Evening star., 1901-05-25
ARE FOR REVISION
But Delegates to PRESBYTERIAN As
sembly Divided on Details.
MINORITY REPORT DEFEATED
Adjournment Taken to Visit Prince
ton This Afternoon.
TO MEET AGAIN MONDAY

PHILADELPHIA, May 25.-After hav-
ing signa1ly defeated the amendment dis
missing the subject of creed revision from
further consideration yesterday, the Pres
byterian general assembly today proceeded
to discuss the first amendment to the re-
vision committees report offered by Rev.
DR.. Jas. E. Moffatt of Cumberland, Nd. This
amendment substitutes the minority re-
port, which agrees with the majority re-
port in all but recommendation B, sug-
gesting the preparation of a summary of
the reformed faith. The Rev Dr. VIM
McKibben of Cincinnati. who with E. w.
c. Humphrey of Louisville, submitted the
minority report, stated his reasons for
disagreeing with the majority on recon-
mendation B.
I'm the minority report" he said. I'VE
have chapter on missions, chapter on
the love of God for men, chapter on the
Holy Spirit; We have relief in relation to
elect infants, relief in the matter of oaths,
relief regarding the pope and the mislead-
ing statements concerning good works. Is
not this the relief which the assembly
asked when the battle for dismissal was
fought?
Can we not get together? We hear
many say that we cannot agree on any
thing and others say We can agree on
everything. Can we not make conces-
sions?
Work of Committee of 1892.
DR.. McKibben referred to the committee
revision of 1892 and said the members
of that committee were careful to do Moth
ing that would endanger the orthodoxy,
unity and liberty Of the church.
Have you considered" queried DR. Nc
Kbben, that the summary statement
must be adopted whole by the presby-
teries? In other words, you must draw
thirty-two propositions so that not one will
be Objectionable to one-third Of the pres
ment seriatum.'
DR.. McKibben said he thought the mi
nority report would be satisfact to
larger number of presbyteries than the ma
tority report.
George B. Stewart. president Of Auburn
IN. y Theological Seminary, who is class
ed as leader Of the liberal party of the
church, made strong plea for the ma
jcrity report He said he signed the re-
port, though 1t does not represent his
views. He had signed it because ii was
compromise and was the best he could get.
1t did not offer the necessary relief. The
growing yearly. He pointed to the fact
that In 1889 there was not one voice lifted
for a new creed. At the last assembly
there was q market sentiment for such a
proposition. President Stewart said he
wanted texture revision. He did not want
a declaratory statement but he would take
it If he could get nothing better.
DIR. BrOwnson Opposed Both Reports.
Rev. Dr. Marcus A. Brownson of this city
opposed both minority and majority
ports because. he said, the membership
and wealth OF the church had increased
under the old confession as he feared 1t
could not, were change made
''If this assembly is lugged into the re-
vision movement I will sever my connec-
ton with the twentieth century fund" said
DR.. Brownson. This threat ELECTED re-
proachful cries of oh and No from the
commissioners.
Rev. c. F. Hubbard Of Buffalo advo-
Gated the rejection of the minority report
on the ground that it commits the assem-
bly, to definite position on the question of
summary statement while the majority
report merely asks the assembly to con-
tinue consideration of the subject.
At this point Vice Moderator Pitcairn
took the chair and the floor was given to
Moderator Minton, who spoke briefly
against recommendation B Of the majority
report. He said the issue before the church
today 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 prece-
dents in having elected moderator who
did not know the difference between the
old and the new school of theology except
what he knew from history He was a
child, he said, of the reunited church For
himself he thought the movement as out
lined in recommendation B is fraught with
the utmost danger. The errors in the con-
fession of faith were only incidental, and
he believed the minority report offered the
relief He was afraid of the idea of COM
promise. There was time for compromise
but he would earnestly try to get what he
wanted before he would turn to a propo-
sition to compromise.
DR.. johnson Explains.
Rev. DR.. Herrick Johnson of Chicago, a
member Of the committee on revision, ex-
planned the reasons of the majority for in
serting recommendation B. He carefully
analyzed the confession Of faith and
showed the benefits to be derived from a
short creed containing the essentials Of
the Westminster doctrine. He said:
1.-The confession contains statements not
essential to our system Of doctrine The
form Of subscription proves this. We re-
ceive the confession as containing the sys-
tenn of doctrine, not as the doctrine itself
Specific confession statements prove the
same point Take the oath clause
man may believe that or not without af-
fecting his orthodoxy. The confession says
there are two scriptural grounds for di-
vorce. I don't believe it. There is only
one. We know what that Is. Willful de-
sertion is not sufficient ground for d.
vorce. We may believe this and our
standing as orthodox Presbyterians is not
Questioned
DR.. Johnson cited the concensus creed
of 1892 and the confession of the Presby-
tertan Church of England as examples of
brief systems Of doctrine which might be
followed by the assembly.
With summary, DR.. johnson said, the
system would be better understood, would
be invaluable on mission fields. Such
creed, he asserted, would dissipate all
doubt regarding the subscription to the
system Of doctrine.
1t would also relieve the conscience Of
good men now troubled about ordination
vows.
Vote on Minority Report.
DR.. George W. Purvis Of New York fol-
lowed DR.. Johnson, after which a vote on
the minority report was taken. The motion
as originally put was to substitute the mi
nority report for the report of the majority,
but by an agreement OF both sides the mo-
ton was changed SO that the vote would
be on the question of striking out recon-
mendation B. The two reports agreed on
everything but this recommendation. The
motion to strike out the recommendation
was lost by a vote Of 234 to 271.
Joseph Fl. Vance Of Chicago moved the
previous question on the original motion
the adoption of the majority report in its
entirety-but after the moderator said he
hoped the matter would be laid over until
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