The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-08
DIFFER OVER REVISION
Presbyterian Greed Committee May
Not Reach a Decision.
Prof. Henry VIM Dyke. of Princeton.
and John 4. Parsons Withdraw
From the Conference - Unable to
Agree ON How Much Reform the
General Assembly VIII stand.

There is a wide difference of opinion
between the reformers and conservatives
of the Presbyterian Greed Revision Com
mittee. and two of the members Eave
withdrawn from the conference and gene
home. Two more left last night, and in
stead OF arriving at an anlicahle conciu-
sion as to what shall be recommended
to the General Assembly next May, il has
been decided that another meeting of the
Revision Committee will have to be held
in February.
There is talk of Briggs and Reform"
and the only question now to be decided
seems to be how much reform the
General Assembly will stand when it re-
ceires the recommendations of the re-
formers on the Revision Committee.
Rev. Herrick johnson, of Chicago, was
in charge of the field last night. and Prof.
Henry Van Dyke. of Princeton University.
and John E. Parsons, of New York, lead
ers of the conservatives, went home, II
is said, threatening to defeat anything
the reformers proposed TO the General
Assembly Last night the Rev. William
McKibben. of Cincinnati, and the rev
Stephen W. Dana, of Philadelphia, lett the
city.
IN
elders of the church. on the committee,
still remains, and is understood to be IN
favor of reform. though there is the
greatest reticence concerning the attitule
of the various members. Stated CLERK
William H. Roberts, acting as secretary,
declines to tell anything except the rcu-
tine matters of the day as the sessions
proceed. and 1t has been largely due to
this that the disagreement in the com
,,;ftoe has been kent in the dark.
On the sub committee with DR.. john
son are Rev. Samuel ]. Niccolls, of st.
Louis, and Daniel W. Fisher. of Hanover
College They are considering combi-
nation of recommendations made up from
FIVE papers that have been read before the
committee. These papers were submitted
by Rev. Niccolls. Rev. Van Dyke, Rev
Dana, Elder Justice Harlan, and Elder
E. w. C. Humphrey, of Louisville, hy.
1t is said that the recommendations winch
this subcommittee will make to the full
committee today will be practically what
the reformers of the Presbyterian Church
have been contending for since Rev.
Charles A. Briggs started the reform
movement and was forced to leave The
Church. The various propositions that
have been made are either for an attuai
revision of the Presbyterian confession,
the adoption of an explanatory statement
OF the doctrinal difficulties in the con-
fession, or the formulation of brief pop
ular statement of the confessional system
Through the influence of the reform ele-
ment, who favor, if is said, plain dec
laration of faith the propositions OF the
sticklers for the confession have been
knocked out and DR.. Johnsons sub-com-
mittee considered last night how far the
Revision Committee had better go for re-
form in its recommendations to the Gen.
eral Assembly.
He ii is said. stated to some of the
committee that if the members of the Cen
eral Assembly can be properly prepared
before next spring for the reforms pro-
posed it will be possible to explain away
some OF the Objectionable parts of the con-
fession and carry the points Of the reform
ers at that time.
The host of the committee. the Rev.
Wallace Radcliffe. of the New York Ave-
nue. Presbyterian Church. would say moth
ing last night except that the situation
is very dramatic one" He says he
knows nothing of the differences Of the
members of the committee except upon
honor" and is not at liberty to state
what has been going on at the protracted
sessions of the committee. He is not
member of the committee, but Ii has been
meeting at his church, and he has been
allowed to attend.
planned for when the committee started
in last Tuesday night to consider the
Presbyterian confession Of faith and what
should be done to it. AT the Ebbitt House
there have been meetings of sub commit
tees of the opposing factions day after
day. Each day there has been repeated
the announcement thai it would take
another session TO decide the matter.
Prof Van Dyke and Mr.. Parsons have
gone home and left Mr. Johnson. the
spokesman for the Chicago University re-
form ideas, in full control. He was
chairman of subcommittee which
met last night at the Ebbitt House, and
which is considering what shall be rec
commended to the full committee when it
meets this morning at 10 o'clock. There
is every probability that it will not take
the committee long today 10 agree to
what Mr.. Johnson's subcommittee reg
ommends, for several members. 1t is said.
stated that the session would not last
more than an hour. Secretary Roberts
said the public will be informed of the
facts of the case by noon.
THE URDANETA'S DEAD.