Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-26

was no reason for haste. The truth would no,
suffer by delay. There was ground for believ-
ing that after the further consideration of the
issues involved which would be afforded by
the delay Of year the next assembly would be
able to reach a unanimous decision.
He said that he was for peace, but what il
the shortest road to peace? II the issuing of
the appeal and judgment against DIR. Briggs
was the road to peace he favored such a course.
But at the next synod all the questions could
be thoroughly considered. The shortest road
to peace, he said, was to take the regular con-
stitutional course.
DIR. LEFTwIcH.
Rev. DR.. James T. Leftwich Of Baltimore
then advanced to the platform and stood lean
ing on his cane as he talked. There was no
law in the church, he said. that instanced the
proposition that there was no acquittal against
an appeal. He said much confusion had been
caused by attempting to construe ecclesiastical
law by the light shed upon it by civil law. No
doubt there was justice underlying both
codes, but they presented so many points OF
difference that they should not be considered
together There were matters that of neces-
sitv Terminated in the presbytery; others that
terminated in the synod. and others in
the assembly. BY the very nature Of
this case. when it was initiated it had been
in transitu to the bar of the general
assembly. In the eye OF the church DIR. Briggs
had never been completely tried. The process
bad been begun and was now in its course.
The presbytery could only initiate the case.
The case had simply passed its initial stage. 1t
was said the assembly should not
entertain the appeal because 1t had leaped the
synod. They all agreed that ordinarily an
appeal should so to the next higher court.
At the same time an exceptional case
might leap the next higher court and
appear, at once ut the bar Of the
general assembly. They had authority for
that the lar or tho Gas nd in the ind vrop pt
OF the assembly Of 1892. The question
whether this was an exceptional case opened
the door for the consideration of the gravity of
this case. He did not propose to discuss the
merits OF this case. or to foretell what
his vote would be on the merits for he did not
know. He did not say DIR. Briggs was guilty of
gross errors but he did say DR.. Briggs was
charged with such errors. and such a charge
made 1t incumbent upon them to consider the
case.
THOMAS KANE.
Mr. Thomas Kane Of Chicago then took the
floor and spoke Of the rapid growth Of the
church and the country. Now there were about
SOC, 900 members of the church How long
would it be before the membership reached a
million and half? This thought. he said. lead
to the idea of the importance of making more
prominent the minor courts of the church.
Already the assembly was a very busy body
and in the future this situation would
be worse. he wanted 1t to be understood that
he was not Briggs man prosecuting COM
mittee man or nybody's man. He then spoke
OF the influence of religious newspaper men in
this matter and said that the religious papers
had lashed the church into fury. He said
that DIR. Brigg had been teaching these doc
trines fol- the past ten years. The product
turned out by the Union Seminary was a good
one and that was what business man looked
at. This is largely seminary fight.
He then spoke of the character of the deci-
sions by the assembly, and said that it was by
no means infallible. II the members of the
assembly want to enjoy laugh they should
read the minutes Of the last assembly If this
case was entertained then about four weeks of
trial laid before the assembly. ard next Tue
day they would have to begin to pay their own
board. For his part he was anxious to get
away.
DIR. ROBERTS.
DR.. VIM II. Roberts, the stated clerk, was
the last speaker of the morning session. He
said the assembly under no financial obli-
CATION to adjourn next Tuesday, nor a week
from next Tuesday. 1t was funda
mental rule of the Presbyterian
Church that majority shall rule
Their judicial system was not of English Blu,
Scotch origin, and in the Scotch system ap-
peals were always in order. 1t did not do here
to cite cases arising under English systems
He favored the entertainment of the appeal
for several reasons. This assembly was chosen
for the purpose Of issuing this appeal The
next assembly would have before it also the case
from Ohio. He reviewed briefly the usages
the church derived from the law
OF the Church of Scotland. II