Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-10
BRIGGS TRIAL is ON.
The First Day Only the Charges
Against the Professor Are Read.
A TEST VOTE rs AGAINST HIN.
Adjournment Until After Thanksgiving
Is Agreed to, When
THE PROFESSORS REPLY is TO COME

the old Scotch Church in West Fourteenth
street, with all the formality and pomp
which the Presbyterian Church demands in
judicial proceedings Rev. John Bliss,
d. D., the Moderator of the New York
Presbytery, sat IN the pulpit, with the
clerks, Revs. S. d. Alexander and j. h.
Hoadley, on either side Directly under the
Moderator sat the defendant, Prof Briggs,
and on the other side of the aisle were the
members of the Committee of Prosecution,
Revs. G. W. F. Birch, j. j. Lampe, E. f.
Sample and Elders j. J. McCook and j. j.
Stevenson.
In the first pew Just behind DR.. Briggs sat
his warm friend, Prof Francis Brown, Of
Union Theological Seminary, who is as
thoroughly posted on the intricacies of the
famous theological case as Prof Briggs him.
self. The body of the church was filled with
the ministers and elders who constitute the
Presbytery, and who are to decide the ques-
tion of Prof Briggs orthodoxy. Some OF
the ministers present were Henry Van
DYKE. j. H. NicIlvaine, Robert r. Booth,
Thomas S Hastings, Francis II. Marling,
Henry NJ. Field, C. Ii. Parkhurst, Edward
L. Clark, Howard Dufiield, Henry NJ. Nc
Cracken, John r. Paxton, George L. Prem
tiss Charles L. Thompson, George L. Spin
ming, Marvin L. Vincent and David q.
Wylie.
Many Women Among the Audience.
Around the edge of the galleries was
fringe OF spectators, mostly women, watch
ing the proceedings narrowly. In the front
row sat a middle aged W oman and two young
women who had keener interest in what
was going on below than any OF the other
spectators Thev were Mrs Briggs and
the two daughters of the professor.
As soon as the roll had been called the
Moderator cad the resolution of the Gen.
eral Assembly ordering the trial, and called
upon DR. Birch's committee to present their
charges. Prof. Briggs was on his feet first
"I do not want 10 delay proceedings" he
said, but there are certain preliminary OBJ
iections which / must make on the rights of
the Committee OF Prosecution to act as an
original party"
The accused professor said he put in these
objections in order to perfect appeals he
may make in the future The ground of his
objections and the answer which was made
by Colonel McCook Tor the committee were
the old arguments already advanced by
both sides
Rev. DIR. R. f. Booth arose to a point OF
order, maintaining that discussion was not
in place, as the Presbytery must proceed to
treat in compliance with the General As
sembly's order.
The Moderator Easily Sustained.
DR., Briggs asserted that he had right to
speak again and meet Colonel McCook's ar
guments, but the Moderator decided that
discussions should stop on the preliminaries,
aud that the trial should proceed.
Prot Francis Brown appealed from the
decision of the chair, but by rising vote
the Moderator was sustained, 73 to S. This
was the first setback, although on a merely
technical point, for DR.. Briggs
"Now the question comes up" said the
Moderator, "whether the Committee of
Prosecution is ready to present the
original or amended charges"
Chairman Birch stepped to the open space
under the pulpit and said the committee
had prepared amended charges and was
ready to offer them. 1t was o'clock when
he began to read them to the Presbytery.
Eight specific charges are made in the
amended paper, instead of the two made in
the original report of the Committee of
Prosecution. The old charges were Of a
very general nature, and the numerous
specifications under them brought out the
points in which DR.. Briggs was alleged to err,
which now appear in the main charges in
new dress The amended charges make
printed pamphlet of Sc pages, which con-
tain many extracts from Prof Briggs in
augural and writings, and from the script
.ures and the Westminster standards, which
are alleged to contradict Prof Briggs
statements
The Charges as they Now Read.
Prof Briggs now stands charged by the
PRESBYTERIAN Church in the United States
of America through the Committee of
Prosecution with teaching:
That the reason is a fountain of divine
authority which may and does Savingly en-
tighten men, even such men as reject the
Scriptures the authoritative proclama-
tion of the will OF God and reject also the
way OF salvation through the mediation and
sacrifice OF the Son of God as revealed
therein; which is contrary to the essential
doctrine of the Holy Scripture and of the
standards OF the said church. that the Holy
Scripture is most necessary and the rule OF
faith and practice.
That the church is q fountain of divine
authority which, apart from the Holy
Scripture, may and does savingly enlighten
men, which ls contrary to the essential
doctrine of the Holy Scriptures and of the
standards of the said church, that the Holy
Scripture is most necessary and the rule of
the fa1th and practice.
That errors may have existed in the orig
inal text OF the Holy Scripture as it came
from its authors, which is contrary to the
essential doctrine taught inthe Holy Script
ure and in the standards of the said church:
that the Holy Scripture is the word of God
written Immediately inspired and the rule
of faith and practice.
Omniscience Is Even Denied.
That many of the Old Testament's predfc-
tions have been reversed by history and
that the great body of Messianic prediction
has not and cannot be fulfilled; which is
contrary to the essential doctrine of the
Holy Scripture and of the standards Of the
said church, that God is true, omniscient
and Interchangeable.
That Moses is not the author Of the Penta-
teuch; which is contrary to the direct state
ments of the Holy Scripture and to the
essential standards of the said church, that
the Holy Scripture evidences itself to the
Word of God by the consent of all the parts,
and that the infallible rule of the interpreta-
tion of Scripture is the Scripture itself
That Isaiah is not the author of half of
the book that bears his name; which is con-
trary to direct statements of Holy Scripture
ana to the essential doctrines of the STAN
dards of the said church that the Holy
Scripture evidences itself to the word of
the infallible rule uleofinterpretation of OF Script
ure is the Scripture itself.
That the processes of redemption extend
to tile world to come in the case of many
essential doctrine OF Holy Scripture and the
standards of the said church that the
processes of redemption are limited to this
world.
That sanctifcation is not complete at
death; which is contrary to the essential
doctrine of Holy Scripture and of ths stand
ards of said church that the souls of be-
hevers are at their death at once made per-
feet in holiness.
Adjournment of the Presbytery.
The paper concludes:
The Presbyterisa Church in the ITnfted