Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-05-25
REVISION IS DESIRED BY
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Continued from Fir. Page.

revision committee did at one Of their
meetings decide to recommend a deelar-
atory act as the best means OF settling
this question, but later agreed not is
include this recommendation in their
report. The Bible is our supreme rule
and standard of faith. 1t seems very
largely to nave been overlooked during
this discussion. The whole Bible is orr
confession, and when you raise the
issue on the confession you must so
back to scripture and compare scrip
ture with scripture. l hope we shall
have a d~eclaratory act. My idea of the
proper d%eclaratory statement would be
this:
Il. We declare the supremacy of the
Holy Scripture as the only source of our
doctrine and the infallible rule of our
faith and conduct.
20. The fact that the system of the
doctrine in the confession is the system
of doctrine taught in Holy Scripture and
that, therefore, as the Scripture cannot
contradict Scripture. there can be no lack
of harmony between the statements which
declare in salvation and the statements
which set forth the responsibility and free
dom of man.
80. That this church has always held
and now holds in the matter of the sal
walton of infants dying in infancy and
other persons incapable of faith, that
they are saved by the electing grace of
that God who is not only a sovereign, but
a father.
- That this church, holding as it
does primarily the Holy Scripture as it's
supreme rule of faith and conduct, has
taught from its establishment the great
truth of tie love of God for the world. of
the obligation OF the church to carry the
I gospel to all men and of the absolute ne
cessity of the presence and power of the
Holy Chest to make effective all Chris
tian work; further, this church has al
ways given evidence of faith by its work.
-. That the terms of subscription to
the confession are not Ipsissisima verba,
but TO the system of doctrine taught in
Holy Scripture
At the Suggestion of DIR. icke
a motion was carried extending the time
for debate a half hour, and brief as-
"NSA H'a ~ ~ 0hlSilitICt new
DR.. j. ]. McCarrell, Penna.; Rev. DR..
Ebenezer Erskine, Penna.; f. T. Roots.
I%ndinna; Charles S. Holt, Illinois; George
Taylor, New Jersey, and Judge John *.
Ewing, Penna.
DIR. Dickey closed the debate with.a con-
vincing argument, and during the course
OF his address his eloquent appeal for a
clearer definition of the clause relating to
eject infants elected a spontaneous burst
OF enthusiasm from the commissioners.
The question of revision is not before
the assembly" said DIR. Dlckey. rs this
general assembly willing to follow the ex-
ample of the last assembly and give 2 lit
tie time to finding ont if a change is re-
CURED in the confession of faith? That is
what we are considering. We must not
dismiss a question which has occupied the
attention of the church for wears. IT Is
an insult to the intelligence of the Presby-
terrain church to say we nave been fright
ened into doing something.
Nobody is trying TO lead the church
into a revolution or blind revision. Has
the changing time all gone with the past
This very confession came out of a heter-
mination and a demand for n change. The
clause prohibiting a mar from marrying
MS dead wife's sister was repudiated. Is
II more important whose sister a man
sheuld marry or that infants should be
saved? l believe that only elect infants
are saved, but | want IL written in the
confession that all infants are elect"
At the conclusion of DR.. Dickey's adj
dress, DR.. DeWill called for an ave and
nay vote, but Moderator Minton ruled that
a rising vote would suffice.
The question was then laid before the
assembly and the amendment dismissing
the subject was lost by an overwhelming
majority The assembly adjourned until
| Tomorrow.