Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-05-23
REVISION SHELVED.
The Presbyterians Conclude to
Wait a Year.
ABSTRACT OF PROPOSED CHANGES.

Predestination and Election as Defined
in the New Confession-A MiIder Ex-
preston Used Regarding Rome-The
Future State of Infants and Others
Incapable of an Outward Cali-Papal
Supremacy Declared Usurpation-Dis-
-cussion the Episcopal overtures
for Unity.
DETROIT, May 23-With the usual de-
votional exercises the Presbyterian gen.
eral assembly opened yesterday with a
great array of empty seats, the commits
sioners not coming up very promptly. 1t
was 10 O'clock before there was a full
house. The moderator named the COM
mittees, and then the clerk read list of
The presbyteries that have voted on the
question OF change in the confession, that
being the special order for the day. Nine
ty-one pres byteries voted for change,
seven voted against, and six refused to re-
port. The report of the revision commit
zee was then read by Rev. w. c. Roberts,
who took occasion 10 say that the daily
papers of yesterday had printed an incor-
rect copy. He also sail that the report
was incomplete, as the committee had
thought best TO leave some matters unde.
cided Tor discussion in tue assembly and
fur Their reference and consideration.
The Matter of REORGANIZATION.
The most important changes proposed
are as follows: Section ), which is the por.
tion of the present confession relatiuy..to
Generalization, becomes section 3, aud is
amended to read: "God before the fouu-
dalton of ths world was laid, according
to his eternal and immutable purpose,
and the secret counsel and good pleasure
of His will, hath predestined some of
mankind auto life, and hath particularly
and MECHANICALLY chosen them in Christ
unto everlasting glory, out of His mere
free grace ana love, without any foresight
OF faith, or good works, or perseverance
in either Of them, or any other thing in
the creature, as conditions or causes,
moving him thereunto; and all to the
praise of lis glorious grace"
The Balance of Mankind.
Section remains unchanged and be-
comes section 4. Section was amended
and becomes section ), and is as follows:
THE rest Of mankind God was pleased
according to the unsearchable counsel of
his own will, whereby He extendeth or
wlthholdeth mercy as he pleaseth, not to
elect unto everlasting life, but to ordain
them to dishonor and wrath for their sin,
TO the praise of His glorious justice; yet
so as thereby neither is any limitation
put upon the offer of salvation TO all,
upon 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 of
70 inrla % 81;
offer"
Free VIII and the Papacy.
The chapter on free will is amended by
the addition of those words to the declar-
alton on the insufhciency OF the will OF
man for spiritual goodness: ~Yet Is his
responsibility as a free moral agent not
thereby impaired"
In the pronouncement upon lawful
oaths, ~popish mouastic vows" are de-
scribed simply as ~monastic vows" Sim
liar changes with regard to the term pa
pist' are made in the chapter on marriage
and divorce, and the pope of Rome ceases,
in the revision, 10 be described as anti
Christ. The sacrifice of the mass is also
referred TO as Roman Catholic doc
trine" rather than ~pOpish, but it con-
tinues TO be designated as abominably in
furious
Infants and other Persons.
Clause OF chapter Il is changed to
read as follows: All infants dying in in.
fancy, and all other persons who from
birth to death, are incapable of being out
wardly called by the ministry of the
word, are redeemed by Christ, and regen
Grated by the Spirit, who worketh when,
and where, and how he pleaseth." This
is a radical alteration, differing from the
old confession in the insertion of the
words, "all, "from birth to death" "are
redeemed" and "and are regenerated by
the spirit"
Reputation of PaPal Supremacy.
An entirely new clause is the following:
"Chapter y, section g. There is no
other head Of the church but the Lord
Jesus Christ, aud the claim OF the pope Of
Rome to be the vicar of Christ ana the
head of the church universal is without
warrant in Scripture or in fact: and is a
usuPpation dfshonoring to the Lord Juous
Christ"