Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-06-01

of the spread of the kingdom of Christ
over the EARTH were the topic of the
nalf-hour's devotional exercises which
preceded this mornings session of the
general assembly, conducted by Rev.
H. t. McClelland, d. D., president oil
the board of missions for freedmen.
The special order for the session was
the report of the committee on foreign
missions The assembly was called to
order at $50 by Moderator Craig and
opened with prayer by Professor Roy,
of Chicago
Dr.. Young's seasonal report from the
committee on bills and OvertureS among
the several committees, went through
without objection. Sixty overtures re-
latng to new creeds and twenty pro-
posing changes in the present confess
sion of faiths were sent to the COM
mittee' on bills and overtures for an
swer
The committee on aid to colleges
recommended that $15O,OO0 be raised
this year for this cause, and that the
proposition of Arthur Brown to donate
100 acres of land in Salt Lake City as
a site for the location of the WeStminS-
ter College of Utah be respectfully de-
clined. The recommendations of the
report were adopted.
DR.. Herlick Johnson, of Chicago, then
presented the report of the committee
on foreign missions. In discussin the
probabilities Of the work DR.. John
son said:
We can 10 more pray the Bible into
China than we can pray a harvest out
of wheat field in Dakota. We must
send man to carry it.
The committee made n number of re-
Communications, the most important be-
ing to the following effect:
That a message of cOngratulatiOn be
sent to Rev. John c.. Lowrie, secretary
emeritus of the board, who hsa com
pleted his siXtieth year of service and
who has been granted to see the de
sire of his heart-the church pass the
line of a million dollar contribution to
the cause of foreign missions; that this
year the church aim at a total of ST.
25O, 900 contributions to the cause
counting on the noble women to make
the appeal successful; that forward
movement be undertaken, extending
the work; that. recognizing the blessed
results attending the week of prayer
for foreign missions in past years, the
first week in March, 1894, be set apart
as Il week of prayer; that the determi-
nation of the board be approved to
send abroad all men who apply who
prove to be qualified; that an amend
ment to the charter of the board be
sought of the legislature of New York
by which the board shall be made to
consist of twenty-One members, to be
appointed by the general assembly,
with the provision that trustees now in
Office serve out the terms for which
they were chosen.
At the afternoon session Moderator
Craig convened the assembly as court.
DR.. Briggs assembled the platform amid
intense quiet and made brief prelim-
mary statement regarding the time
he required for his argument.
DR.. w T.. Birch, chairman of the
prosecuting committee, then took the
floor After touching the history of
the case, DR.. Birch said: eve are here
end to the disSension which the New
York Presbytery vainly endeavored to
silence. The form in which the final
Judgment of the New York PreSbytery
was returned, gives the impression that
the alleged errors of Prof. Briggs are
unimp'ltGnt and no essential doctrine
is c7ntradicted. There has been ten
Gcncy to minimize the full force Of the
Indictment. The errors charged are
fundamental"
In reply to the argument that an ap-
peal cannot be taken from the verdict
of acuuittal. Dr. Birch said he who
holds that the power of the general
assembly can be nullifed by the will of
a single presbytery lifts the banner Of
treason against the PreSbytery and the
church Your appellant beseeches this
venerable court to exercise its authority
in crisis so momentous as to make
every plea for delay of Judgment out Of
order
At 3:15 o'clock Dr. Briggs arose to re-
ply to the opening of the prosecuting
committee and to protest against the
entertaining of the appeal by the gen
eral assembly. DR.. Briggs went on to
argue that the form of the appeal is
incorrect and there are many things
in it which must be removed before the
assembly can entertain it. He also
pointed out the matter included in the
appeal which he said rendered it invalid.
A much more fundamental question
is at stake, said DR.. Briggs, than any
principle of law or doctrine yet discuss
ed. That was whether Il Presbyterian
church should be considered as merely
a voluntary religious society of the
church of Jesus Christ. 1t was the
civil law of the land, he said, that no
man should be tried twice for the same
offense. Was the Presbyterian church
ready to ignore or violate a well settled
principle found by centuries of OBJ
servation and experience to be essential
to the wellbeing of the people, without
good and sufficient cause?
If this appeal is sustained it would
become an unfortunate precedent which
would be followed by public prosecutors
who would magnify their offense and
bring differences of opinion and estab-
lsh a new and easy way for ambitious
Htigants to secure authoritative decis-
ions Of the general assembly in many
matters of private opinion, and thus
imperiI the constitution by amending
series Of hereSy trials and result in
changes in the doctrine and law of
H. II. 4