The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-01
Professor Briggs Was
Beaten.
Was
NO DOUBT HE EXPECTED 1T.
For the Result Was Foreseen, Even
Before the Presbyterian Assembly
Began the Discussion.
Special to THE MORNING CALL.

the New York Presbytery in the case of
| Professor Briggs the Presbyterian Gen.
eral Assembly this morning engaged in
half an hours devotion. Rev. A. Nelson
Hellifield of New Jersey conducted the
| exercises, giving an exposition of Romans
viii, the chapter describing the interces-
sion of the Holy Spirit.
Then the assembly convened as an &C.
clesiastical court. Fifteen minutes were
exhausted in desultory discussion of the
order of procedure, the result of which
was that the assembly ordered with evil
dent confusion and lack of understand
ing of just what 1t was doing that the roll
| be called.
The commissioners. as called. were to
give their reasons for their votes, speeches
| being limited to three minutes. While this
preliminary was being settled Briggs
quietly came in and took seat.
Under the call of the roll each member
rose in turn and stated whether be voted
| for or against entertaining the appeal from
the New York Presbytery, which had ac-
Quilted Professor Briggs, and his reasons
| therefor
Reverend Anthony G. Rankin, of Los
Angeles. said that every doubt had been
scattered to the wind by the admissions of
the defendant. His error, In the speakers 3
opinion, was in the doctrine of naturalIsm,
out of which grew most Of the errors now
affecting the church.
Rev. John T. Hopkins, also of Los An
| geles, said he was obliged to vote to sns-
tain the appeal on account of the threat
ened disruption, and Professor John NJ.
! Coyner. of the same presbytery, said he
would DO the same.
Eldet William II. Hamilton of Oakland
said he had come to Washington abso-
lutely unprejudiced. but he was afraid the
church would be in an uncertain condition
if the appeal was not sustained
The burden of the re marks of Rev. J. NJ.
Newall OF the San Jose Presbytery was
that If DR.. Briggs was sustained every
preacher, professor and Sunday school!
teacher would be privileged to preach any
views he pleased.
Captain Jacks of San Jose said that all
over the land were young ministers from
Union Seminary stepped in the fearful
doctrine taught by DR.. Briggs. If the
professor knew" he said. ''of the damage
! ae MAS doing he would stop this tnmg and
would have done with it forever, and he
| "Oulo olOp iuii uPOA tOuuB
ministers of the church."
As one after another of the members
! briefly indicated his position Professor
! Briggs became weary OF the talk and asked
and was granted permission to retire. The
call of the presbyteries by States had
progressed as far as Kansas when recess
was taken till 2:3O P. NJ
After recess the debate continued with
a majority of the speakers against DR..
Briggs, though he found a number of
warm supporters, the most notable one,
perhaps. being graduate of Union Theo-
logical Seminary. James f. Garyin, mis-
| sionary to Chile.
Elder Thomas McDougal of Cincinnati
precipitated a lively scene. IF it be in
| order." he began. 81 would like to ask if
! the omniscence, the veraclty, or the char
acter of God Almighty and of the Lord
Jesus Christ may be questioned? God
Almighty has said that Isaiah said thus
| and so.
"Dr. Briggs has said to God Almighty
that Isaiah d Id not write half of the book
that bears his name. The Lord Jesus
Christ said in his New Testament that
Isaiah wrote the book bearing his name"
DR.. Henry NJ. Storrs called the gentle
man to order and Rev. Fl. Milton Shields
of New Mexico asked if the statement was
n OF quoted in DR.. Briggs inaugural if not
before the assembly. The colloquy was
carried on in the midst of great confusion,
cries of "OrderT' rising from all parts OF
the house. the mod orator and McDougall
both trying to be hea rd.
Elder McDougall, the storm having
calmed down, concluded: Christ said that
no man can come unto Father but by Me
DIR. Briggs says Martineau found gold.
through reason and that Newman found
Him through the church. Whom will you
believe-Christ or DR.. Briggs?"
The extension Of half an hour to the
afternoon session enabled the clerk to
progress in the roll through the synod of
Oregon and the assembly then took a
recess until this evening.
The call of the roll was resumed at the
evening session. but only a small per-
ceutage of the members took advantage of
the privilege of speaking. 1t was 8 AS
O'Clock when the moderator put the oues-
tiop: shall the specifications OF error be
sustained % and DR.. Robert, the stated
clerk, read the first specification.
Iu substance it was that the presbvterv
Briggs. had required the prosecuting COM
mittee to am end the amended charges and
specifications by striking out charge four.
| The specification was declared sustained
by vote of 2S2 to 100. Specifications
second to twelfth, all relating to irreCu-
larties in the proceedings of the New
York Presbytery, were sustained seriatm.
The second ground of the appea alleges
the receiving OF improper testimony was
based upon three specifications. On the
first division taken the result was thar
the specification was sustained by a viva
voce vote.
The third ground OF the appeal alleged
manifest prejudice in the conduct of the
case and of its six specifications the Briggs
men carried two and came within two
votes of carrying another
The fifth and last ground of appeal comm
taned specifications of error and charged
a mistake or injustice in the decIsion
The votes on these specifications were
taken without division. resulting in
declaration that each and every one had
been sustained. Rev. w. G. Young of
Kentucky then moved that the roll be
called and the Assembly vote upon the