New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-31
IS DIR. BRIGGS A HERETO!
ANANSVER TO BEGITENIO-DAA
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY READY TO TAKE
THE VOTE NOW.

ARGUMENTS BY THE DEFENDANT. THE PROSE
CLIFTON AND NINE MEMBERS OF THE NEW
WORK pREsBYTERY-DR. LAMPE AC
crsFp OF HEREsy BY DI. BRIGGS.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBCNE
vvosbiroton. MAY 30-Thc General Assembly has
=. loo, reached Il point where vote in the her.
.o, trial is only q question Of few hours. DIR.
pr,,,s spoke between three and four hours to-
d.v. be WAS followed by Colonel McCooli for the
nro~cution Then came nine speeches this even
inp from the ministers and elders in the Assem-
W. from the Prcsbytcry of New-Nork. Professor
Rrown. Dr. George Alexander DIR. G.. l.. Spinning
and Dr. c. H. Thompson spoke in behalf of DIR.
R,iess: Dr. r. r. Booth. DIR. James Chambers and
three elders spoke against Ills views and in favor
of sustaining the appeal. The elders We're Robert
Recc.. Of Dr. John Halls church. George Stcrry,
nj DR. John T. Davics's church, and James tcre-
.,cc of DR. Wilton Merle Smiths church. Moses
w Dod6. of Dr. George AleXandcrs church. sim
plv rose ana said that he had given his time to
DR.. Chambers.
In TO the present moment Dr. Charles
a Briggs of New-York, IS fire." from
beresy, but what day will bring f"th
no man can tell Tho coming day is sure t. be
n memorable one. not alone in tho annals OF the
Presbyterian Church, but i'll Christ mdon as well
Prosecutors and appellants, liberals and c0nserva-
tyes, Judges and spectators, ail realize the t"-
mendous issues that are to be decided tomorrow
Two steps have been taken tod day toward reach
ing a solution OF the question whether or not d.
Rrr.s is guilty of heresy. The parties in the ease.
the proseoa, ins committee and the defendant, hdV"
finished their appeal 10 tine Geueral Assembly, AMI
Are constructvely absent hereafter until de-
cisior is reached The r:cmbers Of the Ncw-l olk
Presbytery have also presented their appeal for
and against the verdict rendered in Newlo ana
they, too are not only dcbaIrcd from voting, but
freed from responsibility. An hour or two more
remains for the members OF the Assembly, ana
then comes the vote on the thirty four speciica-
tions Of error 1t is possible that tlesc will be
taken viva voce. the roll simply being called on
the final question: Shall the appeal be sustained
QUESTIONS STILL BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY.
The Assembly generally adiourns on the second
Monday or Tuesday at the latest. and even with
the Briggs case before the last Assembly the COM
mssioners were on their way u California or Alas
la on Tuesday evening. But when the question
Of Dr. Briggs's heresy has been officially settled,
there will be day or two Yet for members to SIT
and discuss questions of business. The first q'es-
lion following the heresy trial will be the consider
alton of the report on theological seInnaries, OF
which grave forebodngs have come to the ears of
inaries Church unity is still unsettled, and
among other questions of supreme Importance IL
the deliyerance concerning the freedom from error
of the original autograp phs of Scripture. Last sat
urday Dr. w. G. Young. chairman Of the Com
mittee on Bills and Overtures submitted an an
swer to the questions concerning the PORTLAND oe>
liyerance. Yesterday he recommended that the
answer to Mr. Randolph's memorial be included
in that answer.
NEW DEIIyERANCE ON INERRANCY.
To-day he withdrew, with the permission of
Che house, the errant answer concerning the i'll
errsncy dogma, So called, and presented another
which is considered much stronger by those who
ure versed in these topics. Dr. Young said
AT the risk possibly Of the charge OF variabl1-
ness, the committee unanimously Those present.
asked the Assembly to return 10 Il the answer
which it made 10 the memorial in regard to the
last Assembly" Or Young then recommended
the following answor:
This Gc:eral Assembly rcafrms the deliver
ance of the Assembly Of sYa touching the IN
spirafion of Holy Scripture, namely, that
the orirnal Scriptures Of the Old AMI New
Tcstauents, being immediately inspired of God,
were without error and i'll doing declares
that the said dcliveiance cnunclates 10 new
doctrine end imposes no new test Of orthodoxy,
bat in;erprcts and gives expression TO what has
nlways been tie belief Of the Church taught III
the Westminster Confession of Faith.
No discussion followed this answer, and no
notion was taken 1t will he taken up shortly
after the summaries are disposed OF.
SCENES IN THE CHURCH.
The scenes in ,ke Assembly church to-day did
not differ greatly from those Of the last three or
four days About the people were on the
platform. The members Of the committee ana
the defendant with his friends, DR. Brown. Ut.
Frazer, of Newark, and Judge Cutchcon, OF De-
troit occupied their respective places d.
Brsss spoke the cnti;c forenoon and an bour
pnd quarter this afternoon, continuing HIS
argument against the sustaining OF the appeal
IL doing so lie went into the merits OF the case
much more fully than lie Lad done III Ncw-lorh'
though he used some of the arguments advance"
In the tlal there As on Monday, he spoke with
intense earnestncss, emphasizing his arguments
with charges against the "crratic committee.
lie said that lie had pierced the fosbank oi Their
charges, and then turning upon his fellow Pres
byter. DR.. Lampe, lie accused him Of teaching
rank heresy. The audience smiled to think OF
their Prosecuting Committee being called upon to
defend a heltsy trial at d subsequent Assembly.
DR. Lampe had asserted in his argument that the
Church knew nothing OF Christ except through
the Bible story DR.. Briggs repeated that state
naent to-day as he had pcncled it upon his note
book Dr. LAmpe, who sat immediately in front
of him, nodded his approval TO the statement.
I" lie admits it," said the speaker; " ne admits
the statement, and tell you this is rank hcresS
IL is the rankcst hercsy' Colonel McCook
smiled but DIR. Lampc looked very sober.
DE- BRIGGS SPEAKS WITH FEELING.
Dr. Briggs had many sentences in his argument
S, o,, xrouLl have carried the house certainly the
galleries, had applause been permitted. Con-
Wet me of hercsy under charge one, he cried
convict me of heresy under charge one, and you
challenge the Christian centuries all the will
be against you. and multitude OF voices like
the roar of many waters viii denounce you as
knowing neither the truth nor the power of God"
Anair La Lid in sncaLirig of the chargc that the