Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-22
new CREED APPROVED
Action Of the Presbyterian
General Assembly.
FEW NEGATIVE VOTES
IT WILL NOW GO TO THE PREsBY-
TERIES.
Stirring Scene in the Assembly When
the Vote Was An
nounced.
FEW NEGATIVE VOTES

NEW YORK, May 22-The general as
sembly Of the Presbyterian Church today
| adopted the report of the committee on
creed revision making changes in the con-
fession of faith. This action, which was
practically unanimous, was taken with lit
tie or no debate. The changes proposed will
now go to the various presbyteries for rati-
| fication. When the report was presented
last Friday motion for its adoption was
| made at once, but the vote was deferred
until today. AS was to be expected, the
prospect of an interesting debate on creed
revision attracted a crowd which filled the
galleries solidly, and when the doors of the
ground floor were opened all the seats not
reserved for commissioners were occupied
at once.
The Rev. DR.. Henry Van Dyke, the mod
orator, before the hour set for considera-
ton, spoke for a moment. Il do not believe
that my task as moderator is to be diff
cult one" he said, but it is a delicate one
In this chair, where you have put me,
| want to say that l am not a member of any
organization or any committee. l am
plain Presbyterian and your moderator
your servant. 1 want to plead that this
discussion be carried on in the spirit of
good fellowship. Have nothing either
rushed through or delayed. The matter be-
fore us Is a simple proposition. The assem-
bly, of 1901 appointed a committee to do a
particular thing. What you have to pass
on Is not whether that certain thing should
be done, but whether the committee has
done 1t to your satisfaction"
Outsiders Admitted to Floor.
On motion the privilege of the floor was
extended to the members of the committee
who were not commissioners.
On motion of the Rev. DR.. David G.
Wylie speeches on the report were limited
| n minutes that of the commit
tee chairmen.
The Rev. DIR. James D. Moffatt then
| moved the adoption of the eleven overtures
| to be sent to the presbyteres.
The Rev. DR.. Henry c. Minton, chairman
| of the revision committee, spoke for the
report. He would not, he said, argue the
merits of the whole report, but would speak
| of the especial considerations which infiu-
enced the committee. They were guided, in
| the first place, by the work of the COM
mittee of 1892.
! The presumption. of course, was always
! in favor of the explicit orders of last years
assembly. There were two elements on the
committee, he explained. those who prefer
| red to make all amendments by verbal
| notifications and those who wished to
| make the changes by separate declaratory
statements. Obviously there had to be
| some yielding, and it was not all on one
| side. THE misapprehensions as to the con-
fession," continued Dr. Minton, have come
| from two causes; first, the unguarded state
ments in the confession itself, and, second,
unwarranted differences from the confess
| sion. In the first verbal changes
| would be the remedy. In the second, decla-
ratory statements were necessary
Question About the Pope
DR.. Minton then took up the various
points on which the committee had been
asked to pass. Regarding the pope of
Rome" he said, 1.-The confession distinctly
says the pope is the anti-Christ and the son
of perdition. Now, If that was true and If
| We want to say it-let it stand. If not true,
or if true and we do not wish to say it, take
it out.
Il may belive that the pope is anti-Christ
on general principles. / am quite willing to
declare in the face of the Vatican or the
whole world, for that matter, that the pope
using the crown rights of Jesus Christ is
anti-Christ and the son of perdition. The
committed followed the only proper course
to pursue by broadening the statement"
DR.. Minton resented the accusation brought
that the Presbyterian Church believed in in
| FAINT damnation.
THE critics and enemies Of the Presby-
| terrain Church have rolled 1t under their
tongue as a sweet morSel that we believe
| in infant damnation. We resent the accu-
sation that this chapter contemplates any
such Interpretation"
DR.. MintOn was loudly appIauded when
he closed
The Rev. DIR. Moffatt urged the assem-
bly,. in brief address, to decide the ques-
tion quickly by vote to adopt.
The Rev. DR.. r. Russell Booth of this
city, who has been known as a strong anti
revisionist. asked the assembly to adopt
unanimously, and at once, the report
AS he closed his short remarks there
came loud cries of Question" Question"
from all over the assembly.
The general assembly then adopted the
supplementary statement. There were only
two dissenting votes. This now makes the
adoption of the entire report of the COM
| mittee on revision complete.