Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-18
REVISING THE FAITH.
The Questions Which the Presby-
teries Have Been Considering.
HOW THE MATTER STANDS.
The Two-Thirds Vote Necessary to Make
Changes in the Confession Not Secured
Tho Way the Revision Question Came
Up-The Overtures Sent to the Presbyteries.

| One of the questions that will probably re-
ceive more or less attention at the hands of the
general assembly during its meetings in this
city is that Of the revision of the confession of
faith. 1t is not likely. ho wever, that this will
occupy very much time. As a result Of the
form in which the question arises it can easily
be handled and as easily disposed OF. 1t will
come up in the shape of a statistical report of
the action taken by the different presbyteries
throughout the country during the past year.
The revision question, which has now been
before the public eye for about four years rose
| suddenly and almost without leadership. At
the meeting of the assembly in Saratoga in May,
| 1889, the question of the advisability of re-
wishing the standards OF the Presbyterian faith
/ was first brought forward in a formal manner
At the meeting Of the assembly in Detroit two
| years ago the special committee on revision,
which had been appointed the year previous,
/ presented Its report This was accepted and
was to the effect that it was u report of progress
and that the committee be continued to make
hnal report to the next assembly During the
year meetings OF the committee were held in
this city and in Pittsburg and New York, and
work upon the proposed changes in the docu-
ment was continued with faithful attention. At
the meeting in Portland last year the commit
tee made its final report embodying the changes
which 1t thought ought to be made. In the
course OF the report the committee said that il
| hopes anu prayS tnat the results
| now to be presented will meet the demands of
the church and enable her in the future to do
better work for Christ and the world than she
has vet DONE Although the changes here
| recommended are numerous and important. yet
none of them, If adopted, will, in the judgment
of the committee. impair in any way the in
tegrity of the reformed or Calvinstic system Of
doctrine taught in the confession of faith
THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION.
The Westminster confession was completed
December 4, 1916. Two hundred and forty
seven years have passed since then and the men
who favored revision claimed that in that
| time there has been progress in theology as
/ well as IN all the other great movements OF So
ciety. The Westminster assembly prepared six
| different documents and fortified them all with
| proof texts The form of government, directory
OF worship and directory Of ordination have all
| been discarded, but the confession still stands
A prominent minister has recently said that the
| most important question in the revision move
ment is whether the confession is in accord with
| the scriptures. This was the question that
! parliap,ent asked Of the Westminster divines in
/ 1916, and they sent up the confession. They
went to work on the proofs and laUored upon
them until April of the following year. The
movers for a revision claim that if the West
minister divines had put the Scriptures
first their definitions might have been more
scriptural.
| In an address before the Presbyterian Union
| OF New York, in December, 1889, DIR. Briggs
said I'VE assume that the Westminster system
Is based on the Scriptures and that its essential
and necessary articles are in harmony with the
| Scriptures. But there many unessential
and unnecessary articles that are not III accord
| with the Scriptures. There are other i'm
portant doctrines that are in the Scriptures and
| are not in the confession An advance in the
study of the Bible is the nerve OF the revision
| movement"
In its report to the general assembly last
| year the revision committee recommended that
it transmit to presbyteres for their action the
overtures that embodied the proposed changes
in the confession. The different presbyteries
| during the past year have discussed the matter
and made their reports to the stated clerk. 1t
| Is known that the preponderance Of feeling is
against the changes, and the whole matter as it
stands will probably be dropped with the re-
| ception Of DIR. Roberts report, that shows the
| opinions Of the different presbyteries It may
| all come up, owever, in an altogether new
| form.
| The Overtures.
Following are the overtures:
Overture No. 1.-ShaIl section V Of chapter
| / be so changed as to read as follows:
| V. We may be moved and induced by the
testimony OF the church toa high and reverent
esteem for the Holy Scripture; and the truth
| fulness of the history, the faithful witness Of
prophecy and miracle, the heavenliness of the
matter, the efficacy Of the doctrine. the majesty
of the style, the consent Of all the parts, the
| scope Of the whole (Which is to give all glory
to Cod, the full discovery it makes Of the only
! way Of mans salvation, the many other incom-
| parable excellencies and the entire perfection
| thereof, arguments whereby it doth
abundantly evidence itself to be the work of
| God; yet, notwithstanding, our full persuasion
and assurance of the infallible truth, and Divine
authority thereof, is from the inward work of
Il HAxr SFNtvt haar h.
| word. in our hearts
Overture No. 2-Iu chapter III shall sections
| III and Nv be stricken out. section made Sec
ton III and so changed as to read as follows:
| Ill God. before the foundation OF the world
| was laid according to His eternal and immut-
| able purpose and the secret counsel and good
| pleasure of His will, hath predestinated an in
! Vulnerable multitude of mankind unto life, and
hath particularly and unchangeably chosen
| them in Christ unto, everlasting glory out of
His mere free grace and love, not on account Of
| any foresight of faith good works or perse-
yerance in either of them, or any other thing
| in the creature. as conditions causes moving
Him thereunto, and all to the praise of His
| glorious grace.
And shall section VI be made section "?
Overture No. 3.-Shall section VII of chapter
| III be made section V and be changed as to
read as follows:
V. The rest of mankind God saw fit, accord
| ing to the unsearchable counsel Of His will,
whereby lie eXtendeth or wlthholdeth mercy
he pleaseth, not to elect into everlasting life;
| and them hath He ordained to dishonor and
wrath for their sin, to the praise of His glorious
justice; yet hath He no pleasure in the death OF
the wicked, nor is it His decree, but the wicked
ness of their own hearts. which restraineth and
hindereth them from accepting the free offer
| of His grace made in the Gospel
| And shall section VIII be made section VI?
| Overture No. 4.-Shall section l of chapter
| ~ be SO changed as to read as follows:
| l 1t pleased God the Father Son and Holy
| Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory Of
| His eternal power, wisdom and goodness in
the beginning, to create of nothing all things
visible and invisible. and all verv good: the
heaven and the EARTH and ell that in them is,
being made by Him in six days.
! Overture No. 5.-Shall section " of CHAPTER
| VI be so changed as to read as follows:
! ~. From this original corruption whereby
we are utterly indisposed, disabled and made
| opposite to all that is spiritually good and
| wholly inclined to evil do proceed all actual
| transgressions. Nevertheless. the providence
| of God and the common operations of His
! Spirit restrain men from much that is evil and
lead them to exerise many social and civil vir-
| tues.
Overture No. 6.-Shall section III of chapter
| VII be so changed as to read as follows:
| III. Man, by his fall having made himself in
capable CT life by that covenant the Lord was
pleased to make a second. commonly called the
covenant Of grace, wherein by His Word and