Evening star., 1901-12-04
Meeting TodAy Of an Important
Presbyterian Church Committee.
PROPOSED EEH STATEMENT OF FAITH
Important Subjects Before a Dis
tinguished Body Of churchmen.
J no
SOCIAL ATTENTIONS

The committee, Of the Presbyterian
Church appointed to report to the general
assembly upon the revision Of the confess
sion OF faith and also to submit new
statement OF the faith met this morning in
the chapel Of, the Church OF the Covenant
This is the third session of the committee
since its creation by the general assembly
last year. and It is hoped, although It Is by
no means certain. that the work assigned
to 1t will be completed before adjournment
Ihe present session may last ten days or
two weeks, though it Is believed the work
may be accomplished In a shorter period.
when the chairman Of the committee.
VINO Is also the moderator of the general
assembly. Rev. Henry c. Merton D. D.,
now OF Philadelphia, and formerly Of San
francisco. called the committee to order
this morning there were present eighteen
OF the twenty-one members.
The absent ones are Rev. Chas. A. Dick
ey, DID,, OF Philadelphia, the moderator Of
the assembly of 1900, and chairman of the
revision committee of that year. then con-
sisting of fifteen members; Rev. 8. ]. Mic
coils, DID,, Of ST. Louis and Rev. Henry
Van Dyke of Princeton. N. J.
These latter are expected to be here to-
morrow, so that the entire membership will
be in attendance.
The other members of the committee are
as follows: Herrick johnson, DID,, Chi
cago; D. W Fisher, DID, Hanover, IND;
Wm: McKibbin, DID,. Cincinnati: George
B. Stewart. DID,, Auburn, NJ Y; s. r.
sprecher, ID, Cincinnati; J. Ross Steven
son, RD, Chicago. p. W Moffatt. ID,
Cedar Rapids. Iowa: Justice John M. Har-
Ian and John W. Foster, Washington D. c.;
Daniel r. Noyes, st. Paul, Mimi; e. w. G.
humphrey: Hlnp Louisville, KY; Dr.. VIM: X.
York city; Elisha A. Fraser, Detroit.
Mich; Chas T. Thompson Minneapolis,
Mimi, and John De Witt, DID,. Princeton,
N. j. ~.
Provision for Comfort.
The committee is comfortably provided
for, through the thought fulness of Rev.
DR.. Hamlin. the pastor of the church. The
main audience room of the chapel is de-
voted to the daily sittings of the commit
tee. ;,
Each member has. a table supplied with
writing materials, and in the center of the
semi-aisle is the desk of the chairman, and
near by Is that of the clerk Of the commit
tee, Rev. w. H Roberts, DID,, who is the
clerk OF the general assembly and is acting
in the same capacity,sfor the committee
The session this morning was devoted In
part to hearing statenents for the subcom-
mittees on sections int which the commit
tee Is divided. One section, with Rev. DR..
Dickey as chairman has to do with the
instruction OF the general assembly, to pre-
pare a plan for the elimination from the
confession Of Objectionable matter.
Another, headed by Rev Dr. Nicolls, has
taking up. the. subject Of preparing state
ments to be inserted in the confession con-
corning the love 1of God, concerning the
Holy Spirit and concerning missions, while
a third sectionssof which Rev. DR.. Herrick
johnson is chairman. was directed to pre-
pare new statement, brief and simple,
for popular usesi -4i.x er
It was found that these committees were
not ready with COMPLETE reports, but the
work that had been accomplished was laid
before the committee and then it was de-
termined that the committee as a whole
would take up each one of these topics and
endeavor to reach conclusion
1t was further determined to begin with
the most difficult Of the duties assigned to
the committee, that Is, the preparation of
a new statement Of faith. The materials
collected by the subcommittee are now be-
fore the entire body and embraces various
statements. some prepared by members of
the committee and others by outsiders.
Six Tentative Forms.
1t is understood that there are no less
than six Of these tentative forms, which
the committee Is now going over with the
purpose of bringing out a statement which
can be submitted to the general assembly,
1t Is stated that there was but little pros
pect of the section having this subject in
charge coming to a conclusion, although it
has been in session here since last Wednes-
day. Whether the entire committee will
have any better success remains to be dem
onstrated. There are. however, those to
be found who express the opinion that val
liable results win come from the confer
ence which has just begun.
The committee Is to hold two sessions
daily One in the morning. the other in
the afternoon. They are to be the re-
cipients of good deal of social attention
Tomorrow evening half of the committee
will be the guests at dinner Of Mr. and
Mrs. John w. Foster. and Friday evening
the remainder Of the committee will dine
at this hospitable house. a large reception
to follow.
Saturday evening the committee will be
given dinner by the Mems Society Of the
Church of the Covenant, while Tuesday the
visitors are to be given reception in Bal
timore by the Presbyterian Union of that
city. Rev. DR.. Wallace Radcliffe will also
entertain the committee at luncheon.
IN CUBA'S INTEREST.
UnnH Cn-Rop. Vf4h