New-York tribune., 1902-05-05
CREED REVISION AGAIN.
PRESBYTERLANS TO IA CE THE
ISSUE SQUARELY.
SHALL THE CONFESSION OF FAITH BE
BLY, TO ACT NEXT WEEK.

in this city next week, holding its business ses- /
sons in the Fifth Avenue Church and its chief
popular meetings in Carnegie Hail. with the /
Central Church ready to take overflow meetings |
at any time. President Roosevelt is TO honor /
the assembly by attending the home missionary |
rally in Carnegie Hall. and will make Of the |
chief addresses on that occasion. When the |
EcumenIcal Conference met here two years ago |
the President, then Governor of this State, !
spoke on foreign missions. a subject with which, |
as ne frankly admitted. he not at all IA |
miliar, either from experience or observation +
At the same time he gave brilliant description |
OF mission work as he had seen it on the from
tier. It is safe to infer that an overflow meet
ing Will be necessary the night that he speaks |
home missions, for he will speak from a /
close study of the mission life as he has seen IT.
Scarcely less important will be the foreign |
mission meeting, with John Wanamaker, OF !
Philadelphia, as the presiding officer and DR. |
Arthur ]. Brown, on his way home from /
the Philippines China and India. the chief |
speaker Mr.. wanamaker has become deeply !
interested in mission work at Auahabad and |
other places in India which he has recently Wis |
lted and he will give an account Of the i'm !
pressions made upon him by the mission work
in that empire.
CHANGING WESTMINSTER STANDARD. /
The topic of popular interest which will ap-
peal TO church people throughout Christendom +.
IS the proposed revision of the Confession Of /
Faith which has been before the Church now |
Tor about three years In 1899 the agitation for
changes in the Confession. which had waXed |
warm a, decade before, and had been suddenly /
quenched when the Briggs heresy trial began |
was resumed at st. Louis. Two years ago six !
ty-three presbyteries expressed desire for
revision of the standard, and sixty-eght ia
Cored some form of a supplemental statement
of the doctrines most surely believed among
US" a committee was appointed formulate
the returns. with the result that in Philade-
pLia last May. a revision committee was ap-
pointed to do two things:
First-To prepare a brief statement Of the
Reformed Faith, expressed as far possible
in untechnical terms: and
Second-To prepare amendments in five chap
ters Of the Confession. either by modification
Of the text or by declaratory statement, but so
far as possible by the latter method. so 'as more
clearly to express the mind of the Church. with
additional statements concerning the love of
God TO all men, missions and the Holy Spirit"
Concerning the first recommendation-the
preparation Uf a brief statement, this instruc-
ton was given: The said statement is TO be
prepared with a view to its being employed 10
give information and a better understanding
Of our doctrinal beliefs. and not with view to
its becoming a substitute for or an alternative
Of our Confession Of Faith"
In speaking of the amendment by revision Of
the text or declaratory statement, this limita
ton was placed upon the committee: 1T being
understood that the revision shall in way
impair the integrity Of the system Of doctrine
set forth in Confession and taught in the
Holy Scripture" This limitation was in accord
with the demand Of the presbyteries in asking
for a revision. that change should be made
which should in any way impair the present
doctrinal system of the Presbyterian Church.
at the same time, it was felt that the Confess
sion should be interpreted throughout in har-
mony with the teaching Of Scripture that God
is not willing that any should perish, nor is it
the decree of God but the wckedness Of their
own hearts, which shut some men out from the
salvation freely and lovingly offered in Christ
Jesus TO all sinners"
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
Starting with these instructions, the revision
committee was appointed as follows: The Rev.
Dr.. Henry c. Minton, Of the San Francisco
Theological Seminary. and the moderator Of the
last assembly. as chairman; the Rev. Dr. Will
fam Henry Roberts. the stated clerk Of the Cen
eral Assembly, secretary; the Rev. Drs.
Charles a. Dickey, Philadelphia; John De Witt
and Henry van Dyke, Princeton; Herrick John
son, Chicago; D. W. Fisher. Fort Wayne, Ind;
S. B. Mccormick. Cedar Rapids, Iowa; William
McKibbin, Cincinnati; S. ]. Niccolls. st. Louis;
6. P. Sprecher Cleveland; ]. Ross Stevenson,
New-York, and George B. Stewart. Auburn
y. Z. and John W. Foster and John NJ Harlan,
Washington Elisha r. Fraser. Detroit; F. w.
c. Humphrey, Louisville: Daniel R. Noyes. St.
Paul; John Z. Parsons. New-York. and Charles
T. Thompson Minnea polls.
The committee 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 prepara-
tion for these smaller and larger meetings, so
that il is fair to say that few committees have
ever undertaken so great a task with deeper
realization OF the responsibilities resting upon
them. of the need of unity of agreement if
the object of their appointment to be car
ried out. A divided report this subject might
succeed. but it is not likely that it could. To !
bring about united action has been the aim Of
the leaders IN the movement. Two members
Of the committee live in Princeton, one a sem
mary professor. who opposed revision at the
outset, declaring 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 creed, and who has
been friend of the liberal wing in the Church.
As an evidence of the harmony existing in the
revision committee, it is said by those who
speak by the book that Professor De Witt. from
the seminary and Professor Van Dyke. from
the university, have come 10 see so nearly eye
10 eye that il is difficult to tell which repre-
sents the seminary and which is the university
man.
At the December meeting. held in Washing
ton, 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 state i
oF,,Il,, u