The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-22
SMOOTH SAILING.
Report Of Presbyterian Commit
tee on Greed Revision
Is Adopted by Practically a
Unanimous Vote
WITH LITTLE DEBATE.
The Question Now Goes Back to
the Presbyteries.
DR.. MintOn Explained the Ac-
tiOn of the Committee.

New York, May 22-The general as
sembly of the Presbyterian church to-
day adopted the report of the commit
tee on creed revision, making changes
in the Confession of Faith. This action,
which was practically unanimous, was
taken with little or no debate. The
changes proposed will now go to the
various presbyterfes for ratification.
When the report was presented last
Friday a motion for its adoption was
made at once, but the vote was de-
ferred until today. As was to be ex-
pected, the prospect Of an interesting
debate on the creed revision attracted
a crowd which filled the galleries solid
~ and when the doors of the ground
floor were opened, all the seats mot re-
served for commissioners were Oocu-
pied at once.
The Rev. DR.. Henry Van Dyke, the
moderator, before the hour set for con-
slderation, spoke for a moment.
do not believe that my task as
moderator IS to be a difficult one" ne
said, but it is a delicate one. In this
chair where you have put me- want to
say that am not a member of any
organization or any committee. I am
plain Presbyterian and your mod
erator-your servant I want to plead
that this discussion be carried on in the
spirit Of good fellowship. Have nothing
either rushed through or delayed The
The assembly Of 1901 appointed a COM
mittee to do particular thing. What
you have to pass on is not whether that
certain thing should be done but
whether the committee has done It to
your satisfaction"
On motion the privilege of the floor
was extended to the men bers OF the
committee who were not commission
erS
On motion of DR.. D. ]. Wylie, speeches
on the report were limited to ten min
utes, except that of the committee
The Rev. DR.. James D. Mofatt then
moved the adoption of the IL overtures
to be sent to presbyteries.
me Rev DR. Henry c. AIinton, chairman
Of the revision committee. spoke for the
report He would not, he said, argue the
merits OF the whole report, but would
sneak of the especial considerations which
| Influenced the committee They were
guided in the first place by the work OF
of course, always was in favor ST the ex-
plicit orders of last years assembly There
Were Two eiements on the committee. ne
explained Those who preferred to make
all amendments by verbal modifi-
catlon, and those who wished to
make the changes by separate declara-
tory statements. Obviously there had to
be some yielding and it was not all on one
'The misapprehensions as to the confes-
sion.' continued Dr. AIinton. have come
from two causes-first, the unguarded
statements in the confession itself, and
second, unwarranted inferences from the
In the first cases verbal changes would
be the remedy. In the second deciaratory
statements were necessary.
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. II
not true, or if true and we do not wish
Il may believe that the pope is anti
Christ on general principles. I am quite
| willing to declare in the face of the vati-
can 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 committee followed the
! only proper course to pursue by broaden
1 ing the statement" "
DR.. Minton resented the accusation
| brought that the Presbyterian church be-
lieved in infant damnation.
THE critics and enemies of the Presby-
1 terian church have rolled # Under their
/ tongues as a sweet mOrsel that we believed
| in infant damnation. We resent the ac-
/ cusation that this chapter contemplates
any such Interpretation"
DR.. Minton was loudly applauded when
| he closed.
DR.. Moffatt urged the assembly in a brief
address to decide the question quickly by
a vote to adopt.
! The Rev DR.. r. Russell Booth Of this
/ city, who has been known as a strong an
/ ti-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