The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-31
ROOFING OUT HERESY
Conduct of Union Theological
Seminary Disapproved.
LAST ACTION ON BRIGGS CASE.
Sunday Opening OF Worlds Fair Again
Condemned-A New United Pres
byterian synod.

PORTLAND, May 3o-The reading Of
minutes in the general assembly today
contained q Renaissance of the feeling
which was excited by the precipitate &C
ton of Friday night upon the revision. A
protes. is to be formulated and introduced
at later date.
The mayor Of Portland was presented
today and addressed the assembly. After
unimportant business, Judge Ewing intro
duced the following resolution in the
Briggs case. 1t is mainly formal and is
only important In its wording:
The general assembly, having, on the 2ssh
day of May, 1892, duly sustained all the specifi-
cations for error alleged. it fs now ordered
that the judgment of the presbytery Of New
York, entered November 4, 1891, dismiss
ing the case of the Presbyterian church
in the United States OF America agaiust Rev.
Charles A. Briggs, D. D., be and the same il
hereby reversed, aud the case is remanded 10
the presbytery of New York for new trial, with
directions to the said presbytery to
proceed to pass upon aud determine
the sufficiency of the charges and specifca-
tions in form and legal affect. and to permit the
prosecuting committee to amend the specifica-
tons or charges, not changing the general ma
ture OF the same II, In the furtherance of JUS
tice, 1t be necessary to amend so that the case
may be brought to issue and tried on the merits
thereof a. speedily az may be practicable.
The supplementary" report of the ma
iority of the committee was then read,
followed by that of the minority. These
reports were essentially the same as those
presented last Wednesday, without the
''harmony" then enjoined. The majority
had added certain phrases which were
considered Objectionable by many; for
instance. that referring to the "non-com-
pliance" of the Union seminary directors,
and Failure to comply with the. OBJ
legations contained in the compact
of 1870" Another resolution was
plainly aimed at Union seminary,
and declared, in the words of commits
sioner, a "plain boycott" The memorial
of the seminary for a dissolution OF rela-
tions was recommended for denial. At
this point the minority report commended
opposite action and the formation of
new compact. A substitute was Of
fered by DIR. Blayney, of Kentucky,
which accepted most of the proposal of the
majority, but which toned down their Ian
guage. Instead of declaring that DR..
Briggs chair is de jure vacant, he pro-
posed to say that the election of
DR.. Briggs is incomplete" Dis
of the morning hour, and covered every
thing from the inception of the compact Of
1870 till the close of the minority report.
1t was shown that arbitration is out OF the
question, and that the only problem is in
regard to the new status introduced by the
Union seminary's memorial asking the
severance of relations. Many strong words
were used, but no result was reached.
= - - - L. la. -
the majority, DR.. Lampman, of Newark,
said that the committee recommended
both declaration of war and procla-
nation of a truce. In closing he said:
what I object to is that you
should come with a flag of truce in one
hand and club in the other to beat out
the brains Of this institution" meaning
Union seminary. He was called upon to
retract, but tho moderator allowed the
words as a figurative statement of the
speakers views.
The special order for o'clock was the
report of the committee on Sabbath OBJ
servance, presented by Colonel Shepard,
of New York. For a second time the as
sembly entered protest against the open
ing of the Worlds fair on Sunday. Action
of similar nature will be taken on the
report of the standing committee.
A slight unpleas antness in the board of
home missions cropped out in the report
of the committee on that subject. The
senior secretary has been elected contrary
to the previous practice. A protest was
entered against the implied distinction,
though it was disclaimed that such dis
tinction is implied or intended. 1t was
recommended that the matter be referred
back to the board for consideration.
The report on temperance evoked con.
siderable discussion. Prohibition was not
so much as mentioned by name, though
practically the same thing was indorsed.
On suggestion of the moderator the
report of the theological seminary COM
mittee was made special order for
this evening and vote ordered
taken at the end of discussion limited to
an hour. The discussion was spirited
throughout. dealing mainly with the
question of arbitration and the appoint
ment of committee to confer with the
directors OF all the seminaries, with view
| to forming new arrangement between
them and the assembly. The mod
| orator took the floor to advocate a
substitute offered by DIR. Green
| of New Jersey. The vote was taken on
| the nrSt portion OF the mlnOrlty'S report,
allowing the Union seminary to withdraw,
and it was lost with roar, few voting in
favor of the motion. The rest of the re-
| port was then voted down. DR.. Green's
substitute then came up and was adopted
seriatim. The paper thus adopted was as
| follows:
| Having regard to the overtures and all the
papers in the case, the assembly takes the fol.
| lowing action:
! First-Thar the assembly indorses the inter-
probation OF the compact OF 1870 as expressed by
! the action of lS7l.
| secoud-That the assembly declines to be a
| party TO the breaking of the compact with the
| Union Theological seminary.
| Third-rhat the assembly is persuaded that
| the church should have direct connection with
| and control over its theological semiparies
Fourth-That the assembly appoint a COM
| mittee OF fifteen to take into consideration the
| whole subject Of the relations of the assembly
! to its theological seminaries, confer
| with the directors of those SEM
| inaries and report to the next general
! assembly such action as in its judgment will