Evening star., 1924-05-20
OLD FAITH AFFIRMED
BY PRESBYTERIANS
Modernism Issue Avoided, But
Church Upholds Virgin Birth
and Miracles.
HOLDS BIBLE INFALLIBLE
Ten Articles Declared to Express
Heart of Greed.
by the Associated Press


SAN ANTONIO, Tex, May 2o.-The
Presbyterian Church in the United
States apparently has passed safelv
over its first encounter with the svs-
TEN of biblical Interpretation known
as modernism" its sixty-fourth gen.
craI assembly in session here having
declined to be drawn into a contro-
Ncrsy through an official act.
A simple, straightforward reafirma-
ton or the fundamental faith of the
church as set out In it's confession of
faith is the present entry on the rec
ords OF the assembly. In at least one
more problem must the issue be
faced. however, and that is on the
question of withdrawing support from
the mission school Of Nanking, China,
some teachers in which have been
charged with modernistic leanings
'This issue will arise when the re-
port or the foreign missions commit
lee is preSe ented.
Power Of Courts.
Amendments to the rules of dis
ctpline were adopted to give the
church courts more discretion as to
the manner of inflicting censures and
10 remove antiquities
Another rule of discipline was
made when the assembly added the
suggestion that when judgment is
pronounoed on the offending party the
Judgment in the form OF a sentence
snail be made public. Heretofore,
ms matter has been left to the dis
'cretion of the assembly, but the ad-
dit1on OF this rule will make the pro-
houncement of sentence in public a
regular church procedure. The sug-
seston to strike out certain para
graphs concerning the churchs at
titude as ~accuser' toward the "ac-
cuSed" was defeated because of the
peEef that some provision in certain
language should be made in the
book OF church order for those who
nave seriously offended against the
church. INC
Restoration OF Ministers.
concerning restoration of minister's
the assembly voted that great caution
should be exercised, as often mistakes
are made in restoring power to those
VINO have proven their inability or
undesirability.
1t was the sense of the assembly
that the doctrines of the church are
SO Well established that it is need
less and even dangerous to again
specifically recount them. A report
or the committee on bills and over
lures proposed that the assembly de
clare to the world it's position in re-
GARD to the ten fundamental tenets."
The committee proposed this on an
overture from the Presbytery of
Ouach1ta, Ark, asking for a decIara-
ton on certain fundamental Christian
doctrlneS because of difference of
opinion in the presbyterf The ten
declarations the committee proposed
were the following, agreed by all the
commissioners to state the heart of
Presbyterian doctrine:
State Heart of Faith.
First-We declare our faith in
the scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments as the inspired and iner-
rant word of God, the only infallibIe
rule of faith and practice
"Second-We declare our faith in
the Deity of Christ as the eternal,
only begotten and well beloved Son
of God.
"Third-We declare our faith in
the incarnation of the Son of God,
that Jesus Christ was conceived by
the power of the Holy Ghost in
the womb of the Vergin Mary, born
'Fourth-We declare our faith in
the vicarious sacrifice of Jesus
Christ on the Cross of Calvary in
paying the penalty of our sins, in
satisfying the demands of the broken
law of God and in securing eternal
redemption for us.
Faith In Resurrection.
"Tifth-We declare our faith in
the bodily resurrection of our Lord
life, immortality and glory to light
"Sixth-We declare our faith in the
ascension Of our Lord from Mount
Olivet to the right hand of the throne