The Saint Paul globe., 1900-04-23
CHANGES IN THE GREED
PRESBYTERIAN CLERGY
HERE
REVISION IS NOT VANDALISM
Amendments to the Westminster
Confession Should BE Made Rev
erentIy and In the Light of
the Fullest Faith.


ton Avenue Presbyterian church, deliver
ed a sermon yesterday afternoon upon
Greed Revision He said: "The ques-
ton Of the revision Of our confession Of
faith, or the formation of a new and
br1efer creed, has been suddenly sprung
upon the Presbyterian church. The i'm
mediate occasion for this movement was
the sermon and letter of resignation OF
DR.. Hills, Of Brooklyn. But this incident
is not the cause of the present agitation,
it has only precipitated it. A large por-
ton Of the church has been for many
years dissatisfied with the confession Of
faith as 1t now stands. Some of its state
ments and many of its expressions have
been considered untrue or misleading.
This dissatisfaction eliminated ten years
ago in a general movement for a revis-
ion, which carried with it nearly two
thirds Of our presbyteries. For several
years the matter was considered A large
representative committee of the assem-
bly,, after ascertaining from the presby-
teries what changes were desired, formu-
lated certain amendments which were
duly sent to the presbyteries for ratif-
cation. None of these amendments re-
adoption, and the whole movement fail
ed for the time. The cause of this fail
ure was not lack of revision sentiment,
but it arose first from an inability or the
part of the friends of revision TO agree
upon the precise terms in which revis-
ion should be expressed, and the lengths
to which 1t should be carried. Some
wanted a new creed, and therefore voted
against a revision Of the old creed. 9th
ers thought better statements could be
secured of the proposed changes than pre-
Sented by the committee, and so cast neg
ative votes. Where the full strength Of
the revision sentiment was needed to Sc
cure the tWo-thirds majority, 1t can be
seen that the loss here and there of q
few votes would defeat the whole project.
But the second and chief cause of the
failure of the revision movement ten
years ago was that while the matter was
pending the unfortunate Briggs contro-
versy was thoroughly aired The seati-
ment which inspired the movement Of a
decade ago is neither dead nor changed.
Beneath the inaction of that period the
fire has been smoldering and even spread
ing. spark only was needed to knGIe
it once more into a blaze. That spark
was struck by the sermon and letter Of
DR.. Hills. Whatever criticism may be
made of his statements, or his withdraw
al from the ministry of the Presbyterian
church, we owe him, I believe, a debt Of
gratitude for having awakened however
unintentionally, this renewed interest in
a revision movement. 1t is remarkable
how often in history some small, unde-
signed incident will effect results and
start movements, when, perhaps, no
amount of direct efforts could have sue
ceeded.
"It is doubtful If the eIoquence or argu-
n1ents of a score of the best men in the
church could have aroused so general a
sentiment for creed revision as has been
awakened by the words and actionVof the
Brooklyn pastor who had not the slight@
est suspicion OF what they might lead to.
The movement for a revision or new
creed has arisen almost spontaneously
in many quarters of the church After
the Hills episode the thought arose In
many minds that something should be
done and done at once to relieve the
Presbyterian church, its good name and
its ministry of the incubus now resting
upon it. Presbytery after presbytery has
taken favorable action, and that, too,
with almost unanimous vote. The great
presbytery of Chicago, with its large num-
ber Of conservative men, was a unit.
The presbytery OF BlairsYille, in the old
state of Pennsylvania, was the same, al
though ten years ago this presbytery7
long considered, men slowly made up
their minds, many were undecided until
the last, and voted for revision with
grave doubts as to its wisdom or prac->
ticability.
ga very different condition of affairs
now exists. Favorable opinion seems
reached at once. 1t is decided without
misgivings and almost without debate.
1t seems at the present time as if the
Presbyterian church, regardless of party
lines, was determined to do something to
remove from our standards anything
which might even seen. to be a stumbling
block. There is a Vigor and determine
ton to this movement which augurs sue
cess. So strong and general is the senti-
ment that it is not likely that 1t can be
resisted effectually or sidetracked. The
situation of our church Is this We have
been living in an old ancestral home,
which is loved and reverenced for its his
tory and associations. Here we have been
born and reared. as were our fathers,
and our fathers fathers, for $50 years. It
was a house well built originally; it has
served its purpose in the main well, It
represented the best architecture and con-
struction of Its time, but it Is two and a
half centuries old. There are sound tim
berS in it still. The roof does not leak
and the walls do not bulge or totter, but
there has been much advance during
these 250 years. Styles have changed.
But from our reverence of old things and
old memories we have put up with the
venerable structure, despite its incon-
venience, and some features of it's archi-
lecture which are now positively often
sive. We tried to alter the old house
and make a modern structure of it, but
when plans were presented we could not
agree on the alterations. Some thought
it almost sacrilegious to touch the old
building; a few were satisfied with it as
it stood. Many said making over old
structures is unsatisfactory better build
new one Others held that the proper
time had not come to rebuild or recon-
struct And so we lived on in the old
home, putting up with its inconvenience,
apologizing as best we could for the un-
sightIiness of some OF its details. 1 be-
lieYe therefore that the present move
ment for creed revision should have the
sympathy and support. as well as the
prayers, of every loyal Presbyterian"
CROSS IT'S CENTER.