Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1891-11-05
BRIGGS IS ACQUITTED.
Of the charge of Heresy
Against Him.
HE EXPRESSES HIS REGRET
At Having Disturbed the Peace of the
Church.

NEW YORK, Nov 5--At tie rccouvening
Of the presbytery .ere Dr. Briggs Of the
Union Theological seminary, whose con-
duct is being Investigated by the general
assembly, waived tEe right Of re-reading
the charges preferred a-a,.st him. The
doctor read numerous hi -ctions to the
charges on various grounds, alleging that
they were not specific, were Juo Indefinite
and irreveient
Technically, this was supposed to be the
eginning Of the reverend doctors trial on
hat charge, but actually, according TO
he custom OF courts, IL was cOntiuun-
tion OF his trial. The galleries Of tho
church were filed with an interested
crowd. mostly Of women.
As the reverend doctor stood on the plat
form, which was four or five feet lower
than the pulpit platform, and took up
printed copy of his answer to the charges
Of heresy against him. he was tLe cynosure
Of all eyes. lie was perfectly sei-p1ssessel,
pale, but evdeAty eager 70 bagil his re-
ply. He began by saying:
Gentlemen, appear before you mt this
time In compliance with your STATION
dated Oct. 9, 1891, to plead u the
charges and specifications placed In my
hands by the presbyterv at that time. II is
now my right, in accUTdauce with the
book OF discipline, section g. 81 'f.e objce-
tions' II huy, aay, 30 the regularity II
the organization, or to the jurisdiction OF
the judicatGry, or to the suliicieucy of The
charges ald specifications in fnrm and in
legal effect or any other substantial OBJ
jections % the regularity Cf the organiza-
tions or 70 the jurisdiction OF the presby-
terry OF New York It is necessary, in my
own interest ard in tho Interest Of the
Il 4
ceedings in the prrsbytcry, TO file objcc-
tions to the sufiicie2cy of the charges and
specifications ia form and in legal effect"
He then raised
Fous Objections
to tho preamble, closing ou this point az
follows: If | have in a:y way, directly
or Indirectly, been the uccasi)n Of l..lurj-
ing tho peace Of the chmh, deeply re-
gret it; if | have given pair and anxiety to
my brethren in the ministry or - the
people of Christ's church by any utter
ances In the inaugural address, am very
sorry But, after repeated rc-rsG lin. Of
the address, away from the seat Of strife
In n foreign land, | Cannot honestly say
that there are any such d)ctrinal errors In
the address As tie report ale es. and at
tho bar of my own cJrscic &c | feel 40
guilt as re- cards tie grave cffcnse OF =
turbng the peace and harmony Of the
church"
DIR. Vandyke then stated his objection
to the committee of prosecution being an
original party to-the case.
The moderator decided that tho COM
mittee properly represented the presby
tey. and in this he was up weld by Il vote OF
g. 20 81. Subsequently DR. Vandyke ofTei ed
a resolution providing that, in view of the
q hafnrn tho nra.lyfapsv mud tIa
thority conferred upon il, the charges
against DR. Briggs bo dismissed. a dis
cussion followed.
DIR. Vaudyko made digniied and ear
nest plea in support OF his pr p0stiol {
dismiss the case against Dr. Briggs. His
motion, he said, was not made in the in
tercst Of DIR. Rrggs, who had said he
wanted trial, but in the interest of the
peace, purity and unity Of the church
Once entered into, the heresy trial must
be pursued TO the bitter end .and to the
Great Detriment Of the Church.
DR.. Briggs had met the charges in an
honest, stra ghtforward manner; had said
that he had not meaut 30 utter any false
doctrine, and was not conscious OF h aving
done so, and il he had he was sorry. Was
it manly or Christianlike or just to go on
In the face OF these avowas?
Colonel McCook urged that the trial
proceed. To dismiss the case, he said
would indicate that the board Of discipline
is q superfluty aud it would only result in
an appeal boing taken and cause great de-
lay.
Rev. James II. McIlvaine made strong
argumenJ in support of Dr.. Briggs
objection that the charges were not specific
and were not sub bJtautiated by facts and,
th erefore. for the dismissal OF the charges.
DR. Thomas l.. Hastings, president Of
the Union Theological seminary, also
argued in favor of dismissing the charges,
his reference to the pros tcutiOn being
somewhat caustic. He said the charges
should be dismissed for the sake of the
church.
During the discussion this excerpt from
letter written by Rev. Samuel l.. Ham
ilton was read: 81 have learned moro Of
the height aad depth, the length aud
breadth Of the word of God from DIR.
Briggs than from all other men together"
Dr. w. G. T. S.odd made an earnest
plea against the dismissal Of the
charges. arguing that "a dismissal would be
dodge Of the question by DR.. Briggs al
le9ed heretical utterings.
Some amendments to DIR. Van Dykes
resolution were adopted and accepted, and
The Resolution Was Adopted.
by'a vote of "a to 49, in the following form:
Resolved, That the presbytery of New York,
after having listened TO the paper Of Rev.
DIR. Charles A. Briggs in the case Of the Pres
byterian church in the United States Of Amer
lea against him as to the sufiicency of the
charges and the specifications in form and
legal effect, and without approving OF the posi-
tion stated in his inaugural address; at the
same time desiring earnestly the peace and
quiet Of the church, and in view OF the declar-
ations made by DIR. Briggs touching his 10y
atty TO the Holy Scriptures and the Westmin-
ster standards, and OF his disclaimers put on
some OF his big words. deems IL best to dismiss
the case and hereby does 80 dismiss it.
OF those voted aye seventy-one were
ministers and twenty-three elders. OF the
noes there were twenty-six ministers aud
thirteen elders.
Rev. DR.. George w. T. Birch, chairman
Of the prosecuting committee, gave notice
of an appeal 20 the synod. The synod may
decide to send the case back to the presby.
terry for trial.
DIR. Briggs was congratulated on all
sides. The presbytery adjourned until
next Monday
The sultan Means Businesa
LONDON, Nov. 5-The Sultan OF Turkey
has ordered hundreds OF heavy guns from
- Al ~ 80.