Article May 3, 1900 Issue

Religious Items

Much has been published in the daily newspapers recently regarding the desire of prominent Presbyterians to have the creed of their denomination changed with a view to dropping the clauses relating to "infant damnation," and "predestination," on the ground that they are not generally believed by Presbyterians of this age.

The discussion of this question started with the criticism of the "Confession of Faith," by Rev. Dr. Hillis, an ordained Presbyterian clergyman, who is pastor of Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, a Congregationalist body. He was called to account by the Chicago Presbytery, of which he was a member, and promptly resigned his membership in the Presbytery. Following this incident the Presbytery of Nassau, N. Y., and the Presbytery of Utica, N. Y., are said to have addressed a petition to the General Assembly—the highest legislative body of the denomination in the United States—asking it to "formulate a short and simple creed that would unite and not divide." The presbytery of Boston, Mass., at its meeting on April 18, also passed a resolution instructing its delegates to the General Assembly to request that body "to appoint a committee to undertake the work of restating the confession of faith of the Presbyterian Church in the United States in the language of to-day.

Dr. W. C. Gray, editor of the Interior, a Presbyterian paper of Chicago, is also reported to be an advocate of creed revision. He is quoted on the subject as follows: "Speaking of the subject, Dr. Gray said that the churches in Scotland relieved themselves of objectionable statements in the confession by adopting a supplementary and an explanatory statement, which thus became their working creed. The Presbyterian Church of England set the confession aside and formulated a new, brief code, which is now the doctrinal symbol of the Church."

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Religious Items

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access