The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-19
PRESBYTERIAN B ASSEMBLY
lmportsat, opsstions win 30 Bssots
"a. MY Msssisg a
ii u WAshingtohr !,
One OF These VIII Be tho Briggs
Case, Now Becoming
Tireeome.
Another One VIII be the Matter OF tho
Revision of the Confession
of Faith.

Another Ono VIII Be the Matter OF tho
Revision Of the Confession
Of Faith.
WASHINGTON. April 18.--During the
month of May the eyes OF the Presbyterian
world will be turned toward this CITY and
will follow with close interest what trans
pires within the walls Of the large local
churches here. The general assembly Of
the Presbyterian church will hold it, sss-
sions at the New York avenue Presbyterian
church and tho occasion promisss TO be
frauQht with the utmost interest and I'M
p%ortanoe.
Tho sessions Of the assembly will COM
menoe May IS (Thursday mosnina) whom
the opening sermon will be delivered BY
Rev. DR.. Young, OF Kentucky. In the at
ternoon the assembly will proceed to tho
election Of . moderator. the presiding Off
Ger Of the meeting. In the evening there
will be = communion service at the church.
! 1t is thought that the assembly will con-
tinue for about twelve days. There will be
two sessions . day, n in the morning and
one In the afternoon, unless the assembly
il crowded with business and it 10 found
necessary to have evening sessions as we'll.
This 10 not thought TO DO likely. and rs . rule
the evenings will be set apart for the pur-
pose Of holding special services OF one sort
and another in the various churches OF the
city. At tho time that the assembly ID in
session a number OF other religious bodies
will be holding their meetings here and
this will lend even more importance TO the
occasion. Among these bodies are the
Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary
societies. which, while they have no direct
OF organic connection with the assembly.
Rre yet of such a character that they find il
most convenient to hold their memorial
meetings ut the same time. AZ q result OF
this it is thought that there will be thous-
ands of Presbyterlans in the city at that
time. There will DO plenty to occupy their
time.
The last general assembly was held in
Portland. Ore. and when it adjourned then
it was to meet in this city this spring.
There will be in the neighborhood of GOO
commissioner or delegates to the assembly.
ministers and elders, sent by the various
presbyteries throughout the country
in proportion to the number OF
shurches that compose them. Thus.
the Washington presbytety, which is
considered to be comparatively q small one,
has but two commissioners to the general
assembly, while the New York and the Pitts
burg %presbyteries send a considerable mum
her of delegates.
The coming assembly promises to be one
of a great deal of Importance. inasmuch as
in addition to the routine work OF such a
meeting two matters will come mp for dis
~cussion. and possibly for settlement. which
are regarded as OF vital interest to the
church. These are the Briggs heresy case
and the matter Of the proposed revision of
the confession of faith, which comes back
TO the assembly on a second report from
the committee to which 1t was referred.
These two matters arc likely to attract q
good deal of attention, and are certain to
provoke some lively discussion from the
commissioner who are pretty sure to have
some very decided views on the questions
involved, even il they do not coms with
strict instructions from the ,presbyteriea
they represent. ~
It is the Briggs case, however, that will
Rttrac ct the most attention from the public
seem as though the Presbyterian church
is just a little bit tired of the Briggs case.
that has dragged its weary cOu SO along for
such a length of time. Twice before has
the case been up for discussion before tho
general assembly. 1t comes up this lime
OIL I'LL uppchl HUM II pAG5ON bGAy III, fANCW
York. When the charges Of heresy were
first preferred against DIR. Briggs. who is q
professor in the Union Theological semi
nary, for his refusal to admit the divine
authenticity of certain portions OF the
scripture. the charges were referred to the
missed the charges, but the last general
assembly referred the matter back with in
structions to try the case. After a long and
rather tiresome trial. that 10 still fresh in
the minds OF the public, DR.. Briggs was ac-
quilted. The presbytery simply exercised
one of it's constitutional p~rerogativss whom
it appealed che case to tho general assembly
for final Adjudication. The vote BY which
an acquitsal was reached WAS a close one
and it was decided to be best TO leave such
a matter TO the general assembly a. the
court of last resort.
The aoquittal of DR.. Briggs il not re-
earded by Presbyterians as in any way
binding the church down to an acceptance
Of his views. 1t simply meant that they
we're willing to tolerate him within their
band Notwithstanding the breadth of his
views. II he had been dropped from the
Presbyterian church then, or il he should
be now. it would not DO regarded rs any
thing like such an awful matter 80 soma
people are disposed to regard 1t. II would
mean that while the general assembly
might have no fault to find with DR.. Briggs
as a man. it still held that il would be bet
ter for all parties concerned that the re-
~lations between them should be severed In
view Of the fact that he did not agree to
certain tenets of faith to which the church
holds closely. II would not be . reflection
on him as a mar or a minister. II would
simply deny his Presbyt erianism. DR..
Briggs is not regarded BY the ministers OF
the church 40 a Q.eat or q particularly In
tereatinR speaker. Al the last general as
aembly he spoke for eighteen hours on his
case and naturally soms Of the listeners
got a little tired. For his reason the
Briggs case at the coming assembly will
not come mp for consideration until the lat
ter part Of the session. His case 10 not re-
Qarded In any sense as a case of perssou-
zion. In fact. there are some who think
that it is a little harder on the church than
it 10 on him.
The Briggs men. IL 10 Thoughts, will MOI
insist on a vindication of their leader inst
now. Their moro probable course viii be
TO attempt to have the whole matter re-
ferred back to the synod of New York. The
case might have been appealed BY the prss-
bytery to the synod. which lies between IL
md the general assembly. II il goes back
to the synod this year ana 10 decided there
the chances are that 1t win be Appealed
again by one side or the other to the gen
oral assembly. The commissioned, IL ia
believed. will be kindly disposed and will
desire to treat DR.. Briggs with every CON
sideration. 80 that II his followers force the
issue. the matter may DO disposed Of this