Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-02
TO REVISION.
The Allegheny Presbytery Is Per-
fectly Satisfied With
TIE OLD CONFESSION OF FAITH.
Answering Three 0vertures From the
General Assembly.
OPPOSED TO WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

The Allegheny Presbytery yesterday
placed itself on record as being opposed to
the revision of the Confession of Faith. The
meeting was held in the First Presbyterian
Church, Allegheny.
Rev. DR.. Fox, of the North Church,
Allegheny, read paper which he wanted
the Presbytery to accept as its answer to
the General Assembly's overtures re-
garding the revision Of the Confession Of
Faith. Dr. Fo1's paper was declination
to answer the overtures of the Assembly,
The principal reason given was that the
manner in which the overtures were COM
piled and sent down was not constitutional,
and the result of Irregularities After a
long and spirited discussion the Presbytery
adopted the following;
The Answer of the Presbytery.
The Presbytery of Allegheny respectfully
answer the overtures proposing certain al
terations in the Confession Of Faith In the
negative for the following reasons This
Presbytery has already put on record its
sense of the unwisdom of revising the Con-
fession of Faith at the present time, and its
earnest desire that the revision now at
tempted be abandoned.
The manner in which these overt ures
were sent down to the Presbyteries by the
last Assembly seems to us seriously ob1ec-
tionable. 1t is grave question in the minds
Of many whether so direct departure from
the letter of the law as to amend ments to
the Confession of Faith does not vitiate the
action of the Assembly; and the haste with
which this action was taken, precluding full
discussion of the merits of the overtures,
places them before the Presbyteries In
manner which, even If technically justifi-
able, is. in our Judgment, wholly contrary
to the spirit OF the law.
The general character of the alterations
proposed by these overtures does not en-.
would give general satisfaction to the
Church in any greater degree than the pres
ent Confession does They would lose for
US tine historical sintegrity OF this venerable
tween our own and other churches of the
Presbyterian family, without even satisfy
ing the scruples Of those who hold the
Calvinistic system, but dissent from some of
the confessional modes of expression.
Why the Revision Is Opposed.
The doctrinal discussions which have been
produced by the present attempt to revise
the Confession of Faith, while not devoid OF
value in awakening deeper interest in the
study OF doctrine, seem to us clearly to
show that patient perseverance in such
study and in the indoctrination OF the
people is the immediate need of the Church,
rather than a premature attempt at better
ing the confessional modes of statement. The
rightful liberty of criticism of these forms of
statement has been SO often perverted by
some into license to openly assail the doc
trines themselves, that continuance of the
discussion seems likely to give such evils an
sanction. In view of all these
facts we can but reaff1rm our decided con.
victfon that the attempted revision should |
be laid aside and ministers, elders and |
churches be commended to the study of the |
Word and of the Confession of Faith in the |
light of the Word with the guidance of the |
Holy Ghost.
The overture to admit women as deacon
'sses was rejected by vote of % to IS. The
'verture for the establishment of bureaus to
ecure charges for unassigned clergymen
vas answered in the Affirmative.