Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-09-03
Old QUESTION REVIVED.
REV. r.. n. BIGGERS' VIEWS AS TO
THE PROPOSED
CHANGES
IN THE CONFESSION OF FAITH


which Has Been the Standards of
the Presbyterian Church for Hum
dreds Of Years-An Excellent Ser
mon at the Third Presbyterian
Church Yesterday MorninE-Ac-
ton to he Taken by the Presby-
teries This Week.
Rev. R. R. Bigger, pastor Of the Third
Presbyterian Church, who returned
home last week after spending his vaca-
tion in Ohio, delivered an interesting
and argumentative sermon yesterday
morning to a large congregation. He
discussed the question of revision in
the confession of faith, which is of the
greatest importance to the chuHh.
The minister began his sermon by
calling attention to the fact that with
in the next few days 239 Presbyteries,
representing 1880 ministers, 2S.600 eld-
ers and 1.0O7 900 laymen will assemble
to discuss and vote upon the question,
What shall we do with our confession
Of faith
This confession" he said, includes
the system of doctrine and the larger
and shorter Westminster catechisms.
This is really not an old question be-
fore the church, but an old question re-
vived In 1892 twenty-eight changes
were proposed in the confession of faith.
1t required two-thirds of the vote OF
these 239 Presbyteries to adopt the pro-
posed revision. Twenty-six out Of these
twenty-eight changes received the en-
dorsement of nearly two-thirds Of the
Presbyteries.
1.-THE defeat of the revision at that
time was due in great measure to the
unsettled condition of the church, occa-
stoned by the Briggs heresy. The con-
| fession of faith has been the standard
of the Presbyterian Church for two hun
| bred and fifty years. Inc revision
question came up again at the last
meeting of the general assembly at st.
Louis in May. After much discussion
a committee of fifteen, composed of
prominent ministers and laymen, was
appointed to ascertain from the differ
/ emit Presbyteries their desire with ref
erence to this question. 1t may be in
cidentally stated that ex-President Har-
rison was member of this committee.
| There are three parties in the church
with reference to the question. First
those who desire no change at all; Sec
| ond, those who wish for a moderate re-
vision, and thirdly. those who hope for
brand new creed.'
Rev. Mr.. Bigger took occasion to cast
his lot with the second party as men
toned, and he thought that the maxi
| mum of that revision should be the
| changes proposed in 1892. That would
be moderate revision and would be be-
ginning where they had left off before.
There are some unfortunate phrases
| in the confession of faith" he contin-
ued, which have been stumbling
| block to some people, and which should
be eliminated. There are some doc
| trines upon which enough is not said
in the confession. The changes pro-
posed in 1892 would remedy both these
things"
In addition to this Rev. Mr.. Bigger ad-
vocated the formation of a new short
| creed, which should be in perfect har-
mony with the revised confession and
which should be used in the devotional
exercises of church service and for
evangelical purposes and for the re-
ception of new members into the
church. To sum up the minister advo-
Gated, first, that the confession moder-
ately revised, including the catechisms,
GERS of the church should subscribe in
their ordination, and, secondly, that the
new short creed should be used by both
ministers and laymen as above de-
scribed.
The Washington Presbytery, to which
the Wheeling churches belong, will
meet Tuesday evening at Mt. Prospect,
in Pennsylvania, and discuss and act
upon this question. In fact all the
Presbyteries throughout the country
will soon assemble at various places
especially for the same purpose, and
each will send its vote to the commit
tee of fifteen chosen at the last meet
ing of the general assembly, so that it
may be known just how the church
stands in the matter.
Among the ministers of this vicinity
who will attend the session Of Washing
ton Presbytery are Rev. d. A. Cum
| bingham, Rev. R. R. Bigger, Rev. Jo-
| seph Speer, Rev. C. B. Austin and Rev.
Lafferty Greer and Rev. w. E. Allen, OF
| Elm Grove. Each minister will be &C
companied by a lay delegate. Isadore
Fulton will represent the Third Presby-
| terrain Church at the session, and make
| a report of the general assembly, which
| he attended last spring. He has the
| high honor of being the first person to
! represent the Third Church in that