The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-06
BRIGGS'S TRIAL UNDER WAY.
DIR. BIRCH BEGINS the ARGUMENT
FOR THE PROSEt yTfpN

The Accused Minister Refuses to Nuke Ooth
nnd subject liim~cir to Cros-.cxnninn.
ton. ana the Galleries Applaud Three
Anti.Brigrs Men Btn,c Lost Their Votes.
The Presbytcry OF New York. sitting asa
judiciary. resumed tho trial OF Prof. Charles
A. Briggs for hcresy yesterday afternoon in
tho Scotch Presbyterian Church. There wcre
several requests from members OF the presby-
terry who were absent last week for tho ENROLL
ment OF their names. but the Ecv. C. $. Robin.
son objected. so that the necessary unanimous
consent was not obtained. Three ministers
were thus shut out from voting on the
charges. They were joseph L. Lcstrade,
Augustus II. l. Jcwett, and Vincent plsck.
All three. II their votes in tho past arc any in
dication. are opposed to Prot. Briggs. and tho
loss OF their votes is an important con dern-
ton In view Of tho close division OF the Pros
bytery.
Col. j. j. McCook OF the Prosecuting Com.
mitteo opened the proceedings by presenting
additional evidence for the prosecution. 1t
consisted Of the third edition OF Irof Briggss
inaugural address. extracts from Newmans
"Apologia.' and Martinique Sea. OF Author.
ity in Religion" and thrcc or four OF rrot.
BriGgs's works
This completed tho evidence OF the prosecu.
ton. and Prof. Briggs arose. us his own coun.
sci. to present the evidence for the accused.
He submitted the whole Of tho Scriptures the
Old Testament In Hebrew and the Scptua-
King James version OF tho Bible. and the re.
Hissd Version tU lie also snbmi ,ed the stand,
offered By his opponents. He read several OK.
tracts from the Con ieHsion. and followed them
SG by ssemtinE great q ,L
tn, The rs session Of tho Westpinster assembly;
New York lresbv,ery. Prof. Briggs read sew
eral EXTRACTS from his earlier writings. which
opinions no advanced in his inaugural ado
cor COT Mccook in sisted that Prof. Briggs should
maize onth TO his evidence as far as L was his
own writing but Prof. Briggs objected strenu.
Tho Prosecuting Committee has no right
DO enes he and mG ?I syi
viii give Their. the opportunity to cross.exam.
inc me. That's what they ar. aiming at Is
be for I'm say ana TO- show
conndnct Of the Prosecuting CopmitteeY"
phs az T Ensns 0Iss " this s"S:
where the sympathy q the galleries was. ."'''
prot h Rriec submitted the doc Gu said
cannot be called to take the oath except on
The Moderator, decided in Prof Briggs's
favor and the galleries applauded again. This
aroused the Ire OF several OF the presbyters.
mn" sS q hso o' tH s5 Il t Ss19
ienre wv was repeated hs words we're Tcceiyed
evdcnce ws bSS au r%
OF thu l'resbytery.
The heart of the trial was reached when the
Rev. q. W. I. Birch. Chairman OF tho Prosecute
ing Committee walked up to the desk at A..
O'clock and began to read from a volum inous
mnnuscript the Prosecutions argument
MIR. Moderator. fathers. and brethren OF
this venerable court" ho began. rehearsin9
first short history OF the famous case Of
Eural address on Jan. 20. 1891. He spoke OF
the categorical questions put to Prof. Briggs
his orthodoxy. md sharply criticised tho ao-
tiOn OF tho directors in assuming to be as in
dependent as tho Presbytery itscf. as he
termed 1t. in passing upon DR.. Briggs's ortho-
doXy themselves. He called this questioning
bit OF by-rlay. which amounted to taking
Prof. Briggs statement that he had said
nothing unsound. DIR. Birch called the Pres
tery's attention to the fact that the proper au-
thority under which it was acting was the law
Of the Presbyterian Church in America as set
forth by tho fathers OF the Church in 1888 and
not the say ings and doings Of Scotch Presby-
tcrlans. which were only history SO far as the
American Church WAS concerned.
No member OF this court will doubt" con.
Guided Dr. Birch that tho inaugural
deals with things vitality important to tho
Church 1t will lie my duty to- show You that
the inaugural address contradicts tho stand
ards Of our Church. l am here to maintain
that with my whole heart and mind
DR.. Birch will take IN to-day the specific
charges brought by the prosecution. and will
offer his arguments in proof Of the truth Of
each