Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-17
BRIGGS TRADE MARK
On a Greek Letter Fraternity, That
Will Cause Its Death.
MANY MINISTER'S ARE MEMBERS.
The Order Is Looked on as Training
School of Briggsism.
PREPARING FOR THE COMING TRIAL
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE p1spArcu.l

death OF Greek letter fraternity, Wnicn
receives its main support from clergymen
of the Presbyterian faith. This is the Chi
Alpha Club. Chi Alpha, or Y. A, are the
mystic symbols for the secret Greek words
Christie Adelphi, meaning brothers in
Christ, and the organization is an exempli-
ication of the truth that the secret bond is
the sweetest, even when the passions and
impulse of sophomore days are long forgot
ten.
Through this mystic gate many of the
leading pulpit orators of the country have
passed in the last 60 years. DR.. Briggs is a
member. With him are associated in this
second degree of the ministerial brother
hood SO preachers, nearly all of the Calvin
istic faith. Some of the 40 Creeks are
Princeton men, educated at the Scotch Gov
enanter stronghold, where boys are taught
to shun the naughty secret society as the
creation of Satan.
What has quieted this horror of the awful
Greek initials is a secret as dead as that
surrounding the Chi Alpha Club itself No
one knows what transpires at the weekly
meetings of the 40 Greeks. The require
ments of the oath of initiation forbid such
disclosures, but there have been drippings
and vapOrings that have reached the unin-
itiated, ard these have aroused opposition
that may bring the organization to an un-
timely end. 1t is the opinion outside the
order that the club is training school of
Briggsism. This opinion rests on the theory
that led DIR. Briggs to describe the Briggs
Heaven as university.
BRIGGS, THE HIGH PRIEST
Eschatology is the science taught and DIR.
Briggs is its high priest Biblical Theol-
ogy, according to the Briggs standard, and
Scriptural mistakes that bear the Briggs
trade mark, are the topics discussed. And
it is said that the great popularity of the
club meetings is due more to its esoterics
qhan to the toothsome bivalve and the de-
lectable whipped cream so deity served by
the restaurateur. From the meetings of this
Briggs seminary there have been frequent
graduations into congregationalism, and it
is believed that there the great Presbyter-
ian standards, namely the Westminster
Confession, the Catechism and the Five
Points, are esteemed chiefly from there
archaic value, while the Nicene Greed and
the Apostles Greed are chanted between
the courses. However true or false this i'm
preston may be, it is quite sufficient, ow-
ing TO the state of feeling on the Briggs
question, to cause the death of the club. In
the face of such an opinion few ministers
VIII care 10 leuldl0 III l06 society.
The club was formed 60 wears ago bv DIR.
Samuel Cox, Presbyterian minister of
sound Calvanistic views and the father of
the celebrated churchman, Bishop Cleve-
land Coke, who not only subtracted from
the faith of his father, but added letter to
his name. Weekly meetings are kept up at
restaurants, or at the parsonages of the
members, each member in turn inviting and
entertaining the club. Clark's restaurant
has lately become the favorite meeting
place. A formal discussion on some topic
assigned is first disposed of, and then the
40 address themselves to a menu served in
Clark's most expensive style. The talk as
sumes a more social character over the
clare, and it is here that Briggsism is sup
posed to have developed.
SOME SHINING MEMBERS.
Many of the leading preachers in New
York are among the 10. Among them are
John Hall, Charles H. Parkhurst, Roderick
Terry, w. NJ Taylor, Charles A. Thompson,
John r. Paxton, Theodore l.. Cuyler, WILL
lam G. T. Shedd, Philip Shaft, George A.
Prentiss, Thomas l.. Hastings, Henry NJ.
Field, Samuel d. Burchard, the famous
"Rum, Romanism and Rebelliva' man.
The entire faculty of Union Theosogical
Seminary and many of its directors are en-
rolled.
The Committee of Prosecution in the
Briggs trial are working diligently, in spite
of the hot weather, to have ready plan of
action for submission to the Presbytery in
October In this they have the advantage
Of the experience of DIR. Francis Landev
Patton, who made his reputation in the
famous Swing trial 20 years ago. The
charge against DR.. Briggs will be boldly
made as heresv, and the three points of dis
ol IH-d of ipn will 1o = ha
basis. 1t viii be heresy, as defined by
Scotch standards, thai is, 'an utterance of
an opinion at variance with the doctrine of
the church's standards" and upon the basis
the judgment must rest. The definition,
according to Webster covers much more
ground.
For the purposes of this trial it will be
sufficient to prove that DR.. Briggs has given
utterance to views that are not in accord
ance with the views of the Presbyterian
Church. A man may be thoroughly evan
gelical in his faith, and still be hereto
according to the Scotch definition. To
prove this in DR.. Briggs case the charges
will be based on the address delivered at
his Inauguration as professor OF Biblical
Theology January 90 1891. In the Swing
trial the testimony largely referred to SER
mons that were destroyed in the Chicago
fire. Hearsay testimony as to past sermons
was found to be very uncertain and most
of DIR. PattOn's witnesses weakened on
the witness stand.
VERY PLAIN TESTIMONY
There will be no hearsay testimony in
the Briggs trial on the side of the prosecu-
tIon, for the address was issued in an au-
thoritative manner, with an authoritative
syllabus prepared by DR.. Briggs own hand
for the use of the daily newspapers. There
is also a revised edition, with an elaborate
appendix, prepared by DIR. Briggs before
the heresy report was read to Presbytery.
The language is plain and unmistakable,
and hearsay testimony will not be neces-
sary.
The burden Of proof in such trial is on
the accused. The great safeguard of liberty
in civil law is that a man is innocent in the
sight of the law until he is proved guilty,
and the proof must be so clear and complete
as to leave not a shadow of doubt But in
an ecclesiastic trial the opposite is the rule
The Christian idea of minister is man
above reproach and free from sin. If he is
reproached, the burden of proof is upon him
10 clear his exalted Office from the taiut of
suspicion. If he does not SO clear il he is
condemned. To protect him against un-
necessary charges the Presbyterian Book of
Discipline provides severe punishment for |
his accuser if the charges are not sustained. |
d. Briggs friends must rely largely |
upon testimony of witnesses as TO the i'm |
pressiOns made upon them by DR.. Briggs |
and his teachings. Even if they can show |
That these are in accord with the Con- |
iession the case is not won. DR. Briggs |
must himself go on the stand and repudiate |
the construction put upon the address By |
DIR. Birch and the committee that brought |
the CHARGES against him Rut if he is nm