The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-26
VICTORY FOR THOSE
 WHO FAVOR REVISION
General Assembly Takes Another Step in Direction of Revising
 Confession of Faith.

Philadelphia, May 25.-The Presbyte- rian General Assembly today took an- other step toward revising the Confess sion of Faith by rejecting the minori- ty report, which has been offered as a substitute amendment for the major ity report. The vote was 271 to 23i. The recommendation is as follows:
 We recommend that committee be instructed to prepare a brief sum- mary of the reformed faith. bearing the same relation to the Confession which the shorter catechism bears to the larger catechism. and formed on the general model of the coucensus creed. prepared for the General Assem- hly of 1892, or the articles of faith of the Presbyterian Church of England. both of which documents are appended to the committees report and submit ted to the Assembly. to be referred to the committee appointed"
 With the consent of the Assembly. the motion was changed so that the vote was taken on the question of striking out the recommendation from the majority report instead of aecept- ing the minority report as substitute.
 An effort was made to postpone the vote until Monday, but the comsnjs- sioners were impatient and in1sted on the putting of the question. The Mod orator was unable to deSide by a viva voce vote and. division being called for. rising vote was taken When the result was announced. the Ievls- ionists cheered heartily and called for a vote on the adoption of the majority report. On the advice of the Modera- tor. however. 1t was decided to post pone consideration Of this important matter until Monday.
 The First Amendment.
 After having signally defeated the amendment dismissing the subject of the creed revision from further con- sideration yesterday, the Presbyterian General Assembly today proceeded to discuss the first amendment to the re- vision committees report, offered by xsSfs DAs SosNS1 A1' 1sAVih0ht Sh NoAAA- beriand, Md.
 This amendment substitutes the mi- nority report which agrees with the majority report in all but recommenda- ton B, suggesting the preparation of a summary of the reformed faith. Rev. Dr. William McKibben of Cincinnati, who with E. w. c. Humphrey of Louisville. submitted the minority Te5 port. stated his reasons for disagree ing with the majority on recommends ton B.
 Tn the minority report" he said, i've have a chapter on missions, a chapter on the love of God for men, a chapter on the Holy Spirit; we gave relief in relation to elect infants; re- lief on the matter of oaths; relief re- garding the Pope and the misleading statements concerning good works. Is not this the relief which the Assem- bly, asked when the battle for dis missal was fought? e
 Cannot We get together? We hear many say that we cannot agree on anything and others say we cannot agree on everything. Cannot we make concessions?
 The Committee of 1892.
 Dr. McKibben referred to the Com mittee on Revision of 1892 and said the members of that committee were care full to do nothing that would endanger orthodoxy, unity and liberality of the church.
 Have you considered" queried Dr. McKibben. that the summary state ment must be adopted as a whole by the presbyteries? In other words you must draw thirty-two propositions so that not one will be objectionable to one-third of the prebyteries. You cannot adopt the statement serIatum."
 Dr. McKibben said he thought the minority report would be satisfactory to a larger number of presbyteries than the majority report.
 George B. Stewart. President of Au- burn (N. Y.) Theological Seminary, who is classed as a lea icr of the i!b- eral party of the church, made 3 strong plea for the majority report. He said he signed the report though it does not represent his views He he'd signed it because it was a compromise and was the best he could get. It did not offer the necessary relief. The sen- timent for a new creed. he said. is growing yearly.
 Opposed Both Reports.
 Rev. Dr. Marcus A. Brownson, of this city, opposed both minority and majority reports, because, he said, the and wealth of the church has increased under the old concession as he feared 1t Jouid not were a change made.
 If this Assembly is lugged into the revision movement I will sever my co cornection with the Twentieth Century fund" said Dr. BrownSon.
 This threat elicited reproachfrl cries of "Oh," and "No," from the comln;s- sioners.
 At this point Vice Moderator Pitcairn took the chair. and the floor was giv- en to Moderator Minton. who spoke briefly against recommendation B of the majority report. He said the issue before the church today was more inn portant than the one that has been be- fore the Assembly, during the tWo nre-