Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-06-01
FOUND HIM GUILTY.
Professor Briggs Condemned
by His Brethren.
HELD TO HAVE TAUGHT HEREsY

on the Side of the Accused-Brief Ex-
tracts From the Remarks of the Com
missioners-Procedure Explained.
WASHINGTON, June 1.-The day vote
was expected on the Briggs case was an
intensely exciting one in Presbyterian cir
cles here. The church was early crowded
to its capacity with people earnestly inter
ested in the proceedings. A succinct state
ment of the position of the case at the
opening of the session will be of interest.
Under the rules of the church governing
trial such as the present there are four
parties having the right to be heard: l.
the prosecution, which in this case is the
appellant; 2-the defense, which in this
case is the appellee, DR.. Briggs; 3-the
commissioners to the general assembly
from the judicatory whose Judgment is
being appealed from. which in this case Is
the presby:ery Of New York; 4-the mem
bers Of the superior judicatory trying the
appeal, which Is the general assembly.
The first three parties had been heard;
the fourth began having Its inning when
the court convened in its sixth session.
Calling the Roll Of Assembly.
The first thing done in the hearing of
this fourth party was calling the roll by
synods. As a mans name was called he
arose and spoke three minutes, that limit
having been agreed upon. There are five
gounds OF appeal and thirty-four specifica-
tions. Each of these specifications will be
voted upon singly At the end of the vot-
ing on these the roll will be called upon the
general question shall the appeal be sus-
tained?" If the appeal were not sustained
the voting on the specifications would go
for naught. But if sustained, it is eQuiva-
lent to a verdict of guilty against DR..
Briggs. A committee is then to be ap-
pointed to prepare minute for su omission
to the general assembly prescribing the
punishment to be meted out. There are
five things the general assembly can do in
such a case: They can admonish; they
can rebuke; they can suspend; they can de
pose or they car expel.
Specimens of the Speeches.
After a few preliminary arrangements of
no particular interest the clerk began the
roll, and those who desired had their say
as their names were called. Elder Pur-
nell, of Baltimore, said that if the assem-
bly, endorsed Professor Briggs i: would be
entering upon a strange course, with a
mans land. He preferred the old Bible,
the old chart. and the old ship of Zion upon
which to set sail for heaven.
Captain Jocks, of San Jose, said that all
over the land there-Xere young ministers
from Union seminary stepped in the fear
full doctrine taught by DR.. Briggs. If the
professor knew, he said, of the damage he
was doing he would drop this thing and
, would have done with it forever.
One Who Is Heartily Sick.
The sum and substance of the whole first
! charge, said Rev Charles Fueller, of Gun
nison presbytery, Colo, was that DR..
| Briggs had used the word fountain, when
| he should have used and intended to use
the word "channel." He was heartily sick
| and tired of this talk about Martineau. If
the words of DR.. Briggs We're capable of
misinterpretation, were not the words of
| Christ also capable of the same thing.
! Christ had said, "This is my body" and yet
| the whole Christian world was divided as
| to the meaning of those words. Christ had
not made clear his words: was it unnatural
! that Dr. Briggs should be unable to make
| clear his statementsf
DIR. Herrick Johnson's View
"The first four grounds of appeal are
| technical and have no place in case of
, the Importance of this; sweep them away"
was the declaration with which DIR. John
son, Of Chicago, began his expression of
| opinion He said the explanation of the
defendant to the meaning of his doc
! trine' to be accepted long as his
! moral integrity was not in question.
Rev. Thomas c. Hall, from Chicago, who
| has been Jealous supporter of DR..
| Briggs, said that if it was breach of con-
! tract to hold certain opinions he should
| have been told SO when he was ordained.
| He held the views which We're in danger of
! being cast out to the confusion of the
| church
| George Rutherford, of Peoria, ILL.,, said
t, that fer the assembly to cast out of its
communion such a staunch Presbyterian
Dy-,y 1,oc hi
Gave DIR. Briggs the Benefit Of the Doubt.
| The assembly should vote to sustain most
! of the specifications, was the opinion of
| Rev. John M. Boggs, of Fort Wayne, Ind,
| but he believed that DR.. Briggs was right
| in alleging the errancy of the Scriptures.
| Elder Charles E. Griffin, of Hammond,
| Ind. said that if the theologians of the
assembly were in doubt as to the inter
| probation to be placed upon the views Of
| DIR. Briggs. how was it to be expected that
| the laymen of the assembly could be free
| from doubts aft you are in doubt, SO are
| we in doubt" he continued, "and as an
honest man must give Professor Briggs
the benefit of that doubt"
Other Opinions in Brief.
81 believe that fifty years from now,"
said Frand G. Ellet, of Flint Mich, eve
shall see that Dr. Briggs was sent from
| God to make the church EVANGELICAL
Dr. J. II. Brookes, of St. Louis, said the
| question whether there was a Bible
worth having, or whether it should be
| proclaimed to the world that the church
had no stated views on the Holy Scrip
| lures.
Rev. Henry NJ. Storrs would say to all
| scholars: "Go where you will. learn all
| you can of the origin and history of all
| its books and bring it to me, for it will
throw additional light upon what hold
| to be the perfect word of God"
ASSEMBLY PROCEEDS TO VOTE.