The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-06-08
Or. BRIGGS SUSPENDED.
REFUSED TO MODIFY VIEWS EXPRESS
ED TO THE ASSEMBLY.
HiS Views Condemned as Striking at the
vitals Of Religion and Against the
Standards Of the Presbyterian
Church in America.

the Presbyterian church was preceu'
ed this morning by tie usual nall
hours devotional exercises. The
moderator announced the committee
to formulate minute expressing the
sense of the assembly as to the vote
taken upon the appeal from the judg'
nent of the New York Presbytery
Rev. Thos. A. Hoyt, d. D., of Phila'
delphia, was made chairman.
Rev. John Dickson, chairman OF the
committee on theological seminarles,
then submitted a report that the coul-
n1ittee on institutions generally re-
mort prosperity and the Mccormick,
of Chicago, with 2l2 students, heads
tbe list. AS to the Lane seminary re-
mort. he said that in the list of profess
sors the assembly finds the name OF
Rev. Henry =. Smith, d. d., in De-
cember last suspended by the Presby-
terv. of Cincinnati, for unsoundness
of faith but continued by for.
NAL action in the duties OF
his professorship. Where a minister
fg suspended he is suspended from all
functions of his office. Among the
most important of such functions Is
training young men for the ministry.
However serious the embarrassment
10 q seminary, the board should accept
the resignation of Professor Smith or
relieve him from duty. Assembly
was therefore constrained to withhold
Lane seminary until the board has
remedied the error.
Coming to the Union seminary the
committee reported upon the sltua..
ton there. including the position OF
Rev. DR., Briggs and the semlnary's
action in withdrawing from the com.
pact of 1870, made with the general
assembly. The history o: the case
was gone over in detail, and regard
ing the retention of DR.. Briggs in the
chair of biblical theology OF the Union
seminary strong disapprcval Is ex'
pressed. Further, because of the
strange and unwarranted action OF the
seminary directors in retaining
DR.. Briggs, after the ap.
,nointment had been disapprOved
by the assembly, and because OF the
refusal by the directors to az bitrate
the point in dispute between the gen.
eral assembly and the board, and be-
cause of the attempt by the board and
on its own motion and against the eX-
messed desire of the assembly to alb
,Togate the compact of 1870, the com.
nittee urges that the assembly disa-
VOW all responsibility for the teaching
of Union seminary and decline to re.
ceiye any report from its board until
satisfactory relations are established
The committee further recommend
that the board Of education be enloin'
ed from giving aid to such students
only as may be in attendance upon
seminaries approved by the assembly.
The committee also recommended
that the reelection of Rev. Charles A.
Briggs, d. d.. by the presbytery of
Newark as director of Goodman The.
clog ical seminary at Bloomfield, N. j
be disapproved.
at the afternoon SESSION DIR. Craig
convened the assembly as a court to
hear the report Of the committee APP
pointed to prepare an explanatory
minute in the Briggs case. Rev. Mr..
Hoyt, chairman of the commute, be-
fore making his report, called upon
4 DR.. Baker, chairman OF the su6-com-
mittee sent to interview Prot. Briggs
in q spirit of Cancellation, to report
the result of that interview Mr..
Baker said the committee had hoped
that Prof. Briggs would say some-
thing which might relieve the ten
sion of the present distressing situa.
ton but this hope was not realized.
Prof. Briggs stated his irrevocable de-
termination to abide by the declara-
, lions made in his address before the
assembly in his defense and to con
.tinue to teach the doctrine there
avowed, whereupon DR.. Baker said
{ the committee took the action which
MIR. Hoyt would now report to the
assembly.
The report, after reciting the pro-
ceedings in the case proceeds: This
judiciatory finds said final judgment
of the presbytery of New York erro-
neous and should be and is hereby re-
versed, and this general assembly sit
ting as judiciatory in said case
coming now TO enter judgment on
said amended charges finds that APP
pellee, Charles A. Briggs, has uttered,
taught and propagated views, doc
trines and teachings as set forth in
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
violation of the ordination VOWS o
said appellee, which views and doc
trines strike at the vitals of religion
and have been industrCusly spread.
Wherefore the general assem-
bly, as the Presbyterian church in
Che United States Of America, sitting
as judiciatory in the cause on appeal,
does hereby suspend Charles A.
Briggs, said appellee, from his office
OF minister in the Presbyterian church
N the United States of America until
such time as he shall give satisfactory
evidence of repentance of violation by
him of said ordination VOW as herein
and heretofore found.n
The report was adopted, wher0upon
Rev. DR.. Spague gave notice that at
the proper time protest would be
offered against the finding Of the
assembly as being too severe a sent
ence for the offense of the houored
scholar named, as tending to restrict
the liberty heretofore enjoyed by office
bearers in the PRESBYTERIAN church,