New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-14
ARE THE FUNDS IN DANGER'
pessIBLE ACTION AGAINST THE UNION THE
ILLOGICAL SEMINARY.
OPPOSITION TO PROFESSOR BRIGGS MAY LEAD ~
AN IMPAIRMENT OF THE ENpowMENTs-
Russell sAGE's VIEWS.

Russell shGE's VIEWS.
r a. . ,.,ss,hili,v that the election Of Professor
r,u-.s A Briggs 10 the chair of Biblical theoOeS "
,he Union Theological Seminary may lead nV my Az
aoctrinal disputes as already IT has oohe u"' a.
serious impairment of the endowment i" ,oh. =,
institution The question OF the leg'u"sv, - I'D
the seminary TO hold and enjoy certain oo'""V -
TO 1t is presented, and the asser"On already
suits may be instituted to recover sun l.o+orr viii
aon,,ea while the trustees OF certain peS''''i' WIN
withhold funds devised to the seminary H., Aha
IA became necessary in 1888 to raise money Ivs 'D'
institution and q circular was issueo oS U ,,.ire
DR. Roswell D. Hitchcock, ASKING LOT ,tar
7, Was then guaranteed, 1t Is alleged tlaV ' -
in ms teachings should remain forever uuc " nAor
dox faith and TIE subscriptions were ie'e,o" stoh
,no urnvs,on of the seminaTy's cohsu'u"o ~
reads as follows ,oD his Office and
Every director entering upon poke ny fhe following
also afSer each re-cloction, shall MAKE Damely
Ss"Iarstion in the presence Of the Of the
Approving Of the plan q, a the city Of New York,
Union 1esfmnster Confession of Faith ana .e
presb%tran form Of church so long as shall
enu1 N he member of the Boaro @, -
osor+.d that the directors of the sen'@S III
.,sctna DR. Briggs to the chair Oh pl n,~ heouests
violated this pledge, under "lion " r,as odon,ed
80 I'D IN 1870. when the seminary was "uop ~.
were maze III ~ tbe General Assembly. At that
a - Gssemblv having given assurances Oh vi.
I'M. ~ lanes Brown, the founder OF the hrn VI
tnou0A', ,hnrz gave 1900 900 to the seminary, ana
e,Sa 600 was given by Ex-Governor T. ~ "Ois"i'
since uson s made Yesterday by Tribune reporter
nIao~ta;r whether any action would be brought TO
cover any of these requests on the srou1u o'' 'io
onparv directors had violated their ooheauons'
Henry pay an executor OF the Morgan o'O'Ve' wac
ont Of the city Edwin D. Morgan IT, Is al Ne"poi'
with his famous yacht the Glorlana' anu 'oh OoSYs
r,oun representing the Brown contribution was also
out of the city. 900 broadway ,s
n roauber Of the committee appointed by the 1clerai
Assembly 10 confer with the directors OF the Oo'eh
Theological Seminary with view OF auJusN"e WV
d,nouttes which have arisen between the lns'ilu"oh
and the governing body of the Church. lie oecnhtu'
In view of his official place, to express any opii
mon the merits Of the case He salo' however Ua'
ba greatly dcplored any action on the part OF suo
scribers or testators trustees and looked ior Dbl
amicabIe adjustment OF the controversy
An informant of The Tribune said that 1t was pos
sble that action might be brought to annul te oeie
aocrutng 10 the seminary from the Brown Morgan al"
other beouests and said it was understood thet the
vacntors of the.Fayerweather WILL which LEFT SloVoOo
"a the institution, inclined to withhold the DC
ouet until some definite action had been taken
nv the directors No action was likely 10 DC UNcn d"
present. he SAID ,.. -. IN
ptcgs To his new position has no bearing upon the
case because he was simply transferred from one
seminary chair to another.
Among the late subscribers to the seminary enoo
,,ent FIND is the we'll known banker, Russeu sage
The amount of Mr. Sage's subscT1ptlon was So'oO0 anu
h. NAV hiring an action to it. MT sage SAID
yesterday: , q
al din not know exactly what shall d. am a
,.acer,ater and lover of peace, and shall certainly
ao nothing at present, hoping for settlement ol al
trcubles that will make any legal action unnecessary
"stu must say that my SuDscrlpuon, Hl"ue
through personal friendship for Dr. Hrchcoch was
influenced by assurances of absolute orthodoxy on he
go. 80 +be seminary directors. l orthodox
presbyterian by inheritance association ana oohVlooh'
do not believe in the new isms." Ihey are uleef-
mining the faith of the people. They are letVhie us
no rock 30 stand upon. They are destroying inc ia'"
of humanity. believe in the Apostles Creeo anu ue
teachings of the fathers those business men, JUST IKE
am who walked with Christ. and listened TO- foLo"ed
end handed down his admonitions.
"Of course some mistakes may have crept INTO
The Scriptures Just into everything clse' put We
must take them whole. A man ike Dr. bflegs'
who throws discredit upon miracles and sneers at the
faith of the people, is not man whom can sustain
,,ou1dn,t rive a cent to support the teachings Of
DR. Briggs and I don't believe 800 would have been
eubsebed at the meetings held at my house and other
nlaces II we had known that Brggsism was to pre-
dominate"
1t is learned. that the seminary endowment funds
involved in tho present controversy amount 10 Sonic
thing over 100000.
E. NJ. Kingsley, treasurer of Union Theological
Seminary when yesterday, said he did not care
to go into the matter in detail. lie said: DR.
Briggs was simply transferred from one chair TO an
other; therefore il not an original appointment
All The articles the declaration have been attended
TO in the case. In nv opinion, James Brown dld
not give 100000 hesitadngly, as has been stated
The gift by ex Governor Morgan of 100000 for the
library fund made with reference 10 orthodoxy,
nor did In my mind the question of orthodoxy enter
at all into his subsequent gift Of 100000 There is
but shred of truth in the statement that we are in
yOlved to the extent Of $500, O0O-hardy enough to
float the falsehood IN my opinion, 81 would be
much nearer the amount"