Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-05-30
be made to the majority report.


by the Presbyterian Assembly today,
and, as was the case yesterday, Calvary
Church was unable to contain the
throngs who came to hear the discus.
sion.
After the disposition of few minor
matters, Moderator Minton called for
the untiniahod business of yesterday.
The moderator said he had found the
sentiment OF the assembly In favor of
a full, Tree ard fair presentation Of the
question, but suggested that the com.
missioners endeavor as far as possible
to adhere TO the rule OF brevity, es-
pecially as the great ground had been
staked out by the able speakers of yes
terday.
The Rev. DIR. David S, Kennedy OF
Allegheny, Fa., yielded the floor to
Judge f. W. y. Humphrey Of Louis-
willie who signed the minority reporl
with ID. Mokibben. Judge Humphrey
urged the elimination from the com
mittee's report of the clause rec ,m-
mending brief summary of the re.
formed faith bearing the same relation
to the confession which the Shorter
Catechism bears to the larger cate
chism and formed on, the general model
of the concensus creed. He claimed it
meant practically a new creed and
should not be ooncurred 10, as tie
prssbyteries did not desire new con-
fession.
DR.. Kennedy followed with forcsful
arg ument against revision. The way
to break down the confession nnally,'
he said, lis to go on making holes in
it." I'VE stand united on the comics.
sion" confined DR.. Kennedy. sit ia
constructed from beginning to end to
be used for scientific purposes. 1t is
the constitution OF our church organi-
cation. We are not considering pop
ular creed, hut the fundamental pr In
ciple Of our Organization. TIE confess
sion has been charged with failing TO
truthfully present the belief Of the
confession. We did not sign in ignor-
ance, and | am sure not one Of US
signed it dishonesty. repudiate
the statement that the confession
does not set forth the man side
and personality Of the Holy Spirit
This brought the Rev. Or. Hsrrick
johnson to his feet. u beg your par
don, - he said. "but il you refer to me,
l did not say that"
DIR. Kennedy replied that. while he
might have misunderstood DR.. John
son 8 words, he had received that i'm.
preston.
In conclusion, DR.. Kennedy said:
'Our plea is that now ia not the time
for changes, while tie church is under
fire. We are not living in oonstitu-
tion-making age. After fair, DELHI
crate and free discu ssion, we lind our
selves all divided up. Let US wait until
God, in His providence, brings US to
the time when we can agree on the
questions at issue"
The Rev. DIR. J. e. MofTntt Of Oun-
berland, Md, became eloquent in his
appeal to the assembly for change 10
the confession that would give a more
even balance of truth. 1.-THE confess.
sion," he said, sis man made con-
stitution, but is not tho word OF God,
and We are not discussing the word of
God. If this question is voted down by
this assembly, IL will come to the
front again until we give the church
what 1t demands. l want to see side
~ side two great truths: First, the
oyereignty of God, and above all his
election of men, and second, the free.
dom OF man to choose ! believe that
God has elected all infants to saliva
tion."
philadelphia, Pa, May 70. After
having signally defeated the amendment
dismissing the subject of creed revision
from further consideration, yesterday,
the Presbyterian General Assembly
today proceeded to discuss the first
amendment to the revision oommittee's
report, offered by the Rev. DR.. James
K. Moffatt OF Cumberland, Nd. This
amendment substitutes the minority
report, which agrees with the majority
report in all but recommendation Ii.
suggesting the preparation OF a sum.
mary Of the reformed faith.
The Rev. DR.. William MoKibben of
Cincinnati. who, with E. W. @. Hum.
phrey Of Louisville, submitted the
minority report, stated his reasons for
disagreeing with the majority on
recommendation b. ''In the minority
report" he said, 1--WE have a chapter
on missions, chapter on the love of
God for men, n chapter on the Holy
Spirit; we have relief in relation to
elect infants, relief 10 the matter OF
oaths,. relief regarding the Pope and
the misleading statements concerning
GOOD works. la not this the relief
which the assembly asked when the
pattle Tor dismissal was Fought Can
we not get together! We hear many
say that We cannot agree on anything,
ana Others say We can agree on every
thing. Can we not make concessionsi,,
DIR. Mckibben referred to the commit
tee on revision OF 1899, and said the
| members of that committee were care.
full to do nothing that would endanRer
the orthodoxy, unity and liberty of the
church. Have you considered, ~
queried DR.. MoKibben, 'that the sum
mary statement must be adopted as a
whole by the Presbyteries? In other
words, you must draw 80 propositions
go that not one will be objectionable
to one third OF the rresbyteries. You
cannot adopt the statement seriatin, -
DIR. Mckibben said he thought the
minority report would be satisfactory 10
a larger number of preHbyteries than
the majority report.
George B. Stewart, president of
Auburn IN. X. Theological Seminary.
made strong plea for the majority re-
port.g
The Rev. DR.. Marcus A. Brownsop OF
this city opposed both the minority
and majority reports, because, he snid,
the membership and wealth of the
church had increased under the old
confession as he feared it could not
were change made. ''If this assem-.
bly, is lugged into the revision move
ment, will sever my connection with
the Iewentieth Century Fund.- said
DR.. Brownson. This threat aroused
reproachful lies of ''oh'' and ''no"
from the commissioners
The Rev. q. +. Hubbard of Buffalo
advocated the rejection OF the minority
report, on the ground that it commits
| The nRsnrnhIY To n dafinita ,,nni4ian =.