Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1900-06-01
PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY.
Proceedings of Last Six Days in
St. Louis
IMPORTANT TO WHOLE CHURCH
Revision of the Westminster Confession
of Faith Is One of the Leading Sub
jects Under Consideration-Man Pres
byteries Represented by Leaders.
BY \ SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.
ST. Louis. May 2s.-The following is
a condensed report of the weeks pro-
ceedings of the Presbyterian general
assembly:
The overture came from the presby-
terry OF Westchester in the New York
Synod. and will affect chiefly the pres
bYteries of large cities. where as in
New York. those not in the pastorate
outnumber the pastors. If a majority
of the presbyteries approve the new
plan. pastors stated supplies. secretaries
OF the boards and professors of institu-
tons under the care OF the assembly,
with one ruling elder from each con-
gregation in the presbytery, will COM
pose the active membership The blow
is aimed directly. according to those
who secured the adoption of the over
ture. at ministers who are book agents,
insurance solicitors secretaries of I'M
denOminational societies. and others
engaged in purely secular employment.
but it is felt by some that the plan will
fail of approval. They say that it is
unjust to deprive men who have served
faithfully in the ministry of the right
to vote on questions with which they
may be far more conversant than some
one recently graduated from a theOlog-
ical school; and that it places a stigma
upon those whom many congregations
have set aside simply because the gray
hairs have appeared.
The battle for the revision OF the
Westminster confession of faith began
in the committee on bills and over
lures The opinion prevails among
members of the assembly that the
matter will not be discussed by this
session without definite settlement. In
its report on a revision of the confess
sion of faith the committee on bills
and overtures will have considerable
work. Overtures on the subject from
about forty presbyteries have been
referred to the committee. Two of the
overtures oppose revision. while thir-
ty-eight favor various forms of revi-
sion. DR.. Robert F. Sample of New
York city is chairman of the commit
tee. The other members are Revs.
Francis A. Horton. Herrick Johnson.
Joseph G. Reaser George r. Spalding.
A. A. T. Taylor. Hugh X. Walker Ezra
S. Ely. William D. Thomas. John NJ
WOrrall William Nj. Hindman. and
Elders Abraham r. Perkins Edwin S.
Miller, ID. S. Crason. Lafayette McWil-
liams, ID. Z. English. Oscar +. Boyd. ].
~ ID
Gladson and r. S. Lawrence
Revision or a new creed. alterna-
tive or supplemental. was before the
general assembly to-day 1t was re-
ported that of the total number OF
presbyteries. thirty-seven Overturing
this assembly on the subject. eight
ask for revision as their first prefer
ence; one asks for a declaratory state
ment; nineteen ask for new and
shorter creed and nine ASK for a com
mittee to consider the whole subject
and report to the next assembly.
The Presbyterian church through
its general assembly has given it's YER
dict in regard to ITS confessional
standards. committee of fifteen.
with Rev. Dr. Charles A. Dickey OF
Philadelphia. the moderator of the as
sembly. as it's chairman. has been
ordered TO consider the whole matter
OF a restatement of the doctrines held
by the church. and which are sub
stantially embodied in the Westmin-
ster confession of faith
Thursday the assembly voted to drop
the WarZawaik case and asked for a
constitution amendment against pOlyg-
amy
Moderator Dickey appointed the
special committee on creed revision
which is to consider the various over
lures from the different presbyteries
and report its conclusions to the next
national assembly for action. This
committee consists of the moderator.
the Rev. Charles a. Dickey of Phila-
delphia. and the Revs Herrick John
son. Chicago: Samuel j. NicOlls St
Louis: Daniel Fisher Indiana Will
liam b. McKibbin. Ohio: George b.
Stewart. New York: Stephen W. Dana.
Pennsylvania Samuel p. Sprecker,
Cleveland. O.; Benjamin b. Warfield,
Harrison Indianapolis: Daniel r.
Noyes. Minnesota: E. w. c. Hum
phrey. Kentucky; William X. Crabbe.
Pennsylvania: John f. Parsons. New
York; Elisha Fraser. Michigan and
Judge John NJ Harlan. Baltimore