St. Paul daily globe., 1892-05-29
New York Presbytery Must
Proceed With Trial OF
DR.. Briggs.
Overwhelming Vote Favor
able to Sending Back
the Papers.
New PrecedentS in Church
Practice Established on
Short Notice.
Unions Chair Of Biblical
Theology de Jure Vacant
Spicy Talk.

PORTLAND, Or, May 2S.-The week
and the Briggs case have ended to-
gether so far as the general assembly is
concerned. By vote which under the
law of the church is to be reckoned as
429 to 81 the appeal against the action
of the Presbytery of New York in dis
missing the case has been sustained in
whole or in part. Final action is
deferred until Monday, but the action
then will be only formal, as the
constitution preScribes what it shall be.
The papers in the case will be sent back
to the presbytery and it Will be ordered
to proceed with the trial which it voted
to discontinue. The most lively con-
test OF the day was over allowing MEM
bers of the presbytery of New
York who were not commissioners
to speak in defense of the action of the
presbytery. The significance of the
decided vote by which this was allowed
is in the fact that it establishes prece-
dent in the practice of the church.
During the morning session George w.
Chlds, of Philadelphia, was introduced
to the assembly.
The appellants and the appellee in the
Briggs case were promptly on hand
when the assembly convened this morn-
ing. The supplementary report of the
committee on theological Seminaries
as presented recommended that special
care be taken that all students be in
structed to attend only such schools as
are under the supervision OF the gen
eral assembly, and that a similar re-
striction be placed upon the board of
education in making appropriations to
such students.
Briggs Chair Vacant.
With regard to the Union seminary,
the resolutions were brought back. The
seminary is declared to have failed to
comply with its obligations. The chair
of Biblical theology, occupied by DR..
Briggs, is de jure vacant. A second
resolution introduced declares that the
seminary is living In defiance of the
veto of the transfer of Dr. Briggs. and
insists upon the maintenance of the
compact as interpreted by the general
assembly.
The report goes on to recommend that
the assembly state that it is constrained
to insist upon Its Interpretation as given
in Detroit. 1t is also recommended that
the assembly declare that it cannot as
sent to the prayer of the directors of
the Union seminary, allowing the rela-
tions of the seminary to the assembly
to be severed. 1t is then rec
commended that the status quo be
recognized SO far as the difference of
opinion upon the Interpretation of the
compact, and that the matter be given
to committee of five selected by each
body, who shall select the other five;
that this committee of fifteen be a COM
mitteeof arbitration.
The minority report which was en-
tered was identical with an earlier re-
port looking to the peaceful withdrawal
of Union seminary and the formation Of
a new compact. The further conSidera-
tion of the matter was deferred till 10
o'clock Monday, or until the close of
the July trial case now before the as
sembly. The hearing of Briggs OH ap-
peal was then resumed.
At the afternoon session the debate of
the morning was continued until it was
cut Short by the ordering OF the previous
question, upon an amendment allowing
any member of the presDytery of New
York to speak. A vote was taken and
declared carried, and the roll of the
preSbytery was called. DR.. Bliss, mod
orator of the presbytery, spoke upon
the correctness of the StenOgraphic re-
port of the proceedings at the trial i'll
New York.