The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-20
THE PREs.YrEaIAN GENERAL AS
SEMBLY.

| The general assembly of the Presbyterian
| church opened yesterday at Portland.
| Or. Among the important subjects that
| ment is the revision Of the Confession of
| Faith, and the celebrated Briggs case; the
| question whether DIR. Briggs is orthodox
| or unorthodox in his teachings as pro-
| lessor of systematic theology in Union
| Theological Seminary as judged by his
writings.
| 0n the decision reached by this general
assembly in the case of DIR. Briggs de-
| ponds probably whether there will be
| henceforth division in the Presbyterian
| church between the old and new school
| and consequently the creation or organi-
cation of another church. DIR. Briggs
| started for Portland from New York on
! Wednesday last; his case cannot very well
| come up in the general assembly before
| the 23d inst. and it is quite likely it will
not be reached until the end of the month,
or until the assembly is well into the Sec
ond week of its session. The only way in
| which it can come before the assembly is
| on the appeal OF the prosecuting commit
| tee of the New York presbytery against
the decision Of that body in dismissing
the case.
The general assembly, of course, may
decline to entertain the appeal. but there
will doubtless be more or less exhaustive
discussion on the merits of the case even
on the question whether the appeal shall
be entertained or not. The friends of DIR.
Briggs believe that the committee on prose
cution will find themselves checkmated at
the general assembly by the complaint to
the synod Of DR.. Briggs and his friends
against the ruling of the presbytery last
fall when the case against him was dis
missed.
When the case was dismissed by the
New York presbytery motion was made
10 dismiss the committee of prosecution.
The moderator declared the motion out of
order, on the ground that the committee
was committee OF prosecution represent
ing the Presbyterian church in the United
States of America, and therefore an orig
inal party independent of the presbytery.
On an appeal being made to the house
uEalHSt tIat tAc Was
sustained by vote of Ga to 81. Against
that decision DR.. Brown and others gave
notice of complaint to the synod. That
body meets next autumn. According to
the law of the church that complaint acts
rs stay, and in the opinion of many
Presbyterians well versed in the law of
the church. the general assembly must, in
obedience to its own laws, reject the appeal
of the committee against the decision of
the presbytery while the question is sub
judice before the synod.
DR.. Briggs and his friends have made a
regular complaint to the synod against the
ruling of the New York presbytery. Ac-
cording to section 50, of the Book of Dis
ciphne. whenever a complaint, in cases
non judicial, is entered against n decision
of a judcatory. signed by at least one
third of the members recorded as present
when the action was taken, the execution
Of such decision shall be stayed until the
final issue of the case by the superior
judicatory," The complaint of DR.. Briggs
and his friends against the ruling referred
to has been regularly taken. al the forms
according To- the Book Of Discipline have
/ been complied with, and Dr.. Briggs friends
| believe that It will prevent the general as
/ sembly entertaining the appeal OF the
/ committee on prosecution. especially as
| that committee has itself also q complaint
/ before the synod in the same manner, and
| are thus appealing on the same matter to
| two different bodies ut the same time
! The complaint Of Rev. Dr. Briggs and
/ his friends against the ruling OF the New
/ York presbytery on the question whether
/ the committee of prosecution was an
! original party or not is signed by ia men,
| hers Of the presbytery. many more than
/ the REQUIRED number. The moderator's
/ ruling was sustained by 81 votes TO ST. the
/ total number Of those voting being there
/ fore III. OF these I'll members OF the
/ presbysery sixty-six have actually signed
| Dr. Briggs complaint. thereby practically
reverting the presbytery : ruling. and con-
! sequcntly everything the moderator by SIS
votes 10 ~, Nine men who voted on sus-
tanning the chair have changed their
minds. presumably because they did not
understand the question. In their COM
| plant to the synod DR.. Briggs and his
| friends say;
| The committee being a creature Of psesby.
! terry had no rEht 20 appeal from the decision
| az presbyteVy in voting ~ large majority
"a TO S9 II dismiss the a:1resai ease. Yet tn,
| the seton % presoytery in sustaining the rul-
ing OF the moderator, s. above. permitted them
| 10 do By this appeal % the committee tie
| pre- hytery is placed ia the absurd position OF
| being comreGei 10 defend it, own action
in dismissiuE a case, not azaiu.i the complaint
OF sny Individual, nor - ast the apVeal OF one
| who has suffered Personal 3ctsimcat by a
/ judicial decision. h0t against = committee
/ which was appointed hy and derives all It's au-
tharl;y from The very body against whose iuIr-
! nent It now proposes - maintain is opinion
This anomalous situation results from the
| actlca q thu pTeshytery IN sustaining the
! moderator.
The natural reelection in all this matter
IS that trial Tor heresy does nos mean "a
the hereto what L did when convection
sent the hereto - the stake as it did in
the case Of John Huss, Se-yetus. Jerome
( OF Prague. Sayonayoja, Arnold Of Brescia.
and the poor wietches whom Henry the
Eighth ana Bloody Mary sent to the fires
Of Smithdeld. hereto today Of the
dimensions Of Or. Briggs. If convicted.
walks o.: Of court. ana. like Professor
Swing, Of Chicago, 5 very apt 10 carry
! his congregation 1T least with him.