, 1891-05-28
THE ~PRESBYTERIANS.
Report of the Committee on
Church Erection.
Value of Buildings Owned by
the Denomination.
A Report is Also Read on DR..
Briggs Case.

MAY - the afternoon
session OF the Presbyterian general assem-
bly, the standing committee on church
erection reported. The work of tie year
has called tor caution, owing to the ex-
haustion of the special fund provided by
L. X. Stuart and of the snail working
balance heretofore carried from year to
year. The steady advance of the church
requires an advance in church erection.
The amount of aid asked during the last
five years has been 81 per cent more than
for the five years before that. More than
half of our 1894 churches give nothing to
this board. Our income for the year has
been $780, 42. The aggregate value of
the church and manse property secured by
the aided churches in the year was almost
800, 900, for which the board holds mort
cages to hold the property if the church
abandons it or dissolves. A careful esti-
mate OF the total value OF the churches
and manses owned by the churches OF the
assembly IN the United States Is So, 600, o
900. About t%wo-thirds of this belongs to
the churches in the syuods OF New York,
New Jersey. Pennsylvania and Baltimore.
The board wants $3.50, 900 this e and
the formation of a large loan fund is
recommended.
DIR. Bartlett yielded the fnorto DR.. Pat
ton, who asked leave to read so much of
the report on theological seminaries as
bears on the case of DR. Briggs, 10 order
that 1t may be printed and distributed to
the assembly when it comes up for action
Va.-Arr.m- H. .....s.-
much of the report on the Union Theol-
oglcal seminary as hears on DR.. Briggs
appointment or transfer to the chair of
biblical theology. Our duty, says the
report, lis a delicate one, especially as
the presbytery of New York is trying him
on a charge of hercsY-as we must not
PREJUDICE Il 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 approval OF his
election by the assembly. w admit that
in one view the trustees NAV have ground
Tor their denial of the right of the assem-
bly, to veto the transfer of a professor
from one chair to another. The trustees
of the seminary consider that the orig
Inal appointment gives status. and
that the assembly has no right to forbid,
but the transfer simply assigns a duty
and with that the assembly has no right
to interfere. Now. while we think the as
sembly has control OF both, yet IN view of
the cordial relations always existing be-
tween it and the trustees of the seminary
1t would be proper to appoint a committee
of conference with them to report to the
next assembly. In accordance with these
views the committee recommends that the
assembly disapprove of the appointment
OF DR.. Briggs to the Robinson chair of
biblical theology OF the Union Theological
seminary, and that a committee of confer
ence with the trustees of that institution
be appointed by the assembly to report at
the next assembly"
DIR. Bartlett resumed his report on
church erection and made a stirring ad-
dress advocating the duty of helping
Presbyterian causes first and foremost, and
this through our boards instead of through
private channels.
There is a great deal Of talk tonight
ever Patton report on, Briggs. Briggs
has quite a few friends who speak Tor
him, but it Is thought the report will
have twO-thirds majority. The general
opinion expressed by groups in the con
ventiOn seem to be that the right Of veto
must be exercised now Or M. Mt all