Revision Adopted

Presbyterians Accept Changes in Confessions of Faith.

Los Angeles, Cal., May 23. - The Presbyterian church of the United States in general assembly Thursday finally disposed of the question of revision of creed, which has been before the last three general assemblies and which has agitated Presbyterian circles for the past fifteen years.

The assembly yesterday, by unanimous vote, adopted the revision of the confession of faith, as prepared by the committee appointed by the general assembly in 1901.

Rev. Henry Van Dyke of Princeton, N. J., chairman of the committee on bills and overtures, submitted the report of the committee on revision. Before reading the report Dr. Van Dyke stated that two protests, one from the presbytery of Lehigh and the other from the St. Cloud presbytery, tending to obstruct action on the revision question, had been before the committee, and it was recommended that they be thrown out. The assembly so ordered.

Dr. Van Dyke then proceeded with the report of the revision committee. He read the detailed vote on each one of the eleven overtures, which showed that no one overture had received more than ten negative vote. The overtures were voted upon seriating and adopted. A declaratory statement which precedes the changes in the confession of faith, was read and adopted by the assembly.

By the adoption of eleven overtures important additions, amplifications and amendments are made to the articles of the confession of faith. Of these, one of the most vital is the erection into the church doctrine of the belief that all who dies in infancy are saved.

For section 6, chapted 25 of the confession of faith the following is substituted:

"The Lord Jesus Christ is the only head of the church and the claim of any man to be the vicar of Christ and the head of the church is unscriptural without warrant in fact and is an usurpation dishonoring to the Lord Jesus Christ."

Three additional chapters are added to the confession concerning the "love of God for all men, missions and the holy spirit."

At the conclusion of the reading of the report Dr. Van Dyke said he wished to make it clear to the assembly and especially did he wish to say to the brethren of the press, "that this revision does not mean that the Presbyterian church has changed her base one inch; but it does mean that she has broadened and strengthened her foundations. Her divine sovereignty shall never be interpreted so as to mean fatalism."