The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-10-06
THE ee,ccs HEREsy CASE


the only true source of divine authority
disbelief in the verbal inspiration and in
errancy of the Scriptures; and disbelief il
the immediate sanctiication at death o
the souls of those dying in the faith
The presbytery must now decide whether
Professor Briggs shall be tried. 1t hai
the power to Quash the indictment, but
there is little probability of this course
being pursued. Discussion of the indict
ment will not be in order for some time
Professor Briggs must. have ten days tc
prepare his answer, and the trial viii
probably be set down for the latter part Of
this month
Professor Briggs YVES one of the first tc
arrive this morning He looked cheerful
and moved that his case be taken up the
first thing this afternoon. The motion
was defeated
The report had been presented to the
| meeting and routine business was in pro-
gress, when DR.. George Alexander moved
to suspend the order of business of the
day and asked to be allowed TO present a
resolution in the Briggs matter.
Immediately the meeting was thrown
into a state of ferment. A dozen clergy
men jumped to their feet to protest against
| DR.. Alexander'S motion. Some declared
it was out of order, and in the confusion
the moderator seemed to lose his head. He
! finally ruled that the motion was in order.
I
prosecuting committee, appealed from the
decision of the moderator, but it was sus
/ tanned. Dr. Birch then gave notice of an
appeal to the synod from the decision.
DR.. Alexander was called upon to state
the nature of the resolution which he in
| tended to offer. He said that it was to dis
! charge the committee from further consid-
! Grafton and rest the judicial proceedings
! This, of course, would have the effect of
bringing up a general discussion of the
Briggs case, with little or no reference to
the report.
Dr. Alexander, in giving his reasons for
suspension, read the resolution. The
preamble sets forth the fact that Profess
sor Briggs since his accusation had sup
plemented his answer to the charges by
answering numerous questions. These
questions and Professor Briggs answers
are part of the preamble. The resolu-
tion of Dr. Alexander was to the effect
that the presbytery, in view Of these later
declarations of Professor Briggs, deemed
it expedient to arrest further proceedings
and to discharge the committee from fur
ther consideration of the matter.
Charles S. Robinson protested against
Dr. Alexander's resolution. 1t was
scheme, he said, to try DR.. Briggs by
speeches not testimony. 1t was simply
deadly to DR.. Briggs.
DR.. Birch said that it would be condemn
ing without trial, and other members of
the presbytery spoke in similar strain
AT l O'Clock an adjournment was taken,
when some action on DR.. Alexander's
resolution will be taken.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
NEW YORK, Oct. 5-Great interest was
manifested today in the meeting of the
New York presbytery in the Scotch Pres
byterian church, because the charge of
heresy against Rev. DR.. Briggs was expect
ed to come up. The proceedings were to
be begun at IL O'Clock, but a preliminary
meeting was held in the chapel. Here it
was moved that the presbytery should re-
main until the recess, and the motion
passed after some discussion. In conse-
quence of this the morning session was
held without the participation of large
number of presbyters. who sat waiting in
the church. Rev. Dr. Bliss was chosen
moderator. This was declared to be vic
tory for the anti-Briggs men. After some
preliminary business the question of hear
ing the report of the committee on prose-
cution, which was to present the indict-
ment against DR.. Briggs, came up. Imme-
distely there was turmoil.
When DR.. Birch, chairman of the COM
mittee got up to read the report, Dr. Alex
ander also arose and said that he had a
resolution to offer before the report was
read This was practically motion to
n
last effected, by which DIR. Alexander was
TO read his resolution, after which the
presbytery was to decide whether it was
of sufficient importance and relevancy TO
delay the hearing of the report of the COM
mittee The resolution that DR.. Alex
ander proposed to offer was to the effect
that this presbytery, without pronounciEg
on the efficiency of DR.. Briggs later de-
clarations to cover all points concerning
which the accused had been called in ques-
tion, deemed it expedient to arrest the
judicial proceedings and hereby discharged
the committee from further consideration
Of the case.
A dozen presbyters were straightway on |
their feet talking excitedly. A dozen diff !
ferent motions were made at once, and DR.. |
took his seat in perfect tur- !
moil. after moving to suspend the order |
of the day, to let in his resolution. DR.. |
Briggs sat uumoved throughout the |
scene.
Rev. DR.. Birch said that no friend of DR.. |
Briggs could afford to vote for the motion |
offered by DR.. Alexandr, with the view of |
disposing of the real question at issue in
the manner proposed by him. DIR. Birch |
said that the report did not condemn Dr.
Briggs; it simply reported the charges
against him. 1t would be for the presby-
terry to pass judgment on him.
Rev. DR.. c. l.. Thompson was on his feet
when DR.. Birch sat down. He urged that
far greater interests were at stake this
time than the outcome OF the proposed
trial The revision, for instance, of the
confession of faith, which was now ap-
a happy conclusion, would be
endangered by proposing this
matter at this time. An ecclesiastical |
trial now meant an ecclesiastical trouble
rs wide rs the latitude of the church The
peace of the church, he said, had not been
DR.. Thompson made a strong
appeal for liberty in the church and urged
hat the course suggested by DR.. Alexan-
der be adopted.
\ recess was then taken aud the ques-
ion went over, a vote not having been
1 ken on DR.. AleXander's motion to sus-
pend the order of the day.
When the presbytery reconvened DR.
Alexander withdrew his previous motion
20 have the consideration of his resolution
1recede the hearing of the committees in
iictment against DR. Briggs. He said
hat be would put it of until after the
report had been read.
The reading OF the report then followed
DR.. Birch prefsced the reading of the re-
BORT by saying that the committee had
'arefully weighed the several charges
made against DR.. Briggs and that it had
decided that it would be more expeditions
Ind at the same time bear out the sense OF
he presbytery to confine the report TO
What was contained in the inaugural ad-
iress alone, as that was also the most de-
iherate and emphatic expression of DR..
8rlggs' views. The report which DR..
Birch presented was as follows:
'First-By direction of the presbvtery
he inaugural address was the original
ubject of inquiry by a COMMITTEES. and il
vas upon the report of that committee
hat the judicial Investigation was insti-
uted.
''Second-Becsuse of the recent publica-
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