The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-28
REVISED CONFESSION
Changes Made in Presbyterian Con-
fession Of Faith.
STATEMENT BYCHAs.T. THOMPSON
Outline of the Work Actually Acc
complished md the Parts
Altered.

The committee appointed by the general
asse emily of the Presbyterian church to
revise the confession of faith of the,
church. held its final meeting in Wash
ington this month, G. T. Thompson,
member said to-day:
The duties of the committee were definitely
| stated in the resolution by virtue of which
the committee was created, and were divided
into three parts. The first was to revise the
confession itself in it's statement of the doc
trne of what is known as Generalization"
| in what is commonly called the select infant
clause; in the so-called pope of Rome
| clause; in the chapter relating to good works
OF unregenerate men, and in the clause stat
ing that it is a sin to refuse oath imposed
| by lawful authority; The resolution further
limited the action of the committee by pro-
] viding that its work along this line should
be accomplished, SO far as possible by the
| adoption Of statement declaring the present
belief of the church; with, regard to these
matters, leaving the original text unchanged.
The committee endeayored to holo itself.
| closely to these instructions. This part OF
/ the work was accomplished as follows:
The doctrine of .'foreordination" runs
| through the confession in such way that
no verbal chance was possible without i'm
| pairing the harmony of the entire document
| The text of the select infant clause could
not be changed without; giving some coun-;
tenance to the charge, which the church re-
1 flutes, that the confession now teaches that
/ infants are not saved. In these two par
4 ticulars 1T was clearly apparent that not only
l was 1T possible to remove the difficulties.
4 by "a declaratory statement, but that that
| method was by far the best for removing
! them. The statement. adopted declares it to
be the belief of the church, that all men are
! free to choose good sor evil, that salvation
~,
I and that no man is condemned except on the
ground of his own, sin 1t declares also that
all dying in infancy are included In Gods
| election of grace and are regenerated and
+. saved by Christ through the spirit.
Changes in the Text.
| The majority of the committee were of the
opinion that the other changes could be best
made by a change in the text. The clause
relating to oaths is stricken out entirely. The
1 pope of Rome" clause is stricken out, and
! in its place is inserted a short statement OF
the reformed faith, to the effect that we be-
/ leve there is no head Of the church but
/ Christ, and that he has no vicar on earth. The
good works" clause is changed so as to
assert that there rests an obligation upon ali
men to live moral, useful lives but that good
works are not sufficient to secure salvation.
i New Chapters Added.
! The second part Of the committees work
was the preparation Of new chapters for the
| confession setting forth the belief of the
church to-day as to the person and work OF
tbs. holy spirit, and as to the gospel and mis-
sions. This was accomplished; by the unan-.
4 imous adoption Of two new chapters, one en-
! titled "Of the Holy Spirit and the other
entitled, "of the Gospel and Missions. = In
3 these are set forth briefly but clearly our
4 belief in the personality of the holy spirit as
Il a n + he yy0r hac
on. the purpose and efficacy Of the gospel ana
the duty of the church to preach the gospel
4 to all mankind. 81 = ffs@
The third part.of1the committees work was
| the preparation of brief statement of the
reformed faith" il pntechnicals Language for
the purpose Of giving Information regarding
the doctrines .ofy theI church, but not with a
| view to it's teaching atsubstitute for or SUP
| Elementary to the confession, of faith. ~
| The preparations of this statement occupied
| by far the largest part Of he time of the
committee. The paper, as finally. adopted,
/ contains sixteen aEticles none of them OF
| great length. The essential doctrines are
I briefly but clearly stated, The statment be
+ gins with God. who is the, supreme creator
and ruler Of the universe the all-powerful
/ and all-wise, and yet the loving father. 1t
i teaches the history sof man.. his creation and
i fall through SIM the atonement provided by
God through Christ for his salvation and
restoration to the favor. of God; the free offer
! Of this salvation made to every man by God
and the work of the holy spirit in urging
upon him the acceptance of this salvation;
the absolute freedom of man to accept or re-
! ject the salvation so urged upon him, and
I the certain reward Of his acceptance of it and
j the penalty Of its rejection. IT describes the
work Of the holy spirit in the world, the
establishment Of the church and its final
triumph.
Is the Church Narrow:
! The committee decided not to make public
its entire work before it was presented to
the general assembly. | feel at liberty, how
ever, to quote the following, taken from the
article on 'The Church, an answer to
the. charge often made that the Presby-
terrain church is narrow:
we. receive to our communion all who
confess and obey Christ as their divine
Lord and Savior, and we hold fellowship
I with all believers'sin Him.
The work of the committee is not consid-
cred by any member to be above criticism
The members already notice some zinfelicitiee
of style and expression that might be changed
to advantage were it possible to hold an
other meeting. The work done by us will
be submitted to the general assembly at it's
meeting at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian
| church in New York in May, with the con-
sciQusness of our having endeavored in good
faith to do all that we, were authorized to
dc: and nothing more. What the assembly will
do with report time alone will tell.
Belief Concerning Adam.
Mr. Thompsons attention was called to
recent editorial in the New York Inde-
pendent to the effect that only old-time
4 ministers believed that Adam was other
T than an ellegcrical, person, and that in the
rtmaking of new creeds (referring especial
lily to that Of the Presbyterian church)
some stand SHOULD be taken on the matter.
& 1t is averred by the Independent that
none Of the theological students. turned
out of Presby terrain or Congregational
seminaries since the doctrine of evolution
has been found incontrovertible believe
\ a. no This. r