New-York tribune., 1891-05-18


committee appointed last year at Saratoga to revise
tine Westminster Confession of Faith and with overt
ures from about eighty Presbyteres in regard 10 he
Union theological seminary. some asking the Assem-
bly, to veto the appointment Of Professor Briggs whose
Inaugural Address Biblical theology has LED MS own
Presbyery in New-York 10 begin judicial prOceedhes
against himwith these two among other topics OF I'M
portance which are expected, the coming Assembly
promises to be a memorable one
Extensive preparations haze been made for entertain
Ing the hundreds of commissioners and their wiVes
besides officers and patrons OF the various boards Oh 'he
Church. returned missionaries and those about 10 20
abroad or TO the frontier For the third time in its
history this city is TO entertain the General Assembly
birtvone wears ago when there two branches to
the Northern Church-the Old School and the New
schoolthe Assembly of the latter body met here with
the Rev. Dr. D. II. Riddle, OF Pttsburg, as lhe
Moderator. In 1872, two years after the reunion OF
the two bodies, the General Assembly again hohoreu
Detroit with its presence and the Rev. Dr. samuel D.
Nccolh Of St Louis presided its deliberations.
If ,s not uossible at this time to say who will be the
next Moderator Last year. Saratoga the lines were
drawn on the question of the revision OF the west
minister standards and the Rev. Dr. William r. moore
OF Columbus, Ohio, for number Of years the fer'
manent Clerk Of the Assembly, moderate IeVlsiohSe
was nominated by Dr. Herrick Johnson. OF Chicago
revisionist and the motion was seconded by Df'
Agnew Of Philadelphia an anti-revisonlst.
This wear II seems probable that the question OF
the orthodoxy of Dr. Briggs will be the principal issue
and 1t is possible that this subject may decide the eec
ton Among those whose names have been meitloheu
so far are Dr. Charles A Dichey, Of Philadelphia Pro-
fcssor Green Princeton Seminary and Professor Rob
erts. OF Lane Seminary. Some friends Of Dr. John
Hall a New-York suggested that it would be grace
full thing and one which would give general satisfaction
to the Church at large, to him as the Moderator
but he has decided LET his alternate go in his place
DR. MOORE TO PREACH THE OPENING SERMON
The meetings Of the Assembly will be held in the
Fort Street Presby terrain Church, Of which the heV
Dr. Wallace Radcliffe is pastor; ana VIII oesn y"
Thursday at IL a. m. usual the retiring MODERATOR
will nreach a sermon occupying about an hour, after
which the Commissioners will retire for luncheon anu
discuss probable candidates for the ModeIaOrsmp Al
three O'Clock the Assembly will convene ana te eiec
ton will take place. After two or three reports nave
been presented preparations will be made for ule
observance Of the Lords supper in the evening I'd
Friday morning the standing committees Will be ap
pointed. and the Assembly will be in fun session
The reports which will receive the most public at
+enton especially outside of the Presbyterian denom-
tnation will be those submitted by the special com
mittees appointed to report this year. These lnciude
one on the Worlds Fair, Church unity, another
on the revision of the proof texts Of the Westminster
Confession Of Faith, and one on the Increase Of min
is+ers But the most vital of all the sixteen
reports expected will be that the revision OF the
Confession Of Faith. Transcendng all OF thcse now
ever will be the discussion of the question whether or
not Dr. Briggs Is orthodox
Professor Briggs has long been recognized as the
leading American exponent of higher criticism. His
Riblcal Theology his Messianic Prophecy the Pre-
diction of the Fulfment Of the Redemption through
the Messiah and "Whither7" had made his name pop
ular even before his recent inaugural address, es
peciay among the younger men in the denomination
with many of whom he is more than faVorite
"whither71 was thought by some to be revolutionary
bn+ the address delivered at his Inauguration as
nrofessor OF the Edward Robinson chair OF Biblical
theology in the seminary last January has aroused