Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-05-30
DOCTOR BRIGGS'S CASE.
The Appeal to the Assembly Sustained
in Its Entirety.
A RESOLUTION OFFERED TO SEND
The Whole Matter Back to the Prssbytery Of New
York With Instructions 10 Try the Case Upon
It's Merits, Referred to Committee With
Instructions TO Report To-Day.

tional exercises yesterday morning In
the General Assembly. The appel
lants and appelle in the Briggs case
were promptly on hand.
The supplementary report OF the Com
mittee on Theological Seminaries as pre-
sented recommended that special care
be taken that all students be directed
TO attend only such schools as are under
the supervision of the General Assembly
and that similar restriction be
places on the Board of Education In
making appropriations to such students.
With regard to the Union Seminary,
the former resolutions were brought
back which had been previously intro
duced almost without change. The
seminary is declared to have failed to
comply with its obligations. The chair
of biblical theology, occupied by Dr..
Briggs, is dejure vacant. A second
resolution declares that the seminary Is
living in defiance OF the veto OF the
transfer Of DR.. Briggs, and insists upon
the maintenance Of the contract as In
terpreted by the General Assembly. The
report goes on to recommend that the
Assembly report that 1t is constrained
to insist on its Interpretation as given
in Detroit. 1t also recommended that
the Assembly declare that 1t cannot as
sent to the prayer of the directors OF
Union Seminary allowing the relations
of the Seminary to the Assembly to be
severed. 1t is then recommended that
the status quo be recognized, so far as
the difference Of opinion upon the inter-
probation of the compact, and that the
matter be given to a committee OF five,
selected by each body, who shall select
the other five, that this committee OF
fifteen, be such a committee of arbitra-
tors.
The minority report which was enter
ed was identical with an earlier report
looking to the peaceful withdrawal OF
Union Seminary, and the formation Of
new compact. The further consider
alton of the matter was deferred till
10 o'clock Monday or till the close OF
the trial case now before the Assembly.
The hearing Of Briggs on appeal was
then resumed.
The case of the appellant was taken
up by Rev. Lamp, member of the pros
ecuting committee, and was followed by
Elder McCook. There both sides rested
and the question was raised whether
members OF the New York Presbytery
have a right to speak under the rule
that opportunity shall be given men,
bers of the judicial appeals to be heard.
The Moderator decided in the afiirma-
tive and an appeal was taken. After
dellberation the Moderator withdrew
his decision, expressing his desire that
the point should be settled by the house.
Pending the putting OF the question
whether the rule should be interpreted
to allow all members OF the New York
Presbytery to speak on the floor OF the
Assembly, the hour of adjournment ar
rived, and the matter went over till the
afternoon session.
Upon gathering for the afternoon ses-
sion the debate Of the morning was con-
tinued until it was cut short by order Of
the previous question upon an amend
ment allowing any member OF the Pres
bytery Of New York to speak. Vote
was taken and declared carried and the
roll OF the Presbytery was called. Mem
bers OF the Assembly were heard. Rev.
Service said that he had heard nothing
which showed that the extraordinary
course of appealing over the head of the
Synod was necessary, and until that
necessity is shown the appeal should
not be sustained.
Mr.. Ernshaw. OF the Synod of New
York, considered everything In order
and reasons for dismissal allowable.
DR.. Agnew gave reasons why he must
vote to sustain.
Elder Junklns said that DR.. Briggs
had been wronged by his Presbytery.
They shirked the Issue and In their ver-
dict put in many things which did not
belong there.
DR.. Laurie, of Pennsylvania, spoke Of
DR.. Briggs in such way that the Mod
orator called him to order and he re-
tracted bis words. He denied that Dr.
Briggs's ayowal Of loyalty to the stand
ard of the Church was sufficient.
Rev. Potter, of Michigan, contended
that 1t was entirely in the discretion OF
the committee to select the place where
the appeal should go.
Judge Steel said the Presbytery should
not be censured. II must" said he,
vote my conviction that the Presby-
terry Of New York was right and abso-
lutely right"
Expiration Of the time limit made
the taking of the vote the next order OF
the day. Just before taking the vote
the Moderator made statement Of the
power of the Assembly In case the ap-
peal should be sustained. That power
goes TO the extent that it is competent
to reverse the judgment OF the Pfesby-
terry and TO send the case back for trial
upon the same charges and specifca-
tions which are allowable. 1t is not
competent for the Assembly to try the
case upon its merits. The fret specifi-
cation under the first ground OF appeal
after being read was sustained by vi
va voce vote. From this action two
members protested.
The reading Of the specifications and
voting continued throughout the six
grounds of appeal, with their twenty
five specifications, covering fourteen
octave pages of ordinary print. Each
specification was sustained apparently
by the same vote. Upon the final
question the yeas and nays were called,
and the vote was announced as follows:
.sSustSin as a WHOLE" 302; Sustain in
part" l27; mot to sustain" 81. Total
vote sic.
AS soon as the vote was announced,
Judge SayIor moved resolution Of pur-
port as follows:
Whereas. the appeal In this case has
been sustained by the Assembly,
RESOLVED, That the verdict Of the Pres
bytery Of New York be reversed In all par
ticulars, and.
RESOLVED. That all papers In the case be
returned 70 the stated clerk ofithat Pres