The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-19
THE CREDAL COMMITTEE
REPORT MADE TO ASSEMBLY AT
 PHILADELPHIA.
Discussion of the Report Was Not Begun-The Question Will Prob ably Be Taken Up Next
 Thursday.

Philadelphia, May 1s.-Contrary to expectation, the Presbyterian General Assembly did not discuss the report of the Committee on Revision which was also laid before the Assembly. and it is probable that the question will not come up for consideration until next Thursday. It will at least be delayed until subjects of more personal inter- est are out of the way.
 Today's session was called to order at 9:30 by Moderator Minton, and after the usual devotional exercises. reports of special committees were presented. Appended to the report of the twen- tieth century fund committee were a number of resolutions which the As- sembfy were asked to adopt. They were:
 That the General Assembly calls upon every church in the denomination still burdened with indebtedness and thus hidered from giving its full share to missions and benevolence, to take steps under the inspiration of this movement to remove this indebtedness within the next two years.
 That the General Assembly earnest ly request congregations and individ- ual givers throughout the church to prayerfully consider the enlarged creeds and larger opportunities of the boards of the theological seminaries ot the academic, collegiate and charitable institutions of the church and speedily to provide for those greater needs as the Lord may enable them to do. That the general assembly must earnestly call upon the synods and the presbyteries to continue to prosecute this work during the ensuing year by organized work and cooperation with the general committee.
 That in view of the longer time nec- essary to gather in eull>results of this twentieth century movement the com- mittee be moved for another year to meet the general assembly in 1902"
 The report of the committee upon the revision of the credal statements of the church is as follows:
 The Committee upon the Revision of the Credal Statements of the Church respectively reports to the General As sembly of 1901, that it was appointed by virtue of action taken by the Gen. eral Assembly of 1900, and recorded on Page 99 of their minutes in the follow ing resolutions:
 "First-That a committee of fifteen, eight ministers and seven elders, be now appointed by the Moderator to consider the whole matter of the re- statement of the doctrine most surely believed among us, and~which are sub- stantially embodied in our Confession of Faith.
 "Second-That this committee be en- Joined diligently to pursue their in- auiries, seeking light and knowledge from every available source, and to re- port to the next Assembly what speci- fic, action. if any, should be taken by the church.
 "Third-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 ap- preaching Fall meeting, and through the Assembly's stated clerk, to report said action to the committee, whether suggesting revisional, supplemental, or substitutional changes, or no changes at all" (Minutes 1sSo, p. 100).
 Subsequently the committee provided for this action was appointed by the Hoderator, and as named the members
 Ministers-Herrick Johnson. D. D., Samuel J. Nichols, D. D., Daniel w. Fisher, D. D., William McKibben, D. D., George B. Stewart, D. D.. Stephen W. Dana, D. D.. Samuel P. Sprecher, D. D., Benjamin B. War field, D. D.; Elders-General Benja- min Harrison, Justice John M. Harlan. Daniel R. Moves, E. W. c. Humphrey, William R. Crabbe, John E. Parsons and Elisha A. Frazer. The Moderator. Rev. Charles A. Dickey, D. D., was added to the committee by direct &C., ton of the Assembly, as its chairman; Rev. B. B. Warfield having declined to serve, the Rev. Henry Van Dyke, D. D., was appointed to fill the va cancy.
 In order to carry out the directions of the Assembly, the committee met at Saratoga, N. Y., on August IA, 1900, all the members being present except Rev. s. W. Dana, D. D., (who was out of the country), General Benjamin Harri- son and Justice John M. Harlan, and adopted a communication to the Pres byteries, which the stated clerk of the Assembly. as the secretary of the com- mittee, was directed to transmit to those judicatories. The communica- ton, after stating the appointment and work of the committee, requested the Presbyteries to answer certain inquiries as follows:
 "The committee beg leave to ask the following questions. answers to which will be helpful to a full and clear un- derstanding of the mind of the church. These questions are simply suggestive, putting upon the Presbyteries no res- friction whatever, except that it should be rem entered that the committee is not empowered to consider any sugges- tions that conflict with the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriputures and contained in the confession of Faith:
 "First-Do you desire revision of our Confession of Faith? or
 "Second-Do you desire a supple mental explanatory statement? or
 "Third-Do you desire to supplement our doctrinal standards with briefer statement of the doctrines most surely believed among us.' expressing in simple language the faith of the church in loyalty to the system of doctrine contained in Holy Scripture and held by the Reformed Churches? or
 "Fourth-Do you desire the dismissal of the whole subject, so that OUT Doctrinal standards shall remain as they are, without any change what