New-York tribune., 1902-05-12
THE PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY. |

The hope is expressed by many Presbyterians
that the General Assembly which will begin
| its sessions in this city on Thursday will be
| irenic," and, in fact 1t is predicted that there
| will be little debate over the question Of creed
revision, inasmuch as the changes suggested by
the committee trivial. 1t is not officially
known, however, what the suggestions Of the
committee are and even IL the changes pro-
| posed were only trivial il would not at all
| follow that the Assembly would refrain from
| debating them. To a good Presbyterian no
| change in the creed, however slight can be un-
| important and whatever the committees re-
| port may be. IL is pretty certain that the
brethren Of the Assembly will free their souls
| by discussing it in all it's bearings Another
| controversial bombshell that may explode on
the floor of the Assembly is the question whether
Adam was real person only a myth, which
was raised the other day in the examination of
| some candidates for the ministry 1t Is known
that many oldtime conservatives in the As
sembly are anxious TO break lance for Adam
| holding that q disbelief in Adam overthrows
the whole scheme of salvation by Christ For
did not Paul say: For as in Adam all die, even
so in Christ shall all be made alive? But the
business men Of the Assembly will try hard to
shut off these debates on speculative questions
and have the Assembly devote itself to the more
practical questions that vitally affect the wei
fare and progress of the Church Indeed so
strong Is the desire not to disturb the harmony
Of the Church that If there Is any possible way
Of doing so a compromise on the creed agree
able to both sides will undoubtedly be accepted
after the warhOrses OF debate have delivered
their set speeches.
The Church expansion movement inaugurated
by the last General Assembly is, in the opinion
Of IDrnSl l.ytog-t g-tn
Importance than the present attempt to explain
or modify the Confession. They believe that the
Confession, whatever may be its defects, might
wisely be allowed to stand as it is until the
Church has finally made up its mind about it.
which 1t is apparently not ready to do yet
In the mean while there Is the pressing cues
ton OF bringing the Church and its message
home to the multitudes of people who are now
churchesS. The committee appointed last wear
to consider this matter has held many confer
ences with pastors and Church officers with q
view to formulating some plan for aggressive
evangelistlc work. John III. Converse the chair
man of this committee gave $4,000 for the
prosecution of the work, and he has announced
that he will give a like sum for the coming
year. 1t would be a great pity If the Assembly
were to sidetrack this important matter. and
spend most of its session in an acrimonious
Iheoioslcal ueoate that would convince nobody
For statistics show that the Church is not grow
ing as much as it should. Its machinery and
methods of work probably need to be improved
or at any rate modified, If it is to keen mace
with the growth of the country Undoubtedly.
however, the popular interest in the meeting of
the Assembly centres in the question of creed
revision, and in their forecasts of the session
Presbyterian Journals pay little attention TO
anything else