Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-05-31
BOTH SIDES ARE IN
Arguments in the Briggs Herssy
Trial Presented.
HYsTtHIcAl PLEA FOR SELF
Dr. Ncanx REPORTS . Substitute for
the osesssre K~sarsiSas shss lnspi-
ration or she scriptures

=" s'AAy 80 ViC ~ ts.t
laity. Elder ketchum % New York. con
dacted the religious exerclses at the
opening q the presbyterian general AS
semhly this morning. At DO Nodera-
tor Craig opened the business session
With prayer. and the minutes IL ycster-
days proceedings were read and ap
proved. DIR. Young. chairman % the
committee on bills and overtures. re-
ported that the committee requested
that the answer % the overtrr-s regard.
ing the deiiverance of the assembly
Of ls:e upon the Inspiration
Of the Bible. made last Saturday.
be returned 20 the committee
This was ordered and then DR.. Young
presented the following substitute.
which. ne said. was the unanimous ex-
pr-ssion of the seventeen members Of
the committee present. the largest mum.
ber AZ any meeting yet held:
The general assembly reafiirms :he
doctrine OF the deliyerance of the as
selnbly of 1892 touching the inspiration
Of holy scriptures. viz. that the original
scriptures of the old sad new tesla
uents. being Immediately inspired of
God. were without error; and in So do.
ing declares that the said deliverance
eaunciates no now doctrine and im poses
no new test Of orthodoxy. but inter.
prels and gives expression To what has
always been the belief of the church
taught in the Westminster confession
of faith.
DIR. briggs Resumes.
DR. Briggs then. at go resumed his
argument in defense Of the charges
made against him. DIR. Briggs occupied
all the balance Of the morning session
going over substantially the same ground
argued before the New York presbytery.
tie was heard without interruption or
incident u moment
Dr. Briggs admitted that the charges.
that he said errors may have existed
in the original text of the holy scripture
as IL came from the authors, were
fairly accurate. The errors he had
found had been beyond the range Of
faith or practice. and therefore they
did not impair the infallibility Of the
holy scripture as rule Of faith and
practice. But the sacred writings were
not composed in heaven by the holy
spirits or sent down from heaven by
angel hands; were not committed to the
care OF perfect men and were not kept
by succession OF perfect priests from
that moment 10 the present. God in
transmitting the word. used the hands
~ imperfect scrihes. who edited and
re-edited. arranged and rearranged the
sacred writings. Fallibie men could not
produce series IL infsllible writings. q
In concluding his address Dr. Briggs
said: Il cballcnge you before God 10
judge me rightly ard conscientiously.
challenge you before God 10 judge me
according to the record l challenge
you before Jesus Christ 10 do me justice
in your Judgment
Colonel McCook's Haranguc.
Colonel GcCook. for the appellants.
began his address at 3:45 p. M. He
claimed that the case before the presby
terry was one of fact and not OF law: that
the charges contained only matter
which the defendant admitted having
uttered. aud that the verdict should
have been guilty. Tho case was one
which could not be decided by occa-
sional Polemics on presbyterian doc
trinc. but must lie decided by
TIC HiEuf-t
with the constitution and standards
IL the church. The speaker traversed
anew the grounds of the teachings OF
the defendant and asserted. despite the
lstter's avowals and exclanaiione. that
they were in opposition 10 the holy
scriptures and confession OF faith. and
therefore gross error in the eye OF the
church. He also asserted that the doc
trines at issue were essential. notwith
standing Prof. Briggs declaration OF
opinion 10 the contrary.
After adopting resolution express
ing the gratitude of the members of the
assembly To the patriotic dead for their
services and roycTence II their memo
res and singing America the assem-
bly vas notified that so FAR there had
been no special prayer 'or the president
- the United States and the great con
catenanted government" which he rep
resented This prayer was then offeret
by Prof Brown and Eecess taken until