Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-28
THE CASE OF REV. DIR. BRIGGS.
Report Disappearing His Appointment Pre-
sented to the General Assembly.

Report Disappearing His Appointment Pre-
| sentcd to the General Assembly.
| After The STARS report of the proceeding
of the Presbyterian general assembly at Detroi
closed yesterday Rev. DIR. Bartlett of this city
presented the report Of the committee OF
church erection. The income for the year wa
S126, 642- The board calls for sl50, 900 for thi,
year.
l. REPORT on THE BRIGGS CASE.
DR.. Bartlett yielded the floor to DR.. Patton,
who asked leave to read so much of the report
on theological seminaries as bears on the case
Of DR.. Briggs. in order that Il might be printed
and distributed to the assembly when it comes
| up for action today. Sixty-three presbyter1es,
whose names he read, have overturned the
| assembly as to the utterances OF DIR. Briggs.
| Some ask specific action, but most leave to the
assembly what it shall be. The committee
praised the presbyteries for their zeal and
thinks their requests should have weight Inc
committee replies to so much of the report OF
the Union Theological Seminary as bears on
DR.. Briggs appointment or transfer to the
chair of biblical theology as follows:
Our duty il a delicate one. especially as the
presbytery of New York is trying him on the
charge OF heresy--as we must not preludge
case which at some time must come before US
on appeal. The question before us is not that
of his doctrinal soundness, but that Of the ap-
proval Of his election by the assembly. We
have examined the constitutional requirements
as to the duty and power Of the assembly in as
senting to or forbidding such appointment or
transfer"
DIR. Patton quoted from the records as well
as from appointments of professors that have
convinced his committee that the assembly has
power to forbid the transfer.
AUTHORITY OF THE ASSEMBLY.
DIR. Patton quoted the following:
Summary acts and resolutions Of the gen.
eral assembly and of the boards of Union and
other theological seminaries connected with
the appointments Of professors.
The directors of Union Theological Semi
nary. in the city of New York, presented the
following memorial to the general assembly on
May IS, 1870:
Resolved, That the board Of directors of the
Union theological Seminary in the city OF New
York, being ali of them ministers or members
of the Presbyterian church, do hereby memo
rialize the general assembly to the following
effect viz: That the general assembly may be
pleased to adopt it as a rule and plan, In the
exercise of the proprietorship and control over
the several theological seminaries. that SO far
as the election of professors Is concerned the
assembly will commit the same to the respect
i've boards of directors on the following terms
and conditions: First-That the board of di-
rectors of each theological seminary shall be
authorized to appoint ali professors for the
same. Second-Ghat all such appointments
shall be reported to the general assembly and
no such appointment Of professor shall be con-
sidered a complete election if disapproved
by majority vote of the assembly.
And. be it further resolved, That the board
of directors of the Union Theological Seminary
in the city of New York, persuaded that the
plan proposed in the memorial will meet the
cordial approval of the patrons, donors and
friends of all the Summaries and contribute TO
the peace and prosperity of the church, do
hereby agree, if the said plan shall be adopted
l,x-rb or hat fha--
to conform to the same. the Union Seminary
in New York being in this respect on the same
ground with other theological seminaries of
the Presbyterian church"
The time within which the Presbyterian as
sembly may express its disapproval of or exer-
else its right of veto in the election of pro-
lessor was determined by the assembly Of 1871,
as follows: That the assembly declare that the
true meaning of the act subjecting tine election
of professor to the veto of the assembly is
eral assembly thereafter and If not vetoed by
that assembly the election shall be regarded as
complete, according to the plan ratified by the
sembly of 1870"
I'VE should have been willing to recommend
the reference of the subject to a committee to
report to the next assembly. But the control
Of the assembly over the matter ceases with the
present session, and so we must act now, if at
all We admit that In one view the trustees
may have ground for their denial of assembly
to veto the transfer of a professor from one
chair to another. Besides assembly is one
party to a compact with the Union Theological
Seminary, and must be cautious in acting on it.
The trustees of the seminary consider that the
original appointments gives status, and this as
sembly has right to forbid. but transfer
simply assigns duty and with that assembly has
no right to interfere Now, while we think the
assembly has control of both, yet, in view of
the cordial relations always existing between it
and the trustees of this seminary, it would be
proper to appoint a committee Of conference
with them to report to the next assembly,"
In accordance with these views the COM
mittee recommend that the assembly disap-
prove of the appointment OF DR.. Chas. Briggs
to the Edward Robinson chair of biblical
theology of Union Theological Seminary, and
that a committee Of conference, with the trus-
tees of that institution, be appointed by this
assembly to report to the next assembly.
DIR. BARrLErr's COMMENT.
DIR. Bartlett. resuming the report on church
erection. said he knew he had an important re-
port, but he did not know that they were to
have the Briggs report as an extra side show
Laughter. He made stirring address, ad-
vocating the duty of helping Presbyterian
causes first and foremost, and this through the
boards instead of through private channels
The subject was further discussed by Dr.
White, secretary Of the board, and others. Re-
port accepted and recommendations adopted
DR. BRIGGS SAYS NOTHING.
DR.. Briggs, when told of the unfavorable re-
port on his case, in New York last
evening expressed no surprise and de-
clined to make any comment. He will sail for
Europe on Saturday accompanied by his eldest
daughter and expects to return about the mid
die of September. He will spend the interven-
ing time at Oxford, where lie has planned a
special line of study.
SOUTHERN PEEsByrERIANs.
The case of the Rev. E. d. Robinson from the
Mecklenburg presbytery has been finally Sc tiled
by the Presbyterian general assembly OF the
south declining to go into it. The Rev. Mr..
Robinson was regarded as eccentric and his
case has been before three assemblies. Last
year he was restored to the communion of the
church from which he had been excluded by
former judgments. This year another overture
from Mecklenburg presDytery claimed that the
action of the last assembly was unconstitutional
and asked that the case be reopened, but the
assembly declined to do it.
In answer to an overture from West Hanover
presbytery ON the church doctrine on temper
ance, il was replied that all our members be
requested to abstain
REFORMED PREsBYTEEIAys.
The sixty-second synod of the Reformed
Presbyterian church of North America began
in Pittsburg yesterday with 200 delegates
present from all parts Of the United States,
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. This synod
is that branch of the Reformed Presbyterian
church known as the old school and the same
uueStlOu will come before this sypod tba \