The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-22
MATTER CAUSES
SPIRITED DEBATE
Argument Is Made for State
ment Which Will Reveal
Teaching Church Without
Necessity for Explanation.
Decision Be Made at
Next Assembly.
Especial to The Times.Dispatc !

more than two hours of the morning
session and one hour OF tho afternoon
In the discussion OF the elect infant
cause" of the Confession ,r Faith the
General Assembly of the southern
presbyterian Church by decided
majority vote adopted the amended re.
port OF the committee on bills and
oTertures, with reference TO the over
lures touching that clause. Tho cIanso
known as the elect infant clause"
as 1t now reads in the Confession of
Faith Is as follows: Elect infants
dying In infancy are rcgenerated and
saved by Christ through the Spirit, who
worketh when and where and how He
p'easeth. SO also are all other elect
persons who are incapable OF being
outwnrdly called by the ministry of
the word"--Chaptcr X, Section 3
Inc recommendation OF the commit
tee as to this clause would make 4.
read, Being elect, infants dying in
infancy are rcgencrated and saved by
Christ through the Spirits" etc.
The amendments to tho recommends
tion Of the report provided for tho in
sertion of the word "ail" between
the words elect" and infants" caus-
ing this section to read as follows:
Being elect, all infants dying in
infancy are regcnerated and saved By
christ through the Spirit who worknth
when and where and how lie plcaseth
So also are all other elect persons who
are incapable OF being outwardlv
called by the ministry of the word"
Report Is Taken Up.
The report of the committee on bills
ana overtures was taken up this
morning under the head of unfinished
business When he had read the re-
commendation OF the report concerning
the elect infant clause, Rev. Il. A.
Webb chairman of the COMMITTEES. an
nounced that this tecomin endation WAS
Intended TO convey the assurance that
infants are saved because they are the
objects OF Gods elective love, because
they arc objects of christs atoning
love. and because they are objects OF
the Spirits regcneating power; that
babies are benehciaries OF the love Of
the Father: OF the atonement of Jesus
and of the regeneration of the Spirit.
The minority report submitted By
Rev. ]. : McElroy did not differ from
the statement now in the Confession
Of Faith. except that 1t contained this
explanatory note:
but this statement Is not Intended
to teach that infants or any others
Incapable of being outwardly moved
are lost"
When the vote was taken on the
minority report 1t was lost, Several
substitutes for the original report were
offered and were lost
Rev. L. NJ. Munroe argued for
statement in this connection which
would reveal the teaching of the church
without necessity for explanation
Rev. S. F. Tenney said that the pres
ent expression in the Conf ssion of
Faith would be a horrible doctrine II
the church believed II. but that the
church does not believe 1T
Rev. ]. j. Chisholm used a black
board Illustration TO show the distlnc-
ton between elect and nonelect adults
and between lect and nonelect in
fants. In this connection he said:
All who are saved were elected TO
be saved. No man can be elect who
was not an elect infant. All infants
who are saved must be elect infants
No elect infant can pass into manhood
and not be saved"
Opposed to Change.
Rev. II. c. Reed said tat lie was
opposed to the proposed change in the
article under consideration. because he
was unwilling to surrender his con-
victions of Presbyterianls He said
further, II wish the Westminster as
sembly had said nothing about elect
infants. 1 don't believe the Word OF
God says anything about it, However.
the fathers did not find anything to
warrant them in saying all infants
are saved. and am opposed to a
change in our creed"
Rev. ]. !. Gray said he was not
ashamed and not afraid of the doctrines
of the PRESBYTERIAN Church. Rev T.
NJ. Woods opposed the proposed change
and said he did not want tho assembly
TO SHOW the white feather in this
matter. and that he believed in the SAL
walton of infants and believed Gods
word warranted it.
DIR. Reed made a suggestion that the
whole matter he referred TO tho com
mittce appointed to write the popular
statement of the doctrine OF the
church.
Rev. j, I. Vance said: This matter
would be a comedy If it were not sucn
a tragedy" He then proposed the in
scrton of the word all" between the
words elect" and "infants" in the
recommendation of the committee in
the majority report. Later this sup-
Gastlon of DIR. Vance was offered bv
Rev. y. IT. Wexford in the form of an
amendment and the report as amended
was adopted.
This report will be sent down to the
nrcsbyteries for advice and consent.
and 1t will require the consent of three
fourths Of the presnyteries for tho
change TO become effective. Tile an
,swer of the presbyteries will be sent
to the assembly Of next year
Another important recommen ton
OF the committee on bills and oyerturcs
was that which says that tho duty OF
the permanent committee OF systematic
benehcence shall be to plan and stimu
late the benevolence of the church. but
hereafter 1t shall not be the prcropn
tive OF the committee to nominate sec
retaries and members of tho executive
(ContInued on Ninth pa1nY -