The Presbyterian of the South : [combining the] Southwestern Presbyterian, Central Presbyterian, Southern Presbyterian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1909-1931, September 22, 1909, Page 14, Image 16

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

14 THE Contributed PROOF TEXT REVISION. Recent editorial remarks in the Presbyterian of the South, in regard to this subject, suggest some explanatory statemonta It is not expected that the Presbyteries will vote on the question submitted to them by the General Assembly at their tall meeting this year. It was impracticable to get the whole work before them in time tor this. All that the Presbyteries can do at these meetings is to appoint committees ad interim to examine the work at their leisure and report to the next spring meetings. The names of the chairmen of these committees should be reported to the Committee of Publication at Richmond. The General Assembly neglected to express Its will as to the version to be used. Hence the Old Version will be used in the revised citations. The American Revision has been followed as the standard with respect to genuineness, interpretation and relevancy. This is in accordance with Rule X, reported to the General Assembly at the beginning of its committee's work and not objected to. For example, Rom. 8: 4 is used instead vi o. i, iu ausiaiu onuner ^aicnism question No. 35: "We . . . are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness," because the words "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit," do not appear in verse 1, according to American Revised Version. The approval of this work by the Presbyteries and its use in future editions of the Standards involve no change whatever in the Standards themselves. The committee, with a very good degree of unanimity, have expressed the opinion that the new citations are, as a whole, better than the old, and have recommended their use in the future rather than the old. The last General Assembly, after making a single amendment, approved of the work, evidently In the same way that their committee approved oi it. In order to forestall endless criticism and discussion, the General Assembly directed the work to be sent to the Presbyteries "for their answers as to its adoption." "As to Its adoption" evidently means adoption for the use of the proposed citations in future editions of the Standards; a use corresponding to the use hitherto made of such citations. a uiu vuuut uigu ua tu iuc auuui at'/ ui this view of the action of the General Assembly after correspondence with the Rev. Doctor P. P. Flournoy, who was the chairman of the special committee whose recommendations in the premises the Assembly adopted. In order to give the presbyterlai com. mittees the best opportunity to examine the new citations with the least trouble, the text of the Standards will be printed with the citations Just as they will appear In new editlops, If "adopted." I hope that the Shorter Catechism Is now in the hands of the Presbyteries, or their offl PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOUT cers. The remainder of the work will be printed and distributed in ample time lor the presbyterial committees to examine it carefully and report at the spring meetings. I have been called on to nrenare tht> "copy" and to read the "proofs." It is human to err. I, tnerefore, beg that any clerical or other errors that may be detected by the presbyterlal committees or other persons be reported to me at their early convenience. E. C. Gordon, Chairman. Lexington, Missouri PROOF TEXTS. The following letter has been addressed to the Presbyteries, and explains itself: The last General Assembly approved, with a single amendment, the work of its committee ad interim on the revision of the citation of proof-texts to our doctrinal Standards. It also directed the Committee of Publication "to print a sufficient number of copies of the report thus amended, for distribution among the Presbyteries," and to send the report down to the Presbyteries "for their answers as to its adoption." See Minutes for 1909, pp. 28, 29. The report contains the changes suggested as well as the results of the changes. To print the whole report for the sake; of one or two hundred copies would be very expensive and needless. The object of the General Assembly in sending the reports to the Presbyteries is "o give them an opportunity, after examimation, to adopt or reject the results as these will appear in a new edition of the Standards. Moreover, the Presbyteries will find it much easier and more satisfactory to examine these results if they are presented to them in connection with the text of the Standards. Hence the Committee of Publication proposes to print, together, the text and revised citations and to hold the type forms until the action of the Presbyteries, when, if the revision is approved, ?m u- * ?-> - - mc ?uir win ut- oi'ii-ui..yp*?u ana a new edition printed. It will be impracticable to get the whole of this work in the hands of the Presbyteries at the approaching fall meeting. It may be that the Shorter Catechism can be so placed. In view of the situation all around, and in order to prevent useless expense and delay, I beg leave to suggest that you appoint at your fall meeting a committee ad interim to examine this work and report to the spring meeting. If your Stated Clerk will send the name of the chairman of this committee to the vyuuimui.ee or fUDiicauon at Kicnmona, Va., with the number composing the committee, copies of the work will be sent to your committee in time for them to examine it and report to you at your next stated meeting. E. C. Gordon, Chairman Proof-Text Committee. I never regard anything as personal except that which is complimentary. H. Sept. 22, 1909. TO THE PRESBYTERIANS OF GEORGIA. The Presbyterian Hospital and Training School is now under the control of Trustees and Advisory Board elected by tne Presbyterians of Georgia, and the institution is now yours. This adoption of tne institution by the Presbyterians was undertaken after the fullest discussion possible and the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees counts confidently upon the support of our people in the work now being done and proposed to be done in the future. The Executive Committee is carefully discussing plans for the building of a hospital and training school to cost not less than $100,000. To do this requires the support of our peo pie in every pari or tne State and in due time every Presbyterian, man, woman and child, in the State will be given an opportunity of contributing to this cause. But in the meanwhile the present work must not be allowed to languish. The responsibility on us is a great one. We are already maintaining a training school for nurses in which are being trained about twenty young women as Christian nurses. By help of the good women of the Ladies Auxiliary we are doing as much charity work as we cawi possibly afford, but the demand on us for this kind of work is greater than we can possibly meet. Prom every part of the State we are being called on to receive into the hospital some sick man or woman or child, who sorely needs hospital treatment, but can not afford the expense. In the meanwhile we have a fixed expense in the rental, salaries and the maintainence of the work in general which has to ue 11^1 prompny, aaiiy, weeKiy, and monthly. The hospital must be kept efficient at all hazards. We can not afford to take the sick Into the hospital and give them anything else than the best professional attention. To do this requires even on* the moderate scale in which we are now operating, over and above what we are receiving lrom pay patients, at least six hundred dollars per month. To carry on this work WA must hovo thn holn ?"v" ? ? ? - ..Mtv vuv y ui x^okvjxi. UX J'UU. Will you not respond to this call by sending at once, to our treasurer, Clyde L. King, your check for as large an amount as you can afford? If you can not send check, let us hear from you at once as to what we may expect of you in the near future. Let us count on a subscription from you payable at your earliest convenience. We can not maintain the institution without your help. We can not make "bricks without straw." It is useless for your trustees to undertake the laiBci wuin. uiiiu we nave secured your cooperation in tne support of the present work. The Jews, the Catholics, the Baptists, and the Methodists of ^Georgia are each | supporting instiutions of this kind. Will the Presbyterians of Georgia do less in proportion to their numbers and ability i to give? i In response to this appeal we hope to 1 hear from many individuals, men, women and children of the Synod, and trust that A I