Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-12-14
REV. DR.. BRIGGS REPLIES.
A Strong Rejoinder TO tho Arguments OF
the Prosecuting COmmitteo-Mrs. CleVe-
land Present.

A Strong Rejoinder to the Arguments OF
the Prosecuting COmmittee-Mrs. CleVe-
land Present.
New YORK, December 13. - The
Briggs heresy trial was resumed to-day.
The galleries of the old Scotch church
were crowded and the attendance OF
the brethren forming the court was un-
usually large. Among the prominent
people in the galleries was Mrs. Cleve-
land, wife OF the President-elect, &C
colnpanied by Rev. DR.. Wilton M.
Smith, pastor of the Central church, in
West Fifty-seventh street.
The large attendance was due to the
fact that DIR. Briggs was TO answer the
charges brought against him by the
prosecuting committee. DR.. Briggs
read from q printed pamphlet. He be-
gan by calling upon the judicial to dis
| miss all prejudice from their mind and
consider the case in the spirit OF Christ
and under his influence.
DR.. Briggs proceeded to consider the
points of the prosecuting committees
argument and asserted that the lines OF
prosecution adopted by them was Illegal
and diskonorable. The rulings made by
the judcatory precluded them from the
line OF argument pursued and showed
contempt of the judicatory. II the lat
ter sustain their own rulings as they
must then these charges must be
thrown out OF court
Much Of Mr.. McCook's argument,
said DR.. Briggs, was devoted to an ex-
position of the fourth and seventh
charges which were ruled ont by the
Presbytery. BY thus defying the Pres
bytery the prosecution succeeded in the
scheme of sending to the higher court
hereafter an argument in support OF the
truth of these two charges.
The defendant argued that no evil
dence had been advanced by the prose-
cutting committee to sustain charges l.,
", Y. and vi. ,and these charges shonld
be thrown out.
scMr. McCook has said that have not
re tracted any Of the statements made
by me in the inaugural addaess," con-
tinued DR.. Briggs. "But why should l?
When il is shown that l have made er-
roneous statements, then l will retract,
but not before. There has been no
proof offered yet thatI have been guilty
of heretical teachings, and il this was
civil court should stop right here and
ask that the case be dismissed. But l
recognize the fact that this trial Is mere
ly for the purpose Of carrying these
charges to a higher ecclesiastical tri.
bunal, and so l am forced to consider
them on their merits"
DR.. Briggs then proceeded to take up
successiyely the charges and specifca-
tions and to give categorical response
I'm his argument which was remarkable
for it's wide resources, profound erudi-
tion and close reasoning.
DIR. Briggs first called attention to the
preliminary principles which regulate
All trials for heresy in the Presbyterian
Church of the United States OF Ameri-
ca. which he said have been entirely
disregarded by the prosecution in
their arguments upon the amend
ed charges and specifications.
| Presbvterian law requires that
the charges should set forth
that certain teachings are In irreconcil-
ahle conflict with certain doctrines
which are essential and necessary TO the
Westminster standards and Holy Scrip
tnres. As to dangerous errors, not in
i
| ,rrsconcilable conflict with essential
and necessary articles of the Westmin-
ster confession, this Presbytery had not
constitutional right to deal with them.
There is a double standard, double
rnle of faith in the Presbyterian church.
Ir afirms that Holy Scripture
is the only infallible rule Of
faith and practice. But it also
declares that the Westminster comics
sion and catschisms constitute the
oficial rule of faith in the Presbyterian
cbnrch. Holy Scripture is the infallible
tevt of every statement in the West
oinster standards, and no man can be
nroven guilty Of heresy or sin who Is
not in conflict with Holy Scripture. 1t
mnst be shown that the doctrine against
which the charge is made is contrary
tn the. Holy Scripture, or 60 the regula-
ATOMS and practice of the church found
ed thereon
DR.. Briggs next considered s'the BIZ
Bile. tbe,op n q oisihe Ansner-