The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-05-31
ARGUMENTS CLOSED
In the Case OF DIR. Briggs Before the
Presbyterian General Assembly - The
Defendants Able Plea.

IN Uno Case OF Dr. Briggs Befor0 tho
Presbyterian General Assembly - Tho
Defendant's Able Plea.
WASHINGTON, May 28.-The general
assembly yesterday reached the con-
clusion Of the argument by parties
in interest upon the recommended
tion of the judicial committee that
the appeal of the prosecuting COM
mittee from the Judgment Of the New
York presbytery in the case of the
Presbyterian church in the United
States of America against the Rev.
Charles Briggs, d. d., be entertained.
The public interest OF the previous two
darS was, II anything increased, but
owing to the admirable arrangements
for seating the audience and maintain
ing order there was but little confusion
and no discomfort.
In the course of his argument DR..
Briggs said the presbytery of New
York, the largest presbytery in the
church, after long and patient con-
sideration Of the case gave verdict OF
acquittal. Would the general assem-
bly, give the same time and patience to
considering the merits of the case If
the appeal should be entertainedP and
was il likely that so numerous body
would be more equitable court than
the presbytery of New York. His
contention in part was that the pres
bytery of New York rendered its ver-
dict despite great pressure upon its
members to convict; and in a review of
his case recited the facts that have
grown old in the long pending discus
sion of this well known matter, begin
ming with the inaugural address on
the authority of Holy Scripture deliv-
cred in the chapel of the Union Theo-
logical seminary, New York, garbled
reports of which, he said, had been
printed and public opinion excited
against it before the address was pub
lished.
DIR. Briggs declared that If the appeal
should be entertained it would be a
violation of the constitutional rights
of the presbytery of New York and de-
prive him of his right Of complaint
guaranteed in the constitution.
Granting for arguments sake the de-
fendant and his presbytery may be
wrong In this matter and that the ap-
pellants are right, they would still
have no reason to leap the synod Of
New York. Was not the case of Albert
Barnes fully as important from the
point of view Of 1882 And yet DR..
Junkin, the private prosecutor, carried
1t TO the synod. Was not the case Of
DIR. Lyman Beecher, professor of the
ology in the Lane Theological semi
nary, fully as important from the point
of view Of 1892 And yet DIR. Wilson,
private prosecutor, did not venture to
leap the synod and appeal to the gen.
eral assembly.
DIR. Briggs finished his set remarks at
8 o'clock and then spoke extempora-
neously until the end OF his address.
He closed with an appeal, touched with
a suggestion of pathos that the case
might go to the synod of New York. If
that were done he would aid in the full
solution of the case and then II it went
back to the next general assembly he
would abide by its decision whatever
1t might be. He regretted II he had
said anything that had caused trouble
In the church.
Col. j. j. McCook then began the
closing argument for the prosecuting
committee. In his argument he recited
the history of the case in its various
stages and maintained the regularity
of the several steps.
"These are not criminal proceedings
involving peril to life or limb of the ap-
pellee. They are proceedings to en-
force a contract, or rather to determine
whether the contract has been main
tanned in all its integrity. If 1t should
be shown that the appellee had not
maintained the contract in all its in
tegrity, the loss Of his ecclesiastical
life" would mean simply the loss of the
benefits which he at one time enjoyed
under the contract which he had bro
ken"