New-York tribune., 1891-05-18
.second-That all such appoln trnents shall be repo

'Second-That all such appointments snail De report
the General Assembly, and such appointment Of pro
fessor shall be considered complete election disap-
proved by the majority vote of the Assembly"
The directors also declared that II this plan were
a6opted they would conform TO the same. The plan
was adopted BY the Assembly Oh June l, 1870 and
Union Seminary was thus brought INTO eceeslasnoad &
footing as that Of the other semnares of the Church.
Just here may come the fight. The seminary
authorities were determined, they said, to insist on
this point: DR.. Briggs had not been selected to
professOrshIp; he had simply been transferred
from one professorship to another. The following
is the action Of the seminary directors when thc
present chair created
Resolved That Professor Charles A. Briggs. D. d. be
the Davenport professorshp OF Hebrew
and cognate languages TO the Edward Robinson chair Of
Biblical theology.
Those opposed TO DR.. Briggs's theology insist that
lie has departed from the Westminster Confession OF
Faith. And yet there Is In the Presbyterian
Church more pronounced In his support of the
standards and one. perhaps, who has given more
study to them, than DR.. Briggs. 1t Is rule OF the
institution that every member Of the faculty, on en-
ering upon his Office and triennially thereafter or
when required by the Board long as he remains in
Office, make and subscribe the following declaration
In the presence of the Board, namely:
al believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Tcsta-
ment 10 be the Word OF God the only infaible rule
Of faith and practice and 40 now In Ine Pesenfe
and sincerely receive and adopt the Westminster Con
fesson of Faith, containing the system Of doctrine
ner approve of the Presby teran form Of government
and do sOIe%nly promise that will % not G teach % or Sr
subversve of tle said system Of doctrine, or Of the
principles of said form Of government. 50 long as
Shall continue to be a professor in the seminary
If any professor shall refuse at the stated time or
when required by the Board TO repeat the above
declaration he shall forthwith cease to be professor
in the institution.
DIR. BRIGGsS WORK AS SCHOLAR.
DR.. Briggs was born in New-York in 1s41. He
entered the University Of Virginia when he was six
teen years old and Union Seminary in 1860. AS a
member Of the 7th Regiment OF New-York lie marched
to the front when Washington was in danger. After
the war he was engaged in mercantile life with his
father for time. and then went to Berlin where he
studied under DOrner and ROdiger His only pasOrate
In Roselle, ~ j. Ill 1874 he entered Union Semi
nary professor, occupying the Hebrew chair until
the present winter. lie became one of the founders
and managing editors OF The Presbyterian Review" !"
and has been from the first indefatigable worker
Numerous articles in many periodicals have made his
name widely known, and have prepared the way for
the special study which has become emphasized by a
chair being devoted to its pursuit through the gener-
osity Of the president Of the Board of Seminary
Directors, Charles Butler.
Dr. Briggs was one Of the four American scholars
who received degree of D. D. at the Centenary Cee-
bration Of the University Of Edinburgh In 1854.
Says one who knows him well DIR. Briggs Is a
gentleman Of genial spirit and winning address. He
is dligent and enthusiastic student vigorous
writer an Independent thinker, and holds high rank
as a scholar He fills most acceptaby the professor
ship which he occupies in the theological SEMI
nary In which he once a student, and Is highly
esteemed by his brethren for his excellent social quail
ties Christian character and acknowledged eruditlon
But after all this has been said. there are many IN
the denominatOn Us has been shown by the action OF
the Presbyteries, who think that bis teaching az out
lined in his Inaugural Address, Is contrary 10 tle
standards of the Church.
His address, which originally bore the imprimatur
Of the Union Theological Seminary but has been re-
published with appendix by the author himself Is
entitled "The Authority of Holy Scripture, and rev
quotations from it will show what IS the basis OF inc
objections raised in the various Presbyteries Dr
Rrirrs said I'm beginning his address, that 1T seemed
to him to be his duty to set forth his views fuly ana
frankly with reference to those fundamental questions
of our times that underle the discipline Of Biblical
theology and he has chosen as his subject that on