The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-06-01
SAILING FOR HEAVEN.
Elder Purael Wants To Be On the
Old Ship Of Zion.
PRESBYTERIANS VOTE AGAINST
PROFESSOR BRIGGS.

Some of the Pointed Speeches Explaining
Their Dccision-Dr. Briggs, Weary of
the Proceedings, Is Excused From At
tendance-The Question of a Penalty
Still To Be Acted Upon-The Result of
the Vote in Figures.
WASHINGTON, May 31.-Moderator
Craig at $50 a. m. convened the Presby-
terian General Assembly into a court,
and the last stage of the famous case
of Professor Briggs was entered upon.
Fifteen minutes were exhausted in de-
sultory discussion of the order Of the
procedure, the result of which was that
the assembly ordered the roll to be
called. The commissioners, as called,
were to give the reasons for their votes.
speeches to be limited to three minutes.
While this preliminary was being settled
DR.. Briggs quietly came in and took his
seat.
Under the call of the roll Rev. D. N.
Freeland of the East Florida Presbytery
was the first to respond. He had deep
regard for the honored professor, he
said, who was member of his own
parish, but he could side with him in his
claim that the Bible was errant. He
held to the old creed, and if the true blue
flag must go down he would 60 down
with it.
Mr.. Freeland was followed by Rev. J.
T. Smith of Baltimore, who expressed an
intention of sustaining the appeal.
DR.. Leftwich of Baltimore said the ap-
peal should be sustained because the
Presbytery acquitted Professor Briggs of
the charge of error upon charge which
he had frankly and freely avowed before
this assembly, that of errancy in the
original text Of Scripture.
Elder Purnell of Baltimore said that if
the assembly indorsed Professor Briggs
it would be entering upon a strange
course, with nationalist for a helms
man, bound for No Mans Land. He
preferred the old Bible, the old chart
and the old Ship of Zion upon which to
set sail for heaven.
Capt. Jacks of San Jose said that all
over the land there were yonng ministers
from Union Seminary stepped in the
fearful doctrine taught by DR.. Briggs.
Shortly before noon and during the
call of the synods, the moderator arose
and said: "Dr. Briggs is very weary of
this proceeding, and he has asked that
he be excused by the moderator from
further attendance as party. | cheer
fully grant his request p
DIR. Briggs then left the church amid
buzz from the galleries. He looked tired
and sad and seemed glad to get away.
The anti-Briggs men carried the vote
on most of the specifications and at last
Rev. w. G.. Young moved that the as
sembly vote upon the main question,
"Shall the appeal be sustained?' which
was adopted, the whole number of votes
cast being 400, to sustain the appeal 29S;
to sustain in part IS; total to sustain the
appeal 1888; not to sustain 116. The de-
cision of the New York Presbytery from
DR.. Briggs of the charge of heresy. Con-
sequently this vote to sustain the appeal
from that decision is adverse to the
professor.
An explanatory minute will be adopted
expressing the sense of the assembly as
to the action that should be taken on
the Judgment of the Presbytery of New
York and what penalty to impose against
DR.. Briggs, if any.
Maine Patents
WASHINGTON, May oil HeSo pdtenGS
have been granted to Maine people:
Nathaniel A. SWEET, Westbrook, thill coup
ling.
Fred Pooler, Skowhegan, horse book.
Matthew Moriarty, Bangor, ceSSpool.
Ferdinand B. Merrill and G. HI. Lowell, Var
mouth, two patents on means for cooking can
ned goods and on soldering iron for cans.
More Maine Postmasters.
WASHINGTON, May 31.-The total num-
ber of fourth class postmaSters appointed
Maine: I. E. Doe, China; Asa L. Grant,
Corinna; VIM. Harris, North Dixmont;
Albert Smart, Oakfeld; Madison Tracey,
Staceyville.