New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-31
PROF. BRIGGS ACQUITTED.
his PREsBYTERY STANDS By HIM.
VICTORIOUS on EVERY CHARGE BIZ A MAJORITY
OF FROM SIX TO EIGHTEEN-AN APPEAL
LIKELY TO BE TAKEN.

LIKELY TO BE TAKEN.
Professor Charles A. Briggs has been declared
innocent of the charge OF hcrcsy brought against
him In the New-York Prcsbytery and a COM
mittee Of his friends hos been appointed 70 pre-
pare a paper 10 be sGbnitted TO the court when
it meets again on January 8. The private scs-
sion wss continued yesterday in the Scotch
Church. from 10 3 30 p. m, and AZ tie close
the nJunc ion of secrec, was removed
Il is understood tat the result Ct the trial
was i1y thing hut satisfactory 10 DR.. Briggs The
decision not sustaining tn, charges was agreeable
TO him. b.; when he learned the vote Of the
| PrcsDytefy ,e is said to have expressed dissats-
! faction He had expected much larger vote
! In his favor il is said and when the figures were
shown TO him he could not conceal his disappoint-
ment To friend he expressed himself in this
way:
Il have maintained all along that the Pres
! bytery had no right TO try mc the second 'line
for the same alleged offence. In my preliminary
objections protested against the case going on.
In all of my arguments l have protested. Inc
prosecution has no right TO carry the case W "0
! Synod or the General Assembly.
"Of course | expect that the case VIII DC aP'
pea led if the committee does not appeal the case
NAV appeal it myself The decision may not
be satisfactory to me. In other words the Voe
on each of the charges may not be satisfactory
and | NAV wish TO appeal My work ls IN the
[ Mon Seminary and the seminary is independent OF
the church The -so-called jury that tried me-
though, was not much of jury. jury Is sup
posed to be made up of impartial men.
When Dr. Briggs seen last night at MS
homo at No. l2O West Ninety-thrd-st., he de-
clincd to talk for publication. What have
to say" said he. will be said in the Presbyter5
after the decision has been Officially made known
to me-"
Are Won satisfied with the result?" lie was
asked.
Il should not even like to reply to that in
quiry" was the reply. am worn OUT "l,h
hard work and | want rest
| Colonel McCoOk, a member of the Prosecuting
Committee said that he could not tell. at pres
ent. whether the case would be appealed. We
have not seen the form of the declsiOn' he added,
and until we have seen that cannot ten
whether il will prove to be satisfactory or not.
The committee | understand will not make its
report regarding the decision until one week from
Monday, ani until that time | shall not be in
position 10 say anything about an appeal
Dr. Charles l.. Thompson, IN expressing his views
of the result, said II shows reasonable pre-
gress and free dom of theology. | am much graft
fed with the result II shows a step in the
right direction IL points ont IA broader field.
|
dignity and the whole case treated in
auiet and brotherly way DR.. Van Dyke said
The battle is over and ] am entirely satisfied
with the result 1t means that man is not
TO he branded as hereto simply because he
broadly expresses his views"
Dr. Philip Schaf said that the result was most
satisfactory TO him, and DIR. Vincent was OF the
same opinion. The conservatives did not care
TO talk for publication
Dr. Henry NJ Field, Editor of THE Evan
gelist." said Il do not regard il as the victory
of party but as the victory Of liberty. 10 was
the decision of sober second thought. Io-days
decision of the Presbytery does not SIGNIFY that
all of the views of DR.. Briggs are approved by
all who voted in his favor, but it does slgnliy
,hat We want peace and liberty. 1t simply
means that tie Presbyterian Church is broad
crouch to hold Dr. Briggs and also those WHO
diner most widely from him.
The first vote was on Charge I. accusing Dr.
prirrs of teaching that the Reason is a foun-
tain of divine authority, which may ana does
savlneIv enligiten men. even s1ch men as rcJecc
,Le Scriptures as the authoritative proclamation OIL
the will of God. and reject also the way OF saliva
tior through the mediation and sacrifice OF the
son OF God as revealed therein forty-two
ministers AMI -cvcnteen elders voted to sustain
tho charcq and specifications: hfty-four MINIS
tors and fifteen elders voted not to sustain thenl'
oae minister declined to vote.
The second vote was Charge ii. III uli-
G.rcd preccptibly from the first one. The de-
tcndanf wa, charged with teaching that the
! Church is a fountain of divine authority, which,
,rart from the Holy Scripture, may and does
,nyinuly enlghien men," Thirty-nlne ministers
and sixteen elders cd to sustain the charges
and specifications. lfty-siX ministers ana sixteen
elders voted rot to sustain them one mihiSer
declined to vote and another VINO had Nouea
an the frs. roll-call WAS absent Tor the rest or
the afternoon.
Tnc third Ioll-call was on Charge Ill. accusing
DR. Briggs of "t,:,,hins that errors may have
existed in the original text Of the Holy scripture
as il came llonI its authors. On ulis o'iiot
rortv-tour ministers and seventeen elders voted
in the a,irmatly" and hfy-t"o "hhIs'''S Jill
fifteen elders in the n"-ai'e.
\ change in the totals was seen WREN the
,ufhorship of the Pe..rtreucl and he BOX o.
| rih y,os und,r consideration. charge l. VS.
,hot DIR PRICES teaches that Moses Is no' Tho
,uthor of the rcntatcuCh. Ihry-rihe i-ihS'et'
and fifteen elders considered the charge PfyNeh,
while nltV-iye ministers anu seventeen Nue'I
voted in the negative, ana t"V hiiAiS''iS "'N''NN
charge was similar 10 the preceding one.
viz, that the defendant teaches mat isaIl" 10
NOT rho author of half lie book tndt Dedrs MS
n.n,n The roll-cal showed that thlrty-iour
ministers ard fourteen elders agreed WIN tne
c"mmittec. and ufty-clght ministers ana slHteeh
elders differed from them IodI WhhS'Ni' ""' wv
elders declined To vote. , ~, ,
nm, last charge that Dr. Briggs teaches
that sane ifcatlon is not complete at deatn.
The vote on tnis charge was as loiioMS US
tnninc: Forty-one ministers and sixteen elders;
NOT SUSTAINING: Fify-hve minis ers and fourteen
elders: declining 10 vote, TIVE elders ~.
ur r f. Booth was paired with Dr. John IL
paxton' and DR. q. l.. rreEtiss, of Union semi
nary with DR.; W NJ Paxton Of prnce12n ton sem sal
mary. The Moderator ana not Nce; me yo,.i ,o,,
uPOn c"N" N0 Number OF charge
=, 1t %. 81 ith. Jth.0th.
Meio'lS y
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