New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-03
WHAT WILL DIR. BRIGGS DOf
TALK WITH THE SUSPENDED PRESBY&
TERRAIN MINISTER.
HE SAYS THAT HE WILL PREACH AS A LAYMAN
his FRIENDS WILL STAND BY HIM
POSSIBLE COURSES OF ACTION


POSSIBLE COURSES OF ACTION
Professor Charles A. Briggs visited the Union
Theological Seminary yesterday and received .
number of friends who went there TO offer their
sympathy. lie was in smiling mood and looked
well, but his face was tr1e thin and drawn
but this Is attributable 10 the severe physical
and mental strain Of the last four or five days.
lic arrived home from Washington just before
midnight on Thursday, and up bright and
early yesterday. He told Tribune reporter yes
I terday that he must 90 away for rest, where
secluson and quiet will enable him to plan his
future course So far he knows at present
his future is a blank. He bears i'll will to-
ward the Presbyterian Church in general, or the
General Assembly that found him guilty of heresy
and suspended him from the Church. and his
further actions will be Of such nature that the
interests of the Church will be conserved and his
own welfare looked to at the same time.
The Professor much avcrse yesterday to
making any official declaration Of his intentions
or feelings He said that so far as his trial before
the General Assembly at Washington was con-
ccrncd, he had been the victim Of injustice as
he had not been allowed the constitutional rights
OF an accused minister: in fact, he had been
adjudged guilty before he reached Washington.
DID IT FEAR THE NEwYoRK sYNOD'
"Thc Church was afraid 70 place tn" matter
in the hands of the Ncw-York Synod he said,
"and the fact that the matter WAS taken out cf
the hands of the intermediate body between the
New-YorIl Presbytery and the General Assembly
was in itself an unconstitutional act. Further
than this l desire not to say anything.
Professor Briggs, afterthought, said:
MY lettcr-publishcd Tore or less correctly oy
the press this morning-to the Rev. DIR. Baker, OF
the committee expresses all that desire to say
just now
The letter referred to was as follows:
Ny Dear Sir: In accordance with your request
hereby that your committee called upon me ana
asked II had anything 10 them respecting the
disposition Of the thereupon said that adneeo
all the position, taken before the General Assembly,
had nothing further save that the appellee re.
all rights and that the General Assembly should
take the exclusive responsibility for further action.
THE CASE NOT ENDED YET.
When asked whether he thought the directors
of Union Seminary would take any action In his
ease now that he had been convicted, DIR. Briggs
refused to answer but smiled if he were
perfectly sure of his standing with them.
Does this suspension end the matter between
You and the General Assembly, so far as the pres
ent charges are concerned ?" asked the reporter.
BY no means was the reply. "The case can
be rcopencd and they might at their next meet
ing decide 10 dcposc me-
Do the same rales that govern trials in tho
State courts appertan before the Assembly," he
was asked
Evidently not,' his reply, spoken sar-
castically.
What are your powers ard standing in the
Church now? -
Il can preach-even laymen are not debarrcd
from that-but | may not administer the COM
munon, and have voice in any Of the de-
libcrations of the Prcsbytery / may still teach
in the Seminary with which am now connected,
if the directors decide still TO stand by me-"
PREsBYTERI GREATLY INTERESTED.
The conviction and disciplining of Professor
Briggs by the General Assembly was the principal
topic of discussion among Prcsbyterians in this
city Yesterday and it is said that resolutions OF
coincidence will he passed by some of the church
bodies and sent to the Professor. In DIR. Park
hursts Madison Square Church he has many
friends, and the first church to take this course
may be this one.
prominent Presbyterian clergyman, and
stanch friend of Dr. Briggs. said to Tribune
reporter: The Presbyterian Church is not di-
vd.d on the Briggs question. 1t is only
trivial matter, and there is no fear of the Church
being harmed by his acts or by the act Of tho
General Assembly in suspendng him. The Pro-
fcssor's friends will stand by him and urge every
means OF bringing aDout d TecouCllldtlou IL
a fight for principle and there is every proba-
bility that DIR. Briggs will soon again be a min
lister in good standing.
THE Presbyterian Church was in panic The
great forces of ministers and elders who went
to the General Assembly from country churches
showed by their actions that they were i'm NOR
tai fear of Dr. Briggs and that if they did not
do something with him they might see their Bible
swept away. One of them in a speech cassed
Thomas Paine and Dr. Briggs in the same category
and quoted from the writings Of both to make his
denunciation of the latter the stronger. This
feeling, think, will soon be done away with as the
more liberal teachings of the city preachers and
thcoogians will soon pervade the country districta
MANY INVITATIONS TO PREACH.
"Thc idea that Dr. Briggs will be debarred from
by his suspension is erroneous said this
gentleman. He can and will preach. although
probably not next Sunday. lie has already had
many invitations to do so. lie will probably say
upon entering the pulpit that he appears as lay
man. having been suspended but preach he will.
when Dr. Briggs says in his letter TO DR..
Baker that he reserves all rights, he means that
there are great many possibilities in his case and
that he proposes to have the benefit of all Of
them. He has carefully covered all his defensive
points He may appeal to the Synod at its next
meeting; he may ask for the Endorsement OF his
Presbytery, or as a last resource he may appeal
TO the civil courts for restitution for damages,
il he can prove that he has been damaged In
either reputation or financially Then again, he
might abandon the fight altogether and preach
outside the pale Of the Church. This last course
is than a possibility, and it has been
-umored in some quarters that this was tho
Doctors intention, but there is no credence TO 10
placed in any such report at present. Before
aking any action Professor Briggs will await the
.esult Of the trial Of Professor Smith, of Lane
Seminary, Cincinnati before the General As
emby, and the two will act in concert.
We all ieel that the Assembly was packed
against DIR. Briggs just he does, and this i'm
PRESTON is borne out by the facts, for both the
incoming and outgoing Moderators preached
against him and his doctrines
HIS PLACE IN THE SEMINARY NOT AFFECTED.