St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-23
CONFESSION CHANGES
Full Text Of the Proposed Re-
vision as Submitted at
Detroit.
No Very Radical Departures
From the Time-Honored
Instrument.
Remanded Back to the Pres
byterieS for Further Con-
Sideration.
Dr.. Heber Newton Addresses
His Bishop on Charges Of
Disloyalty.

sembly has shelved the revision ques-
ton Tor year, by recommitting it to
the local presbyteries. The expected
debate on revision of the confessional
was no doubt closed for this year by the
adoption of DIR. Hayes motion that the
report of the committee be sent down
to the preSbyteries for criticisms, etc.,
using which the cOmmitJee-continued
at its request till the next assembly
can then make its final report. Presi-
dent Patton, of Princeton, probably rep
resented those who would have urged
important notifications of the report if
there had been any proposition that the
assembly should adopt as its own the
recommendations of the report before
sending it down. He made the princi-
pal address urging that it be sent down
without any adoption or Endorsement.
The following is an abstract of the
changes recommended by the committee
on revision:
Proposed Changes.
In chapter /, "Of Holy Scriptures" section
5,are inserted the words and the truthfulness
of the history, the faithful witness of proph-
ecy and miracle" as among the arguments
lot the inspiration OF Lle scriptures.
Chapter 3. "Of Gods Eternal Decree" has
sections and unchanged and sections 3
and stricken out.
Section 5, which is the portion Of the pres
ent confession relating to foreordination, be-
comes section B. and is amended to read as
follows: God, before the foundation of the
world, was pleased according to His eternal
and lmmutable purpose and the secret coun-
sci and good pleasure of His will to pre-
deStine some of mankind into life. and hath
particularly ana unchangeably chosen them
in Christ unto everlasting glory. out of His
mere free grace and love, without any fore
sight or faith, or good works, or perseverance
IN either OF them, or any other thing in the
creature, as conditions or causes, moving
Him therennto; and all to the praise of His
glorious grace"
Section remains unchanged, and becomes
section 4.
Section was amended, and becomes sec.
ton ), and is as follows: ''5. The rest of
mankind God was pleased, according to
the unsearchable counsel of His own will,
whereby lie extends or withholdS mercy as
He pleaseth, not to elect to 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 linn
1tatlon put upon the offer of salvation to all
upon condition of faith in Christ; nor is re-
stralnt laid upon the offer of salvation to all,
upon condition of faith in Christ; nor is re-
straint laid upon the freedom of any one to
hinder his acceptance of this Offer"
Section is unchanged save in numera-
ton.
CHAPTER q. ''Of Creation receives some
amendments that are merely verbal. The
same may be said on the changes in chapter
6, "Of the Fall of Man, chapter Z, "Of Gods
Covenant With Man, and chapter 8, "Of
Christ the Mediator
A chapter "Of the Holy Spirit is made
chapters.
The chapter on free will, now chapter 10,
is amended by the addition of these words to
the declaration on the insutficiency of the
will of man for spiritual goodness: Yet is
his responsibility as a free moral agent not
thereby impaired"
The chapter -'Of the Universal Offer of the
Gospel is made more complete in terms
The doctrines of justification of saving
faith, of good works, and of religious Wor-
ship receive only verbal changes.
In the pronouncement upon lawful oaths
''poplsh monaStic VOWS are described simply
as ''monastic VOWS" and similar changes
with regard to the term papist are made in
the chapter on marriage and divorce and
the pope of Rome ceases in the revision TO
be described as anti-Christ. The sacrifice of
the mass is also referred to as q Roman
Catholic doctrine rather than "popish,' but
1t continues to be designated as abominaply
injurious.
Clause of chapter 12 is changed to read as
follows "All infants dying in INFANCY and
all other persons who, from birth to death,
are incapable of being outwardly called by
the ministry of the word. are redeemed by
Christ, and regenerated by the Spirit, who
worketh when and where and how He
pleaSeth.'' This is q radical alteration differ
ing from the old confession in the insertion
of the words ''all,'" from birth to death.''
''are redeemed. - land are regenerated by the
Spirit"
An entirely new clause is the following:
Chapter 25, Section 6-There is no other head
of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ, and
the claim of the pope of Rome to be the vicar
of Christ and the head of the church uni
versal, is without warrant in Scripture or in
fact and is a nSIlrDatIOQ dIShOnOriuQ tn the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Back to the PresbyterIes.
After the reading of the report it was
moved that the report be sent down to
the presbyteries as recommended by the
committee. 1t was moved by DR.. Hayes
that the report presented by the COM
| mittee of revision be now accepted as
report of progress, and the stated clerk
| is hereby directed to print the same
under the supervision of the committee
ana send it down to the presbyteries in
accordance with its recommendations
and the committee is continued to make
| final report to the next assembly. DIR.
Joseph L. Smith warmly seconded the
motion. One conservative elder, who
said that fifty years ago he went through
| the old debates between the old and
| new schools, said that the confession Of
| faith was an anvil that had worn out
| euery hammer that had pounded it. The
mischief had always been started by
the ministers. not by the elders. Rev.
| DR.. Patton, of the revision committee,
| supported the resolution. He would
| have preferred, on strictly technical
| grounds, that the report be recommit-
| ted and they be directed to send it down
| to the presbyteries, rather than for the
assembly to itself send 1t down, because
some might misunderstood that action
as implying some degree of indOrse-
ment of the recommendations of the re-
port. He did not wish to speak on the
merits Of the question now for any one
| but himself. The sessions of the COM
mittee were harmonious, although very
| free in urging views more or less an
tagonistic. BY the changes proposed in
the report the
Essence of Calvinism
is wholly preserved. We did not mean
to de-CalviniZe, and we didn't. Every
one who expected anything of that sort
will be 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 the criticisms of the presbyteries,
| also think more at length about some
| mooted points before making a final re-
| port. The motion was unanimously
| adopted, and the great debate was over
for this year, as far as the general
| assembly, is concerned. Rev. Dr.
Johnson Herrick, of McCormicks,
chairman of the committee on