The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-19
10 REVISE THE GREED.
Continued From First Page.
minority report on revision were then
presented
COMMITTEES REPORT.


presented.
COMMITTEES REPORT
The committee upon the revision of the
creda1 statements of the church respect
fully reports to the general assembly of
1901, that it was appointed by virtue of
action takeE by the general assembly of
l9OO, anG recorded on page rnety-nine Of
their minutes, in the following resolu-
tons:
L. That a committee of fifteen eight
ministers and seven elders, be Low ap-
pointed by the moderator to consider the
whole matter of the restatemelt of the
doctrine most surely believed among us,
and which are substantially embodied
IN our confession of faith.
= That this committee be enjoined
diligently to pursue their inquiries, seek
ing light and knowledge from every avail
able sou: ee, and to report to the next
assembly what specific action. if any,
should be taken by The church.
y, That to further the work of the
committee the Presbyteries be and are
hereby invited by the assembly to take
action on this subject at their approaching
fall meeting and through the assembly
stated clerk to report said action to the
committee. whether srgge sting revisional,
supplemental or subs tWutioIai changes
or no change ct all"
Subsequently the committee provided
Tor by this action was appointed by the
moderator. and as 1an.ed the members
We're: Ministels-Herric johnson, d. D.:
Sanuel ]. Niccolls, d. D.. Darrell w.
Fisher, D. D.; William McKibben, D. D:
66eorse - stewart, u; y; stephen w.
BenJam1Q B. WarfelG, d. D. Eldais-
General Benjamin Harrison, Justice Jonn
IA. Harlan, Daniel f. Noyes, E. w c.
Parson and Elisha A. FL aser The mod
orator. Rev. Charles A. Dickey, D. ID,
was aoded to the CONN jttee by direct ac-
{5on OF the assen bly,, as it's chairman.
Rev. Dr. B. b. Wa,feIG having declined
10 serve, the Rev. Henry Van Dyke. d
Ii was appointed to fill the vacancy
In order to carry out the directions OF
Ihe assembly. the committee met at
Saratoga Springs. N. Y, on Aug. IA,
1900, all the members being present ex3
o oePt * ReV; as s. I. Dana, D. D. (who was
Harrison and Justice John M Harlan
! ana adopted communication to the
Iresbyter-es, which the stated clerk of
the assembly, as the secretary of the
committee, was directed to transmit to
those judieiaries. The communjca
ton; after stating the appointment and
1 1ork Oh the committee, requested the
freSpyterleS to answer certain inquiries
| as follows
The committee beg leave to ask the
! Ioi1oWlhg questions, answers to which
| VIII pc helpful to q full and clear under
standing of the mind of the church
Ihese questions are simply suggestive
putting upon the Presbyteries no re-
Sb1ilc lion Whatever, except that it should
! uot empowered TO consider any sugges-
| Ilons that conflict with the system of
- oS taught in the holy scriptures
ana contained in the confession of faith:
/: DO you require a revision of orr
confession of faith? or
z. DO you desire supplemental ex-
| planatory statement? or
| %. Do you desire to supplement orr
ooctr1nal standards with a brefer state
| ueht or the doctrines most surely be-
l Ie,pe,, among US. expressing in simple
| loyalty to the system of doctrine con
famed IN holy scripture and held by the
reformed churches? or
=. DO you desire the dismissal of the
! Whole SUBJECT so that our doctrjnaI
! STANDARDS SHAH remain as they are with
oui any change whatever whether re.
VissaI $40 supplemental or substitutions?
! II your preference is for a reyisjOnaI
dctloh, state In what direction and 10
/ what extent you would have revision
! thn ; The revision reported TO
! the assembly in 1892 might here be helm
fui as basis for Judgment.
/ II your preference is for an exnlana-
tory statement, indicate what snecidc
| points points IN the confession the explanations
THE committee considers It as ou.-a
| eviuentt tPat dGe regard to the above.
qIestlohs and suggestions may be OF
| great service in contributing to a better
| knowledge Of the mind of chI1rcb ~
| this Important matter. wa
1he committee also would resnact
t tbn;y request the presbyteries in reporting
a eileh action to state the vote in the ar
luInatlVe and in the negative"
TO the questions contained in +ha fo-.-
S ~, 1eo communication answers were made
Wy 4SV preSpyterleS, prior to Dec / 19o0
which were put in printed form and ST.
united to tho committee at its meetin,
! IN washington, D c. Dec 4 to ~
,,1it. meeting all the members of the com
-lndttSe were present and an examination
was MAD OF the returns from the -nro,,
| pyterles, tentative report was agreed
upon at this meeting, but final action
! was postponed to another time
AT the PlttSDurP rrea+jpo
statement or the action of 2D2 presbv
terles upon the questions subn1 ffed Nv
Inc COMMITTEES was presented, and was
votes of the presbyteries upon the
questions submitted by the committee:
| al; i: For revision of the confession fOues-
| 2. For an exnIaro+or
! (Question . H. eiiienC
! 8 For revision of the confession and
an an explanatory statement questions /
| & Fer a supplemental statment ~ do,
trine Question 81, 81 u uoc-
! %. For revision and a supplemental
statement of doctrine Questions and r.
6. For an explanatory statement and a
ssiippieniental statement Questions 2 and
| Z. For substitute creed IA
Fer an alternative creed,
For some change, g.
tin 1U; Negative vote on all four ques-
L
! y, InGecisive vote. /.
ject, So u 'he "hole sub
u Prtsbyteries in the United SLATE,
! not reporting, 49, S''''NS
IA. Presbyteries in FOREIGN 1.,,5z
reporting It, ei 1ahus not
The votes show that 6S presbvterias fo-
! Eor tsee Items Nos. l. and 5 abova1-
So5 SUI co revision of the Confession of F.aifb
anu oo lresDyterieS favor (see Items No.
i, . ana aboVe) some form of a s1nnio'
surely believed among US --'0'''
AFTER the patient considerati on e,t,,ar 70
oLls important subject, thus recor5ed
| ana ana after protracted, but harmonjo'11
discussion of the subject in ali its heor
! t 1g, and in its possible issues # vas
| uSeeLinliIeu 10 submit to the general = a.
| semDly to convene in PhiladeTnhia NJ
III. 1901, the following findings and rao way
! mendauions, viz: AeCoiii-
4. mat the returns Indicate that tho
! statement IL IT'S credal
2 That the returns indicate that no
cfnange IS desired which would in any wav
/ faith oL
3. These returns indicate that if Is tho
Hind OF the church that the confession
snail pc interpreted throughout in har-
niony with the teaching of Scripture that
! , Goa IS not wiling that any one should
PERISH nor Is the decree of God b1f the
Wlckedness of their own hearts which
SHUTS some men out from the saJvatior
| freely and lovingly offered in Christ Ia
! sus to all sinners 90 &c
a. These returns indicate that a pluraJ
| lty or the presbyteries desire that changes
sRould pc made by some new statement
| or present doctrines