The one hundred and third General Assembly

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^ PRINCETON, N. J. ^

Presented b^^ro^ 7S~S . VM!<:AA\<2^Va ,"X).T

Seclion PS ' '

THE PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 495

THE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

The very notable One Hundred and Second General Assembly of
the Presbyterian Church, has been followed by an equally notable
One Hundred and Third General Assembly-. At the outset, Dr.
William Henry Green was chosen Moderator l»y a unanimous rising
vote. And perhaps nothing was more notable about this Assembly
than that it thus obtained the honor which more than one of its pre-
decessors has craved, of honoring with the gift of its highest oftice a
scholar whose single-hearted devotion to truth is evidenced not more
by the greatness of his attainments than by his rare modesty. The
enthusiastic choice of the greatest Hebraist and Old Testament critic
of the Church to the Moderator's chair, was an indication of the deep
and unfeigned love for sacred learning which pervades the Church and
which ruled in this Assembly ; while the spontaneous unanimity
with which the olHce was tendered to one whose reluctance was over-
come only by the heartiness of the proffer, was a striking indication
of the value which the Church places upon the modesty of true
scholarship. Another thing which rendered this Assembly notable
was that the great Disposer of events chose it as the stage from which
to call one of His saints to heaven. There was no one in the Church
whom it more delighted to honor than the Hon. Samuel M. Breckin-
ridge, as there was no one who repaid the honor conferred upon him
with more loj'al service. And having faithfully served her through
more than three-score years, it was not unfitting that the summons to
an even higher service should have come to him, not before, not in
the midst of, but only after he had completed for her a service of un-
usual delicacj'^ with unusual tact, kindness and faithfulness. As he
died with the words on his lips, " I feel that I have discharged my
duty faithfully, and I ask you to excuse me from further service " —
the scene, the words, the example could not fail to bear their fruit.
Shortly before, the almost equally sudden death of another servant
of Christ whom Presbyterians have loved and honored — Dr. Henry
J. Van Dyke, of Brooklyn — was announced to the house. In the
solemnity begot by such circumstances, with the veil rent between
earth and heaven, and as " seeing the invisil)le," the court took up the
great problems that came before it.

Among these problems, issued in this spirit, the one which occu|)ied
the attention and tried the heart of the Assembly longest and most
intensely, was the disposition to be made of the appointment of Prof.
Charles A. Briggs, D.D., to the recently estal)lished chair of liilijical
Theology in Union Seminary. This disposition was not made in a
spirit of irritation towanls Dr. Briggs; but in that same spirit of
patient forbearance with which the Church has for so long borne with
what it deems his unfortunate manner. Still less was it made in a
spirit of indifference to the interests of Union Seminary; but rather
with the deepest concern and the most careful consideration for

496 TEE PRESBYTERIAN AND REFORMED REVIEW.

the interests of that great school whose past is a portion of the cher-
ished heritage of the whole Church, in whose present greatness she
rejoices, and for whose future, as part of her own life, she wishes
nothing but growth and prosperity and good. Still less was it made
in a spirit of opposition to the science of Biblical Criticism ; but
rather in the name of sound Biblical learning, which the Assembly
was at that moment honoring in the person of its greatest American
representative by placing him in the Moderator's chair. It was made
calmly and dispassionatel}', and under the pressure only of a high
and instructed sense of duty. The Committee to whom was entrusted
the presentation of the matter to the Assembly was conspicuous no
less for its judicial spirit and its fine restraint than for its abilit}'. Its
report to the Assembly was as remarkable for its generous fairness as
for its faithfulness. The ear of the Assembly was given with equal
readiness to the presentation of every phase of opinion, and its
patience knew no bounds, so that every one was heard at length who
had a suggestion to make or a plea to offer. The resolutions which
were adopted after this extended debate are a model of extreme kind-
ness and delicacy in the performance of a diflScult duty.

1. Resolved, That, in the exercise of its right to veto the appointment of pro-
fessors in the Union Theological Seminary, the General Assembly hereby dis-
approves of the appointment of the Rev. Charles A. Briggs, D.D., to the Edward
Robinson Professorship of Biblical Theology in that seminary, by transfer from
another chair in the same seminary.

3. Resolved, That a Committee, consisting of eight ministers and seven ruling
elders, be appointed by this Assembly to confer with the Directors of the Union
Theological Seminary in regard to the relations of the said seminary to the Gen-
eral Assembly, and to report to the next General Assembly.

By their adoption by the decisive vote of 448 to 60, the formal disap-
proval of the whole Church, assembled in its lawful representatives,
was pronounced upon Dr. Briggs's appointment.

Among the other matters of importance disposed of, a very high
place must be accorded to the report of the adoption by the Presb}'-
teries, by an almost unanimous vote (190 Presbyteries), of the new
chapter prepared by the last Assembly for the Form of Government,
defining methods for effecting amendments in the several Standards
of the Church. This chapter now becomes part of the Constitution
and practically settles many long-standing disputes and gives certitude
to future procedure. This is a great gain.

The most important matter sent down to the Presbyteries by this
Assembly was the transmisson to them, for their criticism and sugges-
tions, of the report of the Committee on the Revision of the Confes-
sion of Faith, appointed by the last Assembly. The Assembly only
carried out the desire of the Committee in accepting their report as
a report of progress and ordering it printed and sent down to the
Presbyteries for their " consideration, criticism and amendment." It
is unfortunate that so short a time is allowed for this consideration ;

TUE PRE SB YTERIAN GENERAL A SSEMBL Y. 497

the intervening sunimcr vacation and the heavy hibor of the opening
autumn will leave scant time and opportunity for the careful study
which so important a document demands for its amendment, before
the 1st of December, when the answers of the Presbyteries must be
forwarded to the Secretary of the Kevision Committee. That the
shortness of time allowed may not measurably defeat the end sought
in submitting the report to the examination of the l*resbyteries, the
greatest diligence in the business will be requisite. That there is
room for criticism of the report follows from the very nature of the
case; and is given more importance by the fact that the Committee
was not itself unanimous in all its recommendations. The Chairman
in his report dutifull}' informs the Church, " that as to some of the
most important changes, such as those in the third and tenth chapters,
there were decided differences of judgment in the Committee, some
members being opposed to the changes therein recommended and
voting against them." In the presence of this fact, faithful criticisms
by the Presbj-teries become not only a privilege but a duty ; and we
trust the Committee will be led by them to give us next year an even
more excellent piece of work than it has presented to us now.
For the report that is now presented, is an excellent piece of work.
The Committee has obviously expended much time and earnest study
upon the grave task entrusted to it ; and the results of its labor
will increase the confidence which the Church reposes in its ability,
skill and soundness. Not that all these results are acceptable. In the
course of his most interesting speech on the report, Dr. Patton classi-
fied the varying attitudes which he was constrained to take towards
its several portions. He said :

With regard to some of the changes proposed by the Committee I say, speak-
ing simply for myself, that I assent to tliem con amore, and believe, seeing
revision is demanded Ity the Church, that the changes we propose are the
changes that ought to be made. I say that with respect to some. And then
with respect to some other changes I say that I do not regard them as called for,
as needed by the theological exigency of our day ; but at the same time, they
are not so objectionable as to call forth, from me at least, any comment, or criti-
cism, or objection, and although they are not what I would have proposed, they
are not what I object to. And then with respect to another class of changes,
there are those which ought to be made, but which ought not to be made in the

way that this Committee proposes to make them And then I believe with

regard to still another class of changes, that the proposed changes are not needed,

and that change of any kind is unnecessary "We believe a great deal will

stand, and I, for one, hope that some of it will not stand.

This passage expresses fairly our own position with regard to the
proposed amendments to the Confession. Speaking simply for our-
selves, we find some things among them which we think improve-
ments, others concerning which we are indifferent, others to which we
mildly and still others to which we strongly object.

For one thing we hoi)e, for example, that the proposed rutlical
revision of the third chapter will not stand. We gladly recognize
32

498 2 HE PRE SB TTERIAN AND REFORMED RE VIE W.

that the proposed revision leaves that chapter Calvinistic. But it
proceeds on the principle of lowering and lessening the expression of
one of the essentially involved doctrines of Calvinism until it is all
but expunged. Now we are Calvinists con amove. We believe every
doctrine that enters as a constituent part into the Calvinistic sj-stem,
to be the truth of God. We are not ashamed of sa\j one of them.
And we very strenuousl}^ object to reducing the expression of one of
them to its lowest terms, and then hiding it away in a corner, as if we
blushed to own what the God who has so loved us as to give His Son
for us, has revealed to us as to His dealing with the children of men.
If the very stringent dealing of the proposed revision Avith the Con-
fessional statement of the doctrine of sovereign pretention, does not
in ^ny way encroach upon " the integrity' of the Reformed or Calvin-
istic system of doctrine taught in the Confession of Faith," it cer-
tainly advances somewhat in the direction of so doing. There is a
passage in the report of the Chairman of the Committee, to the
curiously guarded wording of which the careful attention of the Pres-
byteries should be called in this connection :

It will be seen that Chapter iii, which has been regarded by many as the pivot
around which revision revolves, has been altered more than any other portion of
the Confession. It has not, however, been completely rewritten, as some Pres-
byteries have asked, but so recast that the expressions most objected to have
entirely disappeared. It was thought that further alterations in the same direc-
tion would, in the opinion of some, impair the integrity of our Reformed or Cal-
vinistic system.

An old negro on being accused of l3'ing, replied, " No, master, that
is not a lie ; but it is in the direction of one." And Dr. Roberts tells
us that the alterations proposed for the third chapter do not impair
the integrity- of the Calvinistic system, but that " it was thought that
further alteration in the same direction would, in the opinion of some,
impair the integrity of our Reformed or Calvinistic system." We do
not desire to iidvance so far in this direction that another little step
would be fatal. And we trust that the Presbyteries will insist on
continuing to confess the truth of God in this great matter as fully,
as explicitl}'^, and as undoubtingl}" as heretofore and as it is declared
in the Word. For our part we believe that the third section should
be restored (either as it stands or with some such well-guarded addi-
tion as the phrase in the Larger Catechism : " to be for their sins
inflicted"), and that the useless and misleading additions to the
seventh section should be stricken out.

For another thing, we hope that the proposed reconstruction of the
section on infant salvation (Chap, x, 3) will not stand. Although we
all cherish as a blessed hope, and some of us feel that there is suffi-
cient Scriptural basis to enable us to hold as a personal conviction,
what is here stated, surely there is no such clear and direct Scripture
for it as will justify its dogmatic assertion as a Confessional doctrine.
Nor can it be too often or too emphatically repeated that no state-

THE PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 499

meiit of infiiut salvation can be satisfactory which docs not lay stress
on the two chief elements which require emphasizing — that infants
need salvation, and that they owe their salvation to the electing love
of God. Once more we hope that the confusing phraseology con-
cerning the work of the Holy Ghost introduced into the proposed
revision, hy which the distinction between the operations of common
and of eflicacious grace sutlers obscuration, will not stand without
correction or guarding. The insertion of what Dr. Roberts calls
" the ' means ' through which the Lord offers unto sinners life and
salvation " into vii, 3 already is open to this objection, in its connection ;
and thus what is probably the most exact statement of the Covenant
of Grace ever framed is sadly marred. And the language of the two
new chapters — which, finely conceived and expressed as thej'^ are, we
cannot think worthy of a place in the noble context of the Confession —
errs more than once in this direction. We cannot, however, enter
here into a detailed criticism of the document ; enough has doubtless
been said to serve our purpose of indicating to the Presbyteries that
a grave as well as a pressing task has been entrusted to them, when
they are asked to advise the Committee with reference to its proposed
revision of the Confession of Faith. May the spirit of truth " give
efficacy to the Word " during the coming months, keep the Church
from error, and " enable it to bear effectual testimony to the truth."

The detailed reports of the work of the Assembly, published in the
weekly papers, supersede the necessity of a further account here. We
ought to mention, however, that the Overture on Deaconesses was
declared by the Assembly to be lost — a decision which was certainly
wise in view of the need in which the second paragraph stood of the
first, in order to define and limit the position and functions of Dea-
conesses. Nor ought we to omit to express the satisfaction which all
must feel with the admiraljle exhibit made b}' the evangelizing agencies
of the Church, despite the great debt that still hangs over the Home
Board ; and with the successful and grandly attended meetings held
in their interest, arguing an enthusiasm for the proper work of the
Church, which promises great things.

Benjamin B. Wakfikmi.
Princeton.

IX.
EEYIEWS OF

RECENT THEOLOGICAL LITERATURE.

I.— EXEGETICAL THEOLOGY.

Messianische Weissagung in geschichtlicher Folge. Von Franz
Delitzsch. Leipzig, 1890. Pp. viii and 160.

Messianic Prophecies in Historical Succession. By Franz
Delitzsch. Translated by Samuel Ives Curtiss, Professor in
Chicago Ttieological Seminary. New York : Charles Scribner's Sons ;
Edinburgh, T. & T. Clark, 1891. 12mo, pp. xii, 232.

The venerable author signed the Preface to this little book a few days
before his death, and to his pupils it will come like his dying message — not an
unfamiliar one, for it contains the substance of ^lectures delivered both early
and late in his academic career. In their preparation for publication as well
as the last revision (as it proved) for oral delivery he was moved especially
by his interest in the Jewish race, an interest long manifest by his active part
in the Institutum Judaicum.

The form corresponds with the title. The Messianic prophecies are taken
up in historical sequence. The Introduction starts with the " undeniable
and universally acknowledged " fact that a divinely anointed One (Messiah)
to go forth from Israel is promised in the Old Testament Scriptures. Chris-
tians see these promises fulfilled in Jesus. How they are fulfilled in Him
and how they prepared the way for Him is the subject of our inquiry. " Our
material does not consist simply of prophecies in the narrower sense, but
promises and hopes relating to the future salvation are comprehended under
the same idea." Messianic prophecies are those which foretell the kingdoin
of God, whether they name a personal Messiah or not. The Introduction
closes with a sketch of the history of the discipline.

The reviewer must content himself with a few brief notes on salient
points. The book provokes quotation on every page. The most significant
point about Delitzsch's later work is in his union of theological conservatism
with very advanced views on questions of literary criticism. This union
shows itself also in this volume. At the outset he emphasizes the indispensa-
bility [Unerlasslichkeit] of literary and historical criticism. " The course
of development of Christological expectations cannot be determined without
the concurrence of literary and historical criticism." The next paragraph

\