The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-06-07
DIR. BRIGGS SENTENCED.
Deposed from the Ministry Of the
Presbyterian Church.
Such Is the Verdict Of the Ministerial jury
Report Upon Lane and Union Theo-
logical Seminaries-The General
Assembly Adjourns TO Meet
at Saratoga, In 1894.


WASHINGTON, ,June2-The final stage
in the passage of the Briggs case was
preceded yesterday morning by devo-
tional exercises, conducted by Rev. j.
u. Smith, Of Baltimore.
When the assembly convened rs q
court at $3.50 O'Clock the members OF
the prosecuting committee were in their
accustomed places, but Prof RTiggs'
party was repre- seuted by Prof. Francis
Brown alone. The moderator first an
nounced the committee, the appoint
ment of which was authorized to form
ulate minute expressing the sense of
the assembly As to the vote taken upon
the appeal from the judgment Of the
New York presbytery. BY vote Of the
assembly Rev. Thomas A. Hoyt, d. D.,
of Philadelphia, was made chairman;
the other members are as follows:
Minsters-H. w. Congdon, of New
York; James II. Brooks, Missouri; Cal
vim w. Stewart, Nebraska; W. w.
Harsha, Nebraska; j. j. Lucas, India;
George d. Baker Pennsylvania; i. P.
Whallon Indiana, and Thomas d. Ew-
ing, Iowa.
Elders-John Randolph, Baltimore;
Thomas McDougall, Ohio; David Jacks,
California; Edward 7. Green, New Jer-
sey; James A. Curry, Kentucky; e. d.
Warfeld, Pennsylvania.
The committee were given leave to
retire for consultation and the assem-
bly, as a court, adjourned to be recon-
vcned at the call of the moderator.
The assembly then resumed the con-
sideration of legislative business.
Elder Franklin Shepard, chairman Of
the committee on mileage and ac-
counts, made an exhaustive report. 1t
showed receipts amounting to S54, ,957;
expenditures, on account of mileage,
$685. entertainment, S11, ,4G2; contin'
gent and miscellaneous, Sl2, 1872; bal
ance on hand S5,447.
There were 22l presbyteries repre-
sentcd in the assembly of 1898, four
more than at Portland; ten presby.
teries were not represented. The mum.
ber of commissioners on the roll was
5G7, eight more than on the roll of 1899.
Rev. Dickson, chairman OF the COM
mittee on theological seminaries, pre-
Sented the report Of that committee.
The institutions report general pros
perity, with Mccormick, at Chicago,
with 212 students, at the head of the
list. Lane seminary is taken to task
because of the failure to accept the
resignation of DR.. Henry p. Smith, as
professor, despite the action OF the
Cincinnati presbytery suspending him.
OF Union seminary the report says:
because of the action Of the directors
in retaining DIR. Briggs after his ap-
pointment had been disapproved by
the assembly and because of the re-
fusal of the directors to arbitrate the
single point in dispute between the as
sembly and the board, and because OF
the attempt by the board and on its
own motion and against the expressed
desire of the assembly, to abrogate the
compact of 1870 thl assembly disavows
all responsibility for the teachings of
Union seminary and declines to re-
ceive any report from its board until
satisfactory relations are established" "
The next business was the report OF
the committee on bills and overtures.
The report reaffirms the deliverance of
the assembly upon the inspiration Of
the holy scriptures Dr. Herrick John
son offered a substitute and objected
to the report as insisting on certain
theories of inspiration and because IL
dogmatized on subject on which we
have no positive knowledge. The sub
stitute was laid on the table. After
some further discussion the report was
adopted.
At the afternoon session the commit
tee met as court and the report from
the committee on the Briggs case was
presented The report, after reciting
the proceedings in the case, proceeds:
This judicatory finds that said final
Judgment of the presbytery of New
York is erroneous and should be and Is
hereby reversed; and this general as
sembly sitting as judiciary in said
cause, finds the appellee, Charles A.
Briggs, has uttered, taught and propa'
gated views, doctrines and teachings
as set forth in said charges contrary tc
the essential doctrine Of holy scripture
and the standards OF said Presbyterian
church and in violation of the ordina
ton vow Of said appellee.
"Said erroneous views and doctrine,
strike at the vitals Of religion and hav,
been industriously spread; wherefore
this general assembly of the Presby
terian church does hereby suspend
Charles A. Briggs from the Office of {
minister in the Presbyterian church II
the United States until such time as h,
shall give satisfactory evidence Of re
pentance TO the general assembly o
the Presbyterian church of the viola
tion by him Of the said ordination vow
as herein and heretofore found" Tn,
report of the committee was adopted
whereupon Rev. DR.. Sprague gave no
tice that at the proper time protes
would be offered against the finding o
the assembly as being too severe sen
tence.
After the transaction of considerabl,
routine business Saratoga, N. Y, wa
chosen as the place for the meeting o
the assembly In 1894. DIR. Craig mad
the closing speech and at $3.50 p. m. tn
1O5th general assembly was declares
dissolved.
Field WIN Not Retire.