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Fxclesiastical
"SHALL ANY CHANGE BE MADE TO
THE CONFESSION OF FAITH
CHAPTER 10, SECTION 37"
By Rev. J. E. Jones, D. D.
This question, as I understand is to
be answered by Presbytery, either
"Yes" or "No." The reason for the
matter being sent in this form is that
this question of making some change
in this place in the Confession, is constantly
before the Assembly in some
way. There were four overtures before
the last Assembly, bearing upon this
chapter and section, and so it has been
Assembly after Assembly.
Now the question is, Why is this?
Is this matter being kept before the
Assembly by just a few, or what part
of the Church is sympathizing in the
suggestion that some change should be
made? If it be found that a large part
of the Church is sympathizing with this
desire to alter or change,' then let a
wise committee be appointed to suggest
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Assembly to act on it and send it down
to the Presbyteries, for their approval
or disapproval.
If on the contrary it be found that this
matter is being kept before the Assembly
by only a few, and that only a few in
the Church are in sympathy with this
agitation, then it will be clear that the
time has not come for making any
change, if it is ever to come.
The point is just this: Face the issue
fairly and squarely. Are you, as a
Presbytery, satisfied with the language
as it is, or are you not satisfied? No
suggestions necessary as to what will
satisfy. All that needs to be known is,
Does the Church, or a majority of tho
Presbyteries, desire any change?
Meridian, Miss.
CALVIN'S MEMORY AND TEACHING
VINDICATED ON INFANT
SALVATION.
Will you allaw me a little space, to
call the attention of my brethren to a
little book, which I have greatly
enjoyed? The title of the book is
"Calvin, Twisse and 'Edwards on Uni
versal Salvation of Infants." It is by
the Rev. John W. Stagg, D. D., now of
Birmingham,' Ala., and it is published
by our Committee at Richmond, Va.
The charge has been repeated to
weariness, that our Confession of Faith
teaches that there are "infants in hell
not a span long"; and that though we, as
a church, do not now believe that, yet
our great leaders. Calvin, Twisse and
Edwards, taught it. The charge has
done lis harm and injustice. When
this book came out, I read it with
occasion to prepare an article on tho
subject; and I read the book again with
great care. I believe that is one ot the
finest pieces of original investigation, I
have ever read. It has involved an
enormous amount of reading and study,
an examination of all the writings of
these great thinkers, published in many
volumes.
To me the book, as a piece of close,
connected reasoning, is a demonstration
that Calvin not only believed in the
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balvability of infants as a class; but
that his argument involves the actual
salvation of all infants dying in
Infancy. And that his system lays the
only consistent, logical and scriptural
foundation for our belief in this precious
doctrine, that is, the electing love of God.
which regenerates them in their Infancy.
As to Twisse and Edwards, they taught
that no soul is lost, except for actual
transgression.
James H. McNeilly.
THE PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL IN
GEORGIA.
It has not been many years since this
institution was launched by a few friends
in Atlanta, with quite a small beginning.
Since then it has had a steady growth,
necessitating two removals into larger
quarters to meet its ever-growing demands.
As we have watched the progress
of this work, our interest has increased
until we feel impelled to speak a word
in its behalf. Possibly the reason why
those of us living out of Atlanta have
not manifested more interest in this institution,
is due largely to the local idea.
We have felt this to be an Atlanta institution,
or at least within the limits
of Atlanta Presbytery, but a more careful
insight into the facts has reversed
our position. The Synod of Georgia at a
recent session placed the, hand of its
endorsement upon the head of this institution.
The six Presbyteries in the Synod
at the approaching spring meeting will be
asked to co-operate in the proposed plan
of making this institution one of the
greatest blessings to our Church in Georgia.
I desire to submit briefly some reasons
why the entire Synod should co-operate
in this work:
1. The whole Synod is a beneficiary
of this institution. Patients have been
received from almost every part of the
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are uutside the Presbytery of Atlanta.
This wholly dissipates the local idea
hitherto entertained.
2. The whole Synod has an opportunity
through this institution of doing a
work that will greatly enhance the cause
of Christ. The Chutch abroad is using
the hospital effectively in lis work. No
one will dispute its legitimate place on
the foreign field, and that it has proven
itself a potent factor for good. If this be
true* abroad, why not equally true at
home?
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tised. and thus brought into sympathetic
prominence through a great institution of
this character. Every beneficiary would
go forth a minister to herald the name
of the Presbyterian Church In Georgia.
It is this arm of Christian benevolence
that has brought the Catholic Church
such large returns. Protestantism has
suffered much in the past because she
has allowed this arm of her strength to
go paralyzed through disuse. It is high
time, brethren, that these handsome returns
that for centuries have been enriching
Catholicism be speedily diverted
into channels of Protestantism.
. It. is the hope of many to combine
with this institution a -Medical Missionary
Training School, for the purpose of
giving to our missionaries a limited, yet
adequate, knowledge for all practical
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[*H. March 24, igog.
work. At present we have no such institution
in our Church. Our young missionaries
are compelled to resort to some
"College Extension Course," which Is better
than nothing, but at best very unsatisfactory.
We have an opportunity
here of supplying this long-felt need.
5. It is the hope of many also to combine
with this institution not only a
Medical Missionary Training School, b it
a Missionary Training School. The great
work of the Church is missions, both
home and foreign; and yet in all this
field of activity, there is no specific
school of training to equip our missionaries
for their life's work. The Foreign
Mission Committee in Nashville and the
Assembly's Home Mission Committee in
Atlanta could well alford a handsome
appropriation to install a work of this
kind.
0. The plan at present is to raise one
hundred thousand dollars to build the
hospital and to equip it for the highest
usefulness. Of this amount there is
between twenty and thirty thousand dollars
in sight in the way of legacies, subscriptions
and equipments. There is at
present a staff of twenty-two leading phy
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is something possibly more valuable
than all this, namely: The substantial
reputation which the institution has made
throughout the state. We are already
far on our way. Let the six Presbyteries
take up the matter this spring,
and push this worthy enterprise on to
completion, and under God it will prove
a blessing to the entire Church.
J. H. Patton.
Marietta, Ga.
ITALIAN WORK IN NEW ORLEANS.
Report to the Home Mission Union, in
session in the Carrolltou Presbyterian
Church.
Our miasionnrv \frn Moi-?
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has been faithfully at work as heretofore;
she goes to the Charity Hospital,
visiting the Italian patients, giving religious
tracts, and ministering to tlieir
spiritual needs. Here she has been met
with a most determined opposition, both
by the sisters in charge and the visiting
priests. Very often the tracts are taken
away from the patients by the sisters,
as soon as our worker has left the ward.
On one occasion she had a very intense
argument with Father Laurent, the curate
of the Italian Roman Catholic church
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at length he said to her that he was
going to stop her from going to the hospital
and that he would speak to the
Italian patients of her doctrine; he Was
met, however, with this response: "1
will visit the Italian patients any time 1
feel like."
On account of the little apparent success
of the hospital work, Mrs. Cosentlno
has not done as much of it lately
as formerly
Another part of her work is a kind of
house-to-house visitation, and by this she
Is led into Italian homes where, with
the ladies, she reads the Bible and
prays, and has discussions on religious
subjects. This direct, personal work
seems effective. In this way seeds of
truth are sown which, in many instances,
bear preciou* fruit. Most, if not all,