Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-29
DEATH CALLS A HALT.
Continued from first maze

70 "nae LIS cnurcn might 90, Dut tno cUn-
templated action would put Drs. Han, Booth,
Wnlte and Elders Dodge, Brown and others
n PAD Dox. Charles Butler has nursed DE-
Briggs and loved him from his boyhood, and
mas o9ne Tor him what he always contem-
plated. Dr.. Briggs was elected informally,
and probably not by a constitutional major.
ity. Cnaries Butler suggested the suDlect OF
tne famous inaugural. The question Is, can
we trust the trustees of Union Seminary one
YEAR, The committee defines the compact
wltnOut conference with the other parry
Dr D1ckey pledged himself to do all IN MS
power to bring about full, fair recons1dera-
ton OF the whole subject if the Assembly
WouFd postpone final action until next year.
The Barren Fig Tree.
With regard to Briggs as to the barren hg
tree, DIR. Dudley pleas for the former as a
client for the latter Let it alone this year
also, and we will dig about it, and if it bear
fruit, well, and if not, then cut it down.
DR.. Francis, of Cincinnati, wanted to pitch
into DR.. Smith, but the Moderator held him
down to Logan's amendment He said
Smith and Evans each spoke two hours on
the subject in the Cincinnati Presbytery and
saddened their hearts. Another attempt
was made to hold DR.. Francis to the amend
ment but he continued to say what he
wished, and he urged the Assembly to take
immediate action.
A vote of 81 to II was the Cincinnati Pres
bytery's answer to DR.. Smiths speech. DR..
bartlett was in favor of immediate action,
9s it would end the charge of ignorance and
1mbecility on the whole church. The higher
critics hold that others are fools and ignor.
ant. Briggs gets all his views from an old
German Nationalist, professor of 80 years
ago. Strauss stripped Moses to pieces, and
there Is scholarship and scholarship. This
is talking about wonderful secrets in the
charlatanism of scholarship.
Trot Ont the Facts.
If these higher critics have big facts, let
them trot them out. There are 10 or 800
views as to the Pentateuch, but Briggs has
no right to fix the stamp of his authority on
any one theory. Higher criticism has shown
that Shakespeare did not write Shakes
peare and that Homer did not write Homer,
but other men of the same names. This is
not an age of heresy hunting, but the heretics
have been hurting the church, and Briggs
has eliminated the hunt in his inaugural adj
dress.
The fuss has been made by the heritics.
We have had plaques enough, and we say
to these fellows: "Go, and take all your in
innate friends with you," said Bartlett. He
was Union Seminary man under Robinson,
Smith, Hitchcock and Skinner, and has al
ways been radical, but he draws the line
on this old heresy, which he has known for
30 years, brought over here from Germany.
Let subordinate things be relegated to the
rear and the preaching of Christ be empha-
sized.
DIR. Patton spoke of his intimacy with DIR.
Briggs the other Union Seminary pro-
fessors, the directors, and deprecated all
personality.
No Reflection on Briggs.
To veto the election of DIR. Briggs is no
more reflection upon the director than upon
himself. Electing DR.. Briggs in good faith,
the directors cannot be held responsible for
his subsequent utterances. The committee
holds that the constitutional right to veto
the transfer of professor is granted in the
right to veto an original election. The su-
preme judiciary of the church cannot shirk
the responsibility of constituting the COM
pact, while at the same time being one party
to the compact,
Union Seminary can carry the case to the
civil court If they are dissatisfied with the
to appoint a committee of conference. This
committee will be generously met, and can
say the Assembly did not dare to surrender
any of the rights they thought they had,
and that they had come to talk over the
whole subject. Either party may confess
the other is right, as all things are possible.
The Assembly has right to veto, and that
right lasts only for this Assembly.
"It seems very singular to me-" continued
DIR. Patton, ito play the role of an advocate
of freedom, but that am, and am utterly
unwilling that the threat of a veto should be
held over professor dozen years.
Dangers of q Veto.
ITO veto or not to veto? that's the question.
If the Assembly veto under the terms of the
compact it must vetoin the terms of the COM
pact. There is a responsibility on the AS
sembly to disapprove, SO that not to act
would be to make the Assembly particeps
criminis. The Presbyteries' overtures and
the Union Seminary report bring the AS
sembly face to face with the issue.
at is not question of how::much disturb
ance the veto may produce in the Church,
but of doing our duty in the sight of God.
No reasons should be given for the veto, as
it would be wrong to parade idiosyncracies
which may even go with man into the mid
die state, or to name heresies, which would
be used against the offender. After DR..
Briggs trial in Presbytery the case will
surely go to the Synod and then come to the
cred.
"The Assembly must act in the light it has,
which Is that the position of DR.. Briggs in
the sphere of dogmatic theology has caused
over go presbYteries to overture the Assem-
bly,. Practically arraigned for heresy by
his presbytery surely the Assembly ought to
withhold approval of his election" DR.. Pat
ton admired Martineau in many ways, but
this Unitarian philosophy has been illus
trating the descensus averni all his life and
is now at the lowest point, having abnegated
practically the fundamental truths of the
Christian faith. Progressive sanctification
ought not tobe taught in Presbyterian semin-
aries. Briggs best friends donot understand
him on this question, and therefore he ought
to be vetoed. The report holds out the olive
branch. Not to veto is to put Presbyterian
ism upon the broad church comprehension
platform.
Death of Judge Breckinridge.
Judge Breckenridge, of st. Louis, discussed
with mastery ability the legal aspect of the
question. He quoted the official action al
ready published giving the Assembly the
right Of veto, and giving a historic sketch
thereof The right of approval of the cleo
tion of Union Seminary professor did not
exist, but only the right of disapproval.
There is no power to delay, as the right to
exercise this function ends with the disso-
luton Of the Assembly.
The speaker was confident the Assembly
would veto the election of DR.. Briggs. His
last words were: 81 have discharged my
duty" His voice trembled and he fell back
wards, from a stroke of apoplexy, his head
striking the platform hard, and in few mo-
ments he was dead.
The unexpected scene produced a pro-
found impression upon the Assembly, and it
was at once resolved to adjourn until to-
morrow morning and postpone the banquet
for which full arrangements had been made.
Drs Hays Patton, Dickey, Smith, Vermilye
and Elders Junkin, Colonel McCook and