The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-01
NO SHORTER CREED NOW.
THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY CON-
mITTEE SHELVES THE MATTER
BY Reporting That in View of the Present
Agitation of the Church II Is Not Expe-
dient-Pnrkhurst Attaoked-Other Church

PORTLAND Ore, May 23.-Dr. Briggs
has arrived after pleasant trip over the
Union Pacific. He WAS accompanied by
Mrs Briggs and is looking improved in
health by his journey. He is prepared
for any duty which NAV be required of
him in connection with questions to come
before the assembly touching upon him
self. DR.. Bartlett of Washington present
ed a report on Indian schools. 1t was rec
commended that henceforth all public
moneys for Indian education should be
expended by government officials and that
appropriations for sectarian schools
should absolutely close. The constitu-
tional amendment now pending looking
to this end, was heartily approved. The
order of the day having arrived, report of
standing committee on missions and
freedmen was presented by DR..
Sutherland, chairman. The report
of the board of missions and
freedmen showed that 81 missionaries
had been sent out during the year; that
800 churches and missions had been aided
hnu Elknbf lOuIbCCn OOdlu-
ing schools maintained with total of
1929 pupils. The receipts amounted to
over Sl72, 900, with expenditures almost
equal. The board also has under its
charge 276 Sunday with 1921
scholars. Two new school buildings have
been erected at an expense of S260,000.
The committee on bills and overtures
reported that it is not considered wise in
view of the present agitation in the church
to proceed Immediately with the prepare
ton of the shorter creed. This shelves
the matter for another year. The final re-
port of the committee on revision OF the
confession OF faith was presented. None
of the changes proposed impair the in
tegrity OF the Calvanistic system of the
confession. The action proposed by the
committee consists of twenty-eight over
lures, each one covering a change TO the
confession. The report says:
1T was found impossible to meet the
individual preferences of every presby-
terry without setting aside what were
known to be the views of the large ma
jority of the church. There was an eiiort
made to see harmony at any sacrifice.
The report is the very best that the COM
mite has been able to prepare"
A special order Tor , o'clock was the
HANb0hbtALArh Va tAAN NBOA 70 OAA NbhANA NANo
OF the assembly's committee with the di-
rectors of the union seminary, by the vice
chairman of the committee, DR.. William
+. Moore, and by Mr.. K:ngsly, secretary
of the unions directory, who
had been sent as special
messengerby that body. In each case
there was a double report. The report
prepared by Dr. Patton, the chairman,
gave brief account OF the proceedings at
the conference with formal papers, which
had been passed at the conference. 1t
ended with single recommendation that
status quo "be recognized in hope that
some action may be taken which may lead
TO harmonious adj ustment of all matters
at ISSUE"
A memorial from the seminary was
also presented, in which it was claimed
that the assembly at Detroit last year
transcend its power under the agreement
in such a way as to inflict serious wrong
upon the seminary. The veto OF DIR.
Briggs was the first test applied to the
agreement, and it has proved disturbing
to the "peace and harmony of the
church." which it was intended to pro-
| mote. The opinions of DR.. Musgrave, Prof
Archibald Hodge and Prof. Henry B..
| Smith were quoted to show the historical
| sense of agreement.
The directors add: "0ur loyalty alike
| to the church and to the united seminary
| constrains us TO believe that il would be
better for both church and seminary that
the relations which existed harmoniously
| between the two for more than third of a
century, before 1870. should now be re-
stored" This can be done without alter
| ing the presbyterian.c oil the insti-
tuition, for it was presbyterian before the
veto was granted, and all its history is
| thoroughly presbyterian. The other
reasons for the request for dissolution of
relations were limited at but not men,
] toned.
PORTLAND, Ore, May 25.-Foreign mission
engaged the attention of the presbyterian gem
eral assembly today. The board maintains 30
ordained American missionaries. Last year
the receipts were $3.50. 900. During the reading
| OF this report and subsequent speeches attend
ants were busily engaged in distributing an
octave volume Of 272 pages containing the
Record of the case" against DR.. Briggs, pre-
| pared by the prosecuting committee.
After some debate on the case il was decided
to refer all the papers back to the COM
| mittee on theological seminaries. The
report Of the Judicial committee on the appeal
| of the committee prosecution from the ac-
| ton on the New York presbytery in dismissinR
the case of DIR. Briggs was taken up. There
was a long wrangle.
| PORTLAND, Ore, May 21.-Ihe Briggs
case is still on, and the assembly will con
tinue night sessions to save time. The
lines in the appeal case are being drawn
more closely. At the afternoon session
Elder Junkin offered a resolution to bring
matters before the court to a close.
He proposed to reverse tie decision
of the decision of the presbytery
send the papers and direct the pres
| bytery of New York to try the case
upon its merits without prejudice to
either party. He declared the assembly
cannot try he case at this session upon its
merits
The moderator ruled that the case must
proceed. DR.. Birch going over the grounds
OF appeal and DR.. Briggs being heard in
the rebuttal.
PORTLAND. Ore. May 2s.-The week and
the Briggs case have ended together 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 dismissing
the case has been sustained in whole or in part
4 - H.