The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-19

/ desired to accomplish results, and not
/ by carrying out pet ideas Illustrate any
{ possibility of having its report accept
+ ed, is evident from the very careful
/ and conservative amendments which
have been made to the articles Of the
( confession specified in Article c of the
I assembly's resolutions of authority.
/ The first chapter revised is chapter 8,
/ relating 10 the eternal DEGREES Of God.
This chapter contains the famous doc
( trines Of predsstination and fOreordi-
nation-generally understood 10 be the
fundamental concepts Of Calvinism.
The third section of the chapter is the
essential one. 1t reads that by the
decree Of God for the manifestation of
his glory some men and angels are pre-
destined unto everlasting life, and
others fOreordained to everlasting
death"
This chapter is TO be revised, accord
ing to the committees recommenda-
ton, not by any alteration Of the text
I but by what churchmen call a "decla-
ratory statement" This will be in ef-
) feet a footnote OF explanation. The
footnote will not affect the integrity Of
the doctrine of Generalization and cleo
ton. but win set forth that the mercy
+ Of God is extended 70 all men; that the
( presbyterian church does not indOrse
any fatalistic doctrine.
/ The phrase quoted assumes that the
| eternal decree Of election was made
/ before men or angels were created 10
/ be elected-the doctrine of supra-lap-
sarianism. The order Of the DEGREES"
/ has long been a subject Of debate in
/ the church, but the trend Of sentiment
1 Of recent years has been against this
doctrine that the decree Of election was
made before the fall Of man. The de-
claratory statement, therefore. is I'M
derstood 20 make an utterance 70 the
/ effect that the church does not hold to
/ the doctrine Of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
/ The believer is left 70 interpret the
! chapter in any other way that he may
! choose.
Chapter X, section 3. is also to be re-
vised by a simple declaratory state
ment. This is the famous chapter that
contains the section on infant damna-
ton" In the confession the section
under discussion reads: Elect infants.
dying in infancy, are regenerated and
saved by Christ through the spirit.
who worketh when and where and how
he pleaseth. The declarat tory state
ment which has been agreed upon
merely states that the church does not
hold that nOn-elect infants dying in
I infancy are damned
It is believed that so conservative a
revision Of this section will provoke
considerable debate. The very liberal
party has maintained that this entire
section should be amended to state that
'all infants dying in infancy are saved
by Christ through the spirit" Be
tween that liberal utterance and the
merely negative one which has been
chosen there is a chasm which excites
apprehension from many ecclesiastical
quarters.
The committee has decided TO revise
the text Of but three chapters Of the
confession. The first Of these is that
/ of chapter XVI, section Z, relating to
the doctrine of total depravity." The
original section reads: work done by
unregenerated man. although for the
matter of them they may be things
which God commands and Of good use
both to themselves and to others, vet
I because they proceed not from a heart
Z purified by faith, nor are done in a
right manner, according to the word.
I nor to a right end, the glory Of God,
4 they are, therefore, sinful. and cannot
please God or make q man meet to re-
ceive grace Of Cod"
The revision Of this paragraph simply
Omits the sentence beginning. 1T is a
I sin to refuse to take an OATH The
( public courts allow men to give testi-
mony by affirmation, and it is consid-
cred to be more in line with modern
thought not to hold that a refusal to
take an oath is necessarily sinful.
Two entirely new chapters are to be
recommended for addition to the con-
/ fessiOn. One of them treats Of the
/ Holy Spirit and the other is ION the
( gospel" At the time Of the adop-
( ton Of the confession the doctrine
I Of the Holy Spirit as a constant COM
D forter had not been fully developed. It
( is believed that some such doctrine
( should be made a part Of the modern
/ statement of faith.
] The arrangements for the meeting Of
/ the general assembly have been almost
completed by the committee in charge.
/ The session viii be called to order on
( May Is by the retiring moderator. DR..
/ A. B. Dickey, who win preach the an
nual sermon. A new moderator viii
/ then be chosen, and the assembly viii
! organize for business. In the course of
l the day there will be a communion ser
vice.
On Saturday afternoon, May Il, the
| assembly commissioners will visit the
/ New York university, at University
! Heights. On Sunday morning, May is,
all the Presbyterian pulpits in the city
will be occupied by preachers who will
/ address themselves especially to the
work Of the Presbyterian board OF
/ home missions, which is to celebrate its
] centennial anniversary at this time.
/ The formal celebration Of this ami
versary by the general assembly viii
( begin Monday afternoon. May 19 All
[ Of Tuesday viii be given to it, and on
! Tuesday evening there viii be a pOpu-
lar meeting at Carnegie hall, which
! President Roosevelt has promised to
attend and address.
On Thursday night, May p, there viii
be a great reception in honor OF the
visitors at the Waldorf Astoria hotel
J Some 1000 guests viii be provided for.
On the following Saturday afternoon
the commissioners viii go to Princeton
by special train TO visit the university
/ and Presbyterian Theological seminary
at that place. The body will adjourn
[ some day in the following week.
In addition TO the consideration OF
the revision Of the confession Of faith.
the general assembly this year will pay
| considerable attention to the problem
! Of evangelizatiOn. a committee, in
which Rev DR.. J. Wilbur Chapman and
John n. Converse Of Philadelphia are
1 leading spirits. is to submit a report
Another very interesting report viii
be by the committee on buildings. This
committee has been trying to raise the
! mortgage on the Presbyterian building
at Fifth avenue and Twentieth street
in the erecting of which the late Pres
ident Harrison was very much interest
ed. The committee in charge Of the
| twentieth century fund, designed TO
free the churches Of the denomination
Of debt. VIII also make a report in
which there win be very great interest
]