Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-02
EDITORIAL OPINION.
What Editors Have to Say on the Brigxs
Suspension.

EDITORIAL OPINION.
What Editor Have to Say on the Briggs
Suspension.
The general assembly has formally suspended
DR.. Briggs from the Presbyterian ministry.
There can be no question Of the authority Of
the general assembly, under the rules Of the
Presbyterian organization, to infict this sem
tence, whatever question there may be Of its
expediency or justice.
DIR. Briggs. believing coascientiously the doc
trines- more strictly the view OF Christian
doctrine-thus condemned, declares that hs
must continue SO to believe arfd so TO teach He
may be suspended from his ministerial funo-
lions, but there is no way TO silence him outside
the pulpit. and the Union Theological Semi
nary will probably stand by him there seems Q
very good prospect Of a rupture between the
Presbyterian organization and its most i'm
portant training school
As the seminary educates the young
preachers. the future members Of presbyteries .
and synods and commissioners 10 the general
assembly, il has the more hopeful side OF the
dispute Recognizing this, the assembly pro-
poses TO discipline the seminary as well az in
situation more interesting stilL-Philadelphsa
Times.
The action taken yesterday by the general
assembly OF the Presbyterian Church of this
country definitely settles the prolonged Briggs
controversy. The progressive and scholarly
| divine, whose name and fame have been 30 long
and LUMINOSITY associated with Union Theo-
logical Seminary. hiss been declared by the
highest Judicial tribunal Of his church. IRON
which there Ia no appeal, TO be tescaer of
heresy.
There was a time when The oiium Of heresy
was crushing, and lite penalties terrible. Thst
! day has passed. Discipline remains. and the
power TO enforce il sui exists in every well
| organised denomination Bot the utmost limit
| OF punishment for modern herOsy IL reached
when the berencs are turned out Of ono
| church with full liberty 10 join another
or found q new one for themselves. There
Il general feeling. however, outside
| the church Immediately concerned that the sus-
/ pended professor has been treated in a nsrrow
| and ungenerous spirit, ard that while be may
! re hereto t., some Of the sogrnss Of the
seventeenth century he IL more loya. ana true
| 70 the progressive and liberal Christianity of
reading him out Of the Presbyterian COM
munion.-Nep York Recorder.
The Presbyterian general assembly yesterday
adopted the report of its committee in the case
Of DIR. Briggs, and he is suspended from the
ministry. Thie may be in accordance with the
rules and discipline Of that sect. but the moro
absolutely il il the worse for Presbyterienism.
| He is not expelled from the communion, but
| only suspended from the ministerial office. as
q degree Of heresy may be tolerated in n lay
| man which cannot be suffered in q minister.
But suspension in this case is tantamcunt b
| expulsion from the ministry unless the
assembly itself shall relent There is no proba-
bility that DIR. Briggs will recant his clear and
settled conviction There 10 more Of Luther
than OF Calico in his constitution--Aee Tors
| World
The general assembly Of the Presbytertaa
Church has got itself aud the church into .
prsdicament which probably few Of the mem
bers had foreseen, and still fewer had consid-
cred Q way out Of
The foot is that the general assembly Of the
Presbyterian Church is about the only body Of
educated men in this country, or in this time,
in which it would be possible to obtain a con-
domination OF the opinions which DR.. Briggs
holds in common with all educated men, al
though doubtless he has been led to
them by researches much more extensive than
| educated men IN general have had occasion TO
| undertake But IL is these conclusions wh1ch
have for many years made IL increasingly e.
| cult for the Presbyterian Church 20 obtain q
supply Of educated men for its ministry.
When it 10 known that these conclusions are
| matters not merely for condemnation, but for,
| punishment by the Presbyterian Church, this
difficulty viii evidently be increased. since the
i
tends only to its own ministers. and not 70
those outside Of its ministry or its communion,
| and who are under no constraint 10 enter its
ministry. II the spirit Of the general assembly
| is enforced, then the Presbyterian ministry
| may be, according TO the provision of the
assailants Of DIR. Briggs, first pure and then
peaceable." but il will be exceedingly small
N y. Tunes.
The religion Of the evangelists is founded
| upon the Bible. Destroy that. and religion
falls. The general assembly, while many Of its
members may have little difficulty in UNDER
standing DR.. Briggs. is evidently Of the opinion
that his teachings tend TO misunder.
standing and consequently 10 the harm Of
religion. 1t may be easy for the theo-
logan TO reconcile much OF the doctrine of DIR.
Briggs with pure religion and undefled, but to
| the unthinking il opens an avenue for attacks
| that cannot be ignored. When church mem
| bers and church goers fail 10 UNDER
stand all that DIR. Briggs has been
/ driving it, at would not be singular IL,
| by misquoting Briggs and accepting
his utterances attacks upon the infallibiity
| of the Scriptures, infdelity should prosper.
This apparently is the danger that the assem-
| bly, Sees and it hns taken the opportunity to
| convict the doctor and at the same time TO set
| before the world a new deliveNnce upon the
| infallibility Of Holy Writ
The cause Of religion will not suffer by the
heresy trial. Such trials no new things-
The world is continually growing better. There
Is more Christianity in II than in its history.
| The Briggs case may cause a ripple-a nine
| DAYS WONDERFUL even in the Presbyterian
Church il will do no more than that.-PhsIe-
] delphid Inquirer.