Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1901-05-30
REVISION Of THE CREED.
Debate on the Question of Greed Re
vision Continued in the Pres
byterisn Assembly.
THs FIRST AMENDMENT DISCUSSED
Tht. would Substitute the Minority
Report for that of the Majority
hut IL wa. Finally Defeated, Al
ter . spirited Debate. ny . Vote
Of All 90 23a.

Philadelphia. May 25.--After having
signally defeated the amendment dis
missing tho subject OF creed revision
from further consideration, Friday,
the Presbyterian general assembly
preceded TO discuss the first amend
ment 10 the revision committees re-
port. offered by hev. DIR. James Z.
Mofatt, OF Cumberland. Md. The
amendment substitutes the minority
report, which agrees with the MAORI
~ report in all but recommendation
b. suggesting the preparation of =
summary OF the reformed faith.
Rev. Dr. VIM. McKibben, Of Cincin-
natl. who with +. W c. Humphrey. Of
louisville. submitted the minority re-
port. stated his reasons for disagree
ing with the majority on recon-.
mendatiOn b.
in the minority report" he said,
1--WE have chapter on missions, q
chapter on the love OF God for men. a
| chapter on the Holy Spirit; We have
relief in relation OF elect infants, re-
! lief in the matter OF oaths, relief re-
garding the pope and the misleading
statements concerning good works. is
not this :hc relief which the assembly
asked when the battle FOR dismissal
was Fought
Can we not get together? We hear
many say that we can not agree on
anything and others say we can agree
on everything. Can we not make
conccssious?"
DIR. Mckibben referred TO the com
mittee on revision Of 1899. and said
the members OF that committee were
careful 20 do nothing that would en-
danger the orthodoxy, unity and lib
erty Of the church.
George H. Stewart, president OF Au-
burn N. ~ theological seminary, who
is classed as a leader OF the liberal
party Of the church. made strong
plea for the majority report. He said
he signed the report though il does
not represent his views. lie had
signed IL because IL was a compromise
and was the best he could get. IL did
not offer the necessary relief The
sentiment for n new creed, he said. IL
growing yearly. He pointed 10 the
fact that. in 1859, there was not one
syoice lifted for n new creed. A. the
last assembly there was a marked
sentiment for such q proposition.
President Stewart said he wanted
texture revision. He did not want a
dcclaratory statement. but he would
take il II he could get nothing better.
Rev. nr. Marcus A. Brownson, OF
this city. opposed both minority and
majority reports because. he said, the
Membership and wealth OF the church
had increased under the old confes-
sion as he feared IL could not were a
change MADE.
"lf this assembly Is lugged into the
revision movement / will sever my
connection with the Twentieth Cen.
fury fund.-" said Dr.. Brownson. This
threat elected reproachful cries OF
"Oh," and NO" from the commission.
ers.
Rev. c. +. Hubbard, OF Buffalo, I'd
yocated the rejection Of the minority
report on the ground that IL commits
the assembly TO a definite position on
the subject OF a summary statement
while the majority report merely
asks the assembly 20 continue consid.
Grafton OF the subject.
At this point Vice-Moderator Pit
cairn too; the chair and the floor was
given TO Moderator Minton, who
spoke briefly against recommends.
ton Il Of the majority report. lie said
the issue before the church to-day
was more important than the one
that has been before the assembly
during the two preceding days. He
maintained that this assembly had
broken all precedents in having elect !
ed moderator who did not know
the difference between the old and |
the new school of theology EXCEPT |
what he knew from history. lie was
Il child, he said, OF the reunited
church, For himself, he thought the |
movement as outlined i'm reconl- |
mendation B is fraught with the ut
most darGer. The errors in the con. |
iessioh or faith were only incidental |
and he believed the minority offered
the relief. He was afraid of the idea
of compromise. There was n time for |
compromise but he would earnestly
try TO get what he wanted before he
would turn to a proposition To com.
promise.
Rev. DIR. Herrick Johnson of Chi.
cago, member of the committee on
revision, explained the reasons of tho
majority for inserting recommends.
ton IL. ID" carefully analysed the
of faith and showed the
benefits 10 be derived from a short
sreed containing the essentials of the
Westminster doctrine.
The assembly, finally defeated the
accommodation by n vote
If 271 to GA.
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