The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-15

By a vote of 151 to 107 the general con- ference of the M. E. church. South yes terday morning decided upon the appoint ment of commission which is author ized to meet a similar body from other branches of Methodism for the purpose of agreeing upon plans for the revision of the twenty articles of religion and a re-statement of the church's doctrine and faith The analysed vote was Ayes, clerical, SS; lay, 6S. Nays clerical, 56; nays, 5l.
 While on the face of the action it ap- pears to be a radical step. it is not so regarded by those who advocated the passage of the resolution. Its advocates maintain that they would not change a single one of the articles of religion. but that they simply want a re-statement which will enable pastors to apply 1t directly to the conditions existing in this twentieth century.
 The chairman of the special committee which offered the resolution. Is Dean w. F. Tillett of the theological depart ment of Vanderbilt university and his closing address before the conference was a clear outline of what Is contemplated. He said in part
 Dean TilIett's Argument.
 As proof of the inadequacy of the present articles, l wish to submit these four facts:
 '1 They are couched in sixteenth century language and thought.
 "2. They place the emphasis upon the sacraments when the emphasis should be upon spiritual and moral truths.
 8. Not a particle of the distinctly Meth odist doctrine is to be found in the ar ticles; for instance there Is no statement of regeneration nor of Christian perfec- ton or witness of the spirit.
 A. They were made from the stand point of the Calvinistic type of theology which even the followers of Calvin are now abandoning.
 Tn addition to the discrepancies the statement of the atonement Is incom- plete. The articles refer only to the justice of God as evidenced by the atone ment and we believe that the love Of God and the wisdom of God are also shown by the atonement,"
 Interest Was Intense.
 The interest in the subject by the dele gates In attendance was intense and the result of the voting was in doubt until the very end.
 For the first time in the history of the southern church it was decided to take the vote of the clerical and lay delegates separately. The first matter voted upon was the BuBose substitute to the original resolution. The substitute had much the same purpose but provided that the com mission should not meet representatives of other branches of Methodist but that 1t should submit plan to the next general conference of the southern church to be threshed out in that body. The substitute was defeated overwhelmingly
 The amendment to the preamble of the resolution which had been offered by pr. J. J. Tigert was accepted by those who offered the original so that the final vote was on the amended and revised resolu- tion which read as follows:
 Text of Resolution Adopted.
 Your committee to whom was re- ferred the resolution concerning the need at this time of a new statement of Metho- dist faith and doctrine desire to report that they have given the resolution care full consideration and believe that 1t is wise to take such action as is proposed in the resolution. The resolution reads as follows:
 V Bel1eV1ng that the OlHerent DrancneS of worldwide Methodism that are repre- sented in the Ecumenical Methodist con- ference can and should unite in the prepa- ration of such statement of our com mon faith as is needed. and believing that this general conference should take such steps as may be necessary to secure in the early future the cooperation of other representative Methodist churches in the preparation of new statement of our faith. we therefore offer the following resolution:
 Resolved, That the college of bishops De requested to appoint commission of nve members. one of whom shall be a bishop and all of whom shall be members of the next Ecumenical Methodist confer erce, which commission shall invite other branches of Methodism to unite with us in the preparation of such a statement of our faith, and such an expression of our dcctrinal system as is called for in our day: and this commission shall represent our church in the preparation of the same
 We recommend the passage of the res olution herein proposed with the under standing that tine preparation of this new statement of doctrine shall be undertaken by the commission only when such co-op- eration on the part of other representative branches of Methodsm shall have been secured as shall give to the statement pre- pared an ecumenical character and make it an expression of the faith of world vide Alcoholism. This commission shah