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