The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-30

WASHINGTON, May 29-The gift oi
Divine light and guidance in solving the
question before the high judicial court oi
the Presbyterian church was the earnest
plea of every prayer offered at the hall
hour devotional meeting this morning
which prefaced today session OF the gen
eral assembly. The service was conducted
by Professor J. NJ. Coynes OF Los Angeles.
At10:05 o'clockthe trial Of Dt..BrIggs oe-
gan. Four and half hour iwere allowed tiie
appellants to open and close the case; DE-
Briggs was allowed seven hours to reply,
and the New York presbytery. from whose
Judgment the appeal was taken, was as
signed two hOnrs TO be used III ten-mlnute
speeches The moderator then arose 10
caution the commissioners as to the man
ner of their bepring during the triai. lie
said that neitsser party should travel ont
of the record, nor should they under any
circumstances introduce eXtraneous mat
ter No personalities should be lnduIged
in, ana he hoped that If any mlsstitement
were made that stahe party OF the other slde,
in all brotherly love and kindness, would
call attention to IT.
DIR. Lampe made the appellants opening
argument DR. llampe said tha5 in ac-
cordance with the book of discipline the
appellants assign five grounds for their
appeal namely: "lrregularity IN the pro-
ceedings of the presbytery of New ! ork;
receiving improper and declining 10 re-
ceive important Testimony; manifestation
of prejudice in the conduct OF the case,
aud mistake or injustice in the decision. ="
He proceeded to discuss the HrSt grounu
from purely legal standpoint. he laid
much stress on the fact that DIR. Briggs
had objected to going to trial on two OF the
eight charges against him before the pres
byiery, because he had never taught the
doctrines with the teaching of which he
WIS charged. Why then, asked DIR.
Lampe. did he consent to go on trial on
the remaining charges :? Was 1t because
he had taught the doctrines therein al
legged If that is the reason. then why
did he plead not guilty to the remaining
charges! If he had not taught any OF the
doctrines alleged in the amended eight
charges, why not GO on trial on all eight
or dsclaim having committed the oftense
contained in all eight of them? A plea OF
not guilty is not sufficient evidence in "A
mans defense.
Reference was made to the fact that
Dr. Briggs had expressly taught that
more han one of the processes OF redemp-
tion might go on in the future state. The
committee was prepared to prove this at
the time when the original charges were
presented. hut DIR. Briggs. in advance of
being called upon to plead, made a dis
claimer. A Judicial process, SAID DR..
Lsmpe WAS necessary TO determine
whether his written words of his dis
claimer were to be taken as the truth.
The language of the inaugural, he con-
tended, was on this poiut unambiguous,
and had never been retracted
Dr. l.ampe's argument for the prosecu-
ton was not concluded till O'Clock
DIR. Briggs opened the defense IN his own
behalf DIR. Briggs made n legal srgu-
ment against the consideration of the re-
lected charges by the general assembly
until after he had been tried 10y the New
York presbytery.
An adjournment was then taken until
this evening.
At the evening session DR.. Briggs pro-
ceeded with has argument, touching upon
Ghe teachings of the confession, and hold
ing that be must be judged by his faith
and practice, and not by individual inter
probation.