New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-29

present. You depart om your compact ana you gns
Simply expressed your oral dislike and put ne
the q your That { ALL Wise to dis
approve whether there is not upon us respons9}nlsg
In the Please look at this matter Is one uns
dIton Of things in regard to which you feel no respo
sIbhty and IN respect % which, therefole ySn are mos
that SAME condition OF things before you and APP
pears the door Of your conscience In such sense
mis- Now. we are Just In that position. would be
unwilling for for me S SsSa G Which pass there
be the stigma of constitutional kind that wo 'c%
a mans idiosyncrasies 60 with him through life, and
/ don't know but they 80 into the middle n stare
is not fit to be professor in any seminary ! am not
Union seminary Not s all Then be t9sy a%hy
I said YOU it '"S viii not do to PIT. as q
reason for your veto the fact sm 1ndS because e
to do SO would have BEEN in the event OF oHr report
being adopted for Us to put WEAPON the PTesby Of
New York. which, fairmnded as know they are, they
might have gcS and BT qs mot Se SS e aa
Is couldn't yOg state Sss without aS N
CS1d the p sd some on cn haye been Working
An theology couldn't YOU draft such report ~ Yea
said, might l could draft report that wonld
lessor should be vetoed that would leave absolutely
untouched the question to whether he was Justly la
s S to to t ae fnn aSd would be So d after that
prevent the who read it from making use Of it IN
fS neat Il IS not right for the Assembly in is
explicit utteranoe on the adoption of report to say
se TS tn% Of f pr Bgg That Is Why We did not
give reasons but IT not because we had no reason
w Now , as have said, could draft report that
would express Il were only sure that they
p pSdp that 4 say the charcS does not What
he believes. Now, | say man In theologicai
That his position Is uncertain Is sclfevdent Why, his
friends say this. would not risk the SAYING OF some
things that even Dr. RSs that es ns seS U es S
friends OF truth In solid undivided front, and Sylng
In spite Of differences Of opinion, we are one IN 0
into the thick Of the friends of the faith Now spirit AMI
mus difficult thing to d1e but sST We s a rf through
the Inaugural discourse, which makes us sure ta.
though he may be sound Ni gmSe ne
acation which Dr. Smith says he does not unoerstau
Well II Dr. Briggs holds the doctrine Of
nom the inaugural address then he ought not 10 oe
confirmed because that doctrine Is one tha' Tpg' do
not hold that doctrine IN 81. spite OF nf SeS' the
text and in spite Of the explanations Of the explanations
and spite Of the eXegetlcal resources q ms n most
What he means, it is impossible for us TO find out
what ne does believe. then think that penning an
inquiry to what nc docs DeltVc liIe
IS for ms to disapprove and 1t is perfectly clear thai
tbis Assembly cannot DO otherwise for the reasons
that I have given and for more that might
mention. We want 10 save DR.. Briggs IL we can.
and we know very well that good men are scarce and
learned men are few, and II he. besides being good
soundness in frank way, and without standing on
his dignity and waiting for judicial Investigation,
but win come ont and 10 this committee Dear
brethren am sorry have given you all this trouhle
want you TO know exactly what believe. now / am
here And II the committee should be satisfied that
1t had misunderstood him. why. isn't II the simplest
thing in the world for that Same Board OF Directors
TO reflect him. and for the General Assembly TO let
the election stand Whv. venture the prophecy
that II such condition of things were to come about
and that between now and next MAY II were found
that we had been in the fault and that Dr. Briggs
was only partially in fault and that he was really
where his friends think he is and where we hope he
IS and where he ought to be. the General Assembly
when the story OF his reelection was announced,
would not wait for the question to be put, as to
would not wait to ask what 1t could do. You
couldn't keep 1t stilit would. by rising vote, re-
affirm with gratitude 10 God its confidence In Dr.
Briggs n teacher Of theology. (Applause)
The only speaker Of the afternoon was Judge
Breckenridge whose clear-cut unimpaesioned legal
presentment Of the is given In the Introductory
article. The Assembly adjourned as soon posi-
bic after the announcement that Judge Breckin-
ridge was dead, and prayer meeting was ordered
for this evening. The discussion the Briggs
case will be resumed tomorrow and continue until
a vote is taken.
At the close Of the Presbyterian General Assembly
at Detroit The Tribune will publish the proceedings
substantially in full. in q handsome pamphlet price,
25 cents copy. The important addresses and reports
will be given verbatim.