Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-11

meeting, May 21, with John wsnsmsker
as presiding officer and DR.. Arthur J.
Brown, now ii his way home from the
Philippines. China and India, as the chief
speaker. Mr.. wanamaker has become
deeply interested in mission work at ALA
habad and other places in India which he
has recently visited. and he will give an
account OF the impressions made upon him
by the mission workers in that empire.
work of the Revisionists.
The revision committee appointed last
wear has held three stated meetings, each
lasting about ten days; subcommittee have
also been at work between the regular
meetings and numerous conferences have
been held by members Of the committee
in preparation for these smaller and
larger meetings, so that 1t is fair to say
that few committees have ever under
taken a great task with a deeper realiza-
ton Of the responsibilities resting upon 1t
or the need Of unity OF agreement II the
object Of its appointment is to be carried
out. A divided committee on this subject
might succeed. but 1t is not likely. To
bring about a united action has been the
purpose Of the leaders in the movement.
two members of the committee live in
Princeton, one a seminary professor, who
OppOSSu ItNlolUu dJ lut OulStl, utNldI lht
that it was not an auspicious time to
change the creed Of the church; the other
a professor in the university, who was
formerly in favor Of a new creed, and who
has been a friend of the liberal wing in
the church. AS an evidence of the har-
mony existing in the revision movement, It
is said by those who speak by the book
that Prof. Dewitt from the seminary and
Prof. Van Dyke, from the university have
come to see together so closely that 1t Is
difficult to tell which represents the SEMI
nary and which is the university man.
At the December meeting. held in Wash
ington, the brief statement of the doctrines
of the reformed church in untechnical terms
was prepared, containing sixteen articles
and also a declaratory statement relating
to the doctrine of election, the doctrine of
elect infants and the doctrine Of good works.
These tentative statements were taken up
more carefully at the February meeting in
Philadelphia. 1t is understood that the COM
mittee has decided upon "a statement in
reference to the third chapter of the Confess
sion, declaring that the doctrine Of pre-
destination is held in harmony with Gods
love for all mankind, and that no man is
condemned except on the ground OF his sin"
A second declaratory statement denies that
the Presbyterian church teaches that any
dying in infancy are lost, but holds that all
dying in infancy are included in the cleo
ton of grace.
Important as are the changes in the pres
ent confession, whether by declaratory
statement or textual revision, 1t Is believed
! that the brief statement of the reformed
.~octrines marks a still greater departure
from the confession Of the seventeenth cen
fury, and opens a path for a new creed,
While called a working creed and intended
by the appointment of the assembly as SIM
ply a popular statement it is the fear Of
many conservatives that the next step will
be an effort to substitute 1t for the West
minister confession
Growth of the Church.
The steady growth of the Presbyterian
church may be seen by the following table,
giving the number of ministers, churches,
additions on confession Of faith, communi-
cants and the benevolent contributions at
various periods since 1860. The comparative
statement covers the last six years in sue
noaCinn.