St. Paul daily globe., 1893-06-02

not been realized. Prof. Briggs stated
his irrevOcable determination to abide
by the declaration made in his address
before the assembly in his defense, and
TO continue to teach the doctrines there
avowed. AT the request Of D1. Baker,
Prof. Briggs gave him the following
autograph letter:
washington, ID. c., June 1.-The Rev.
George d. Baker, Chairman of the Sub
Committee of the Committee of the AS
sembly Appointed to Formulate Judg-
ment in the Case of the Presbyterian
Church, United States, Against Prof. Z.
A. Briggs-My Dear Sir: In accordance
with your request l hereby state that
your committee called upon me and
asked me if had anything to say to
them respecting the disposition of the
case. l thereupon said that | adhered to
All the Positions
taken before the general assembly, and
had nothing further to say, save that the
appellee reserves all rights, and that the
general assembly should take the eXclu-
sive responsibility for any further
action. G. A. BRIGGS"
Whereupon DR.. Baker SAID the COM
mittee took the action which Mr.. Hoyt
would now report to the assembly. The
in the case. proceeds:
This judicatory finds that said final
Judgment Of the Presbytery of New
York is erroneous, and should he and
IS hereby reversed; and this general
assembly, sitting as judicatOry in said
cause, coming now to enter Judgment
on said amended charges, finds the ap-
pellee, Charles A. Briggs, has uttered,
taught and propagated views, doctrines
and teachings as set forth in said
charges contrary to the essential doc
trine of Holy Scripture and the stand
ards of said Presbyterian church in the
United States of America, and in viola
ton of the ordination VOWS of said ap-
pellee, which said erroneous views and
doctrines strike at the vitalS of religion,
and have been industriouSly spread;
wherefore, this general assembly of the
Presbyterian church in the United
States of America, sitting as judica-
tory in this case on appeal, does hereby
Suspend Charles A. Briggs,
the said appellee. from the Office Of a
minister in the Presbyterian church
until such time as he shall give salts
factory evidence of repentance to the
general assembly of the Presbyterian
church in the United States Of America
of the violation by him of the said or
dination VOW as herein and heretofore
found"
The report of the committee was
adopted. whereupOn Rev. Dr. Sprague
gave notice that at the proper time
protest would be offered against the
finding of the. assembly, as being too
severe a sentence for the offense of the
honored scholar named, and as tending
70 inf ha liharfu of on inVn6
by Office bearers in the Presbyterian
church. An explanatory note was
adopted and made part Of the record
Of the case. 1t takes strong grounds
against the views expressed by DR..
Briggs and for which he has been suS-
pended.
DR.. Sprague presented for considera-
ton the protest against the action or the
assembly in the Briggs case, Of which
he had given notice. 1t was a5 follows:
I'VE, the undersigned ministers and
elders in the Presbyterian church in
the United States, declaring our hearty
belief in and love for the Holy Script
ures of the old and new Testament, and
Our Entire Loyalty
to the principles OF the Presbyterian
church, desire respectfully to record
our solemn protest against the verdict
and judgment of suspension, and pro-
ceedings leading to the verdict, in the
case against Rev. Charles A. Briggs, ID.
D., in the general assembly of 1898:
81. AS involving, in our Judgment,
acts of doubtful constutlonality.
''2. As seeming to abridge the liberty
of opinion hitherto enjoyed under our
standards by office bearers i'll the
church.
''S. AS tending. we believe, to the
encouragement of thorough study of
the Bible and reverent advance in the
apprehension of the divine truth; and
~. AS inflicting what, we cannot
but teel. is an injustice on a Christian
scholar of acknowledged high character
and learning, as well as on the Presby
terry of New York, which had fully ac-
Quilted him of the charges alleged
against him."
The protest was received to be spread
on the minutes. 1t was voted as the
sense of the assembly that no answer
to the protest was necessary. Saratoga.
N. Y, was chosen as the place of the
meeting of the assembly of 1894. The
assembly then took recess until 7:35.