters of the Confession. These
are: Chapter 8, On Gods eternal DEGREES Of
predestinaticn, foreordinaion and preteri-
tion; Chapter 8, on free will and the impu-
cation of guilt upon all mankind because of
Adams SIM Chapter 10, on the effectual
calling Of the elect and the daInnation of all
Others, including dying infants not elect
and he2Ihcn without the means OF knowing
Christ. The great fight is over these chap
tiers. DIR. Roberts urges the adoption of
sweeping changes, completely restating
these doctrines. He refers first to the una
nimity of the committee
He says; ''The unexpected agreement
arrived at in regard to nearly all proposed
amendments is regsrded..bS the entire COM
mittee as less due to hunsG wisdom than
10 the leading of the Holy Spirit
The lines that have long divided the
church into revisionists and anti-revisi IN
lists were not drawn into the committee
There were differences of Judgment as to
the changes, but the objcctors were not al
ways anti-revisionists, and many of the
changes now criticised were supported by
these known as ant1-revisionists.
Says DR.. Roberts: Notwithstanding
these differences, the unanimity was so
great, that all agreed to send to the Assem-
bly, report of progress, reserving any
dissent deemed necessary until the final re-
port year Later"
AIMED AT DIR. PATTON.
This sentence is aimed at DR.. Patton. The
letter gives no names. But it is an open
secret that the course Of DR.. Patton has
greatly offended some of the committed
His speech at Detroit advised the church
to 'tear the report in pieces" when
the agreement was, according to the Chair
man, that the report was to be upheld by
all the committee as a unanimous report
The minority was to hold its peace while
the report was before the Assembly, with
holding objection until the matters came up
for final action next year. This was a con-
cession OF the minority, in return for the
waiviEg by the majority of the right to
make the report final instead of ofprovisional,
and TO force the fight on its adoption upon
the last General Assembly. As the last
General Assembly was pretty well torn up
over Dr. Briggs case, any further disturb
ance was TO be avoided.
There is a difference of opinion in the
committee as to this agreement, and the
friends Of DIR Patton deny that there was
any such action taken The matter was dis
cUssel at the end of the final session of the
committee last February. Dr. Patton left
the meeting 10 catch train half an hour
before its close. In place of a minority re-
pert, every member of the committee was
given the right to a formal protest against
any change proposed by the majority, and
TO have his protest printed in the report |
and go before the Assembly in that way.
No such protest was made by any one, al |
though the secretary sent TO each member |
of the committee copies of the reporE. At !
an informal meeting OF the committee at
Detroit. the matter of the agreement of |
unanimity was again gone over. Efforts |
were made to dissuade DR.. Patton from
making bis speech. The chairman would |
have made this statement to the Assembly |
in reply TO DR.. Patton. but refrained, lest his |
speaking would open general debate. The |
report was accepted and DR.. Patton's speech |
was forgotten, until the fight was opened |
publicly week ago by Princeton. Then |
Chairman Roberts decided to make his |
statement He says:
GREAT LIBERTY ALLOWED
at should be known to the whole church |
that representatives of the revision and the |
anti-revision Presbyteries alike, had the |
widest liberty 10 represent, advocate and |
vote In favor of the views entertained by |
their constituents, and none of them hesi- |
tated 10 do SO.
opportunity was granted not only once,
but a second time, and after an intermission |
sufficiently long TO afford members time for |
full consultation in regard to any or all of |
the points az Issue. 4 large number of the |
proposed changes were carried unanimously /
in the committee; few were passed with |
:wo or three negatives, and nearly all BY at |
least a tWo-thiTd vote"
La another place he says: ''.rhe report |
now before the Presbyteries is the result of |
The joint efforts of the entire % members |
the church on the committee"
The intermission for consultation referred |
TO bv d.. Roberts was for the purpose of |
giving the minority an opportunity of get !
ing ndv;cc on the changes proposed. 1t |
lasted two months, during which time the |
proposed changes were submitted to DIR. |
William 6. T. Shcdd, of New York City, a /
venerable and learned dogmatician of great !
influence IN the church The proposed /
were examined by him and pro-
to be within the Calvanistic lines. /
Thus assured, the minority returned Jo the |
work % the revision.
referring 20 the aided words concerning
the sTidercys Of the divine origin Of the
~ - -, IL.