Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-07
BRIGGS RALLY CRY.
The Union Professor Lays Out His
Plan Of Campaign.
WILL FIGHT FOR PROF. SMITH
He Hopes That the Next General Assembly
viii Overthrow the Work OF the Last
His Foes q Minority Views of Lyman
Abbott and Washington GLADDEN..
PROF. BRIGGS LETTER.

He Speaks OF the Actions Of an "Ageressiv
and Ruthless Minority"
In the issue of the New York ErnnoeEst
which will be published Friday, the followint
letter from Prof. Briggs will appear:
"The reactionary theologians Of the school o.
Breckenridge are in the saddle and thew hsy.
used their temporary power to the utmost
but they are not the Presbyterian Church
They are only what they have always been-ar
aggressive minority which has been worked ur
into temporary majority. They are the de-
scendants OF the men who expelled the presby.
terry Of New Brunswick in 174l and who cut of
four synods from the general assembly in 1887,
This year, 1893, they have exhausted thei,
power in suspending one man from the ministry
and in making new definitions Of dogma and
new precedents Of law
What shall liberal Presbyterians do under
these circumstances? There should be but ono
answer. A minority OF the church has violated
the constitution, has overridden the safeguards
OF Presbyterian law and precedence The ma
Jority should rally and use every lawful method
to undo the damage which has been done to the
lair fame OF Presbyterianism. Let no man be dis
connected. Lot no one finch from the struggle
Let no one leave the ranks. Let the bugle call
resound from ocean to ocean, from the gulf to
the lakes, coll to arms OF every man who loves
the Presbyterian Church and who wishes her
the future to which her history and her present
advantage entitle her.
THE LINES OF BATTLE
1.-The lines OF battle be QD legal and (2) doc
trinaL The interest of one man amounts to
little. The appellee is quite willing to sacrifice
himself for the peace and welfare of the Presby-
terrain Church He asks his friends not to con-
sider MIN or his interests, but to devote their
aftantIOp IN har IN, thn
sents. II they act wisely and we'll the triumph
OF the revolutionary party will be short. The
reaction has already begun and is making such
rapid progress that in short time victory will
again perch on the banner Of the American type
OF Presbyterianism.
'Revision. new creed. freedom of scholarship.
liberty OF conscience, the constitution of the
church and the precedence OF Prcsbyter
practice have all been jostled under foot BY n
ruthless majority, but these noble causes will
~ hit Them up as beacons to light up the future
history OF the Presbyterian Church Let each
presoytery whose overtures have SO rudeiy
been brushed aside and scornfully treated re-
assert its position with greater determination
before the general assembly. Let the synod Of
New York assert its constitutional rights over
against the general assembly which has SO
greatly encroached upon them. Lot every
presbytery and synod which would maintain
the graded system Of court which has. until
the present day, boon the pride Of Presby-
terlRnism, overture the next assembly IN the
interests OF orderly procedure.
BRoAD-MINDED SHOULD ORGANIZE
'ft Is high time that oil broad. minded men
should organize aud work together for their
own safety as well as the honor Of Presby-
terians. If the general assembly, by a majority
OF votes, makes new laws and new doctrines il
makes them by unconstitutio nal procedure |
which no minister or layman is under obliea-
hons to obey. but which he is under bonds to
resist to the utmost as illegal and revolutionary.
Therefore no minister or layman should feel |
ander any obligations to retire from the Presby- |
erian Church on account Of the illegal acts OF |
The late general assembly. Every true presbv-
erian should rather be challenged to defend
he constitution against those who have
rampled it under foot
"A general assembly lives for q few days and
hen passes away forever. sometimes lcay-
ng the fragrance Of good name and good
leeds, at other times gaining a bad reputation
or itself and for those who shared in its pro-
seedlings. The bad deeds Of one general assem-
bly, may be overcome by the good deeds of an
'ther general assembly. The presbyteries are
permanent. They alone make law and doctrine
or the Presbyterian Church. Nothing can be
'ermanent In Presbyterianism which two thirds
y the presbyteries do not indorse. Tie acts of
he assembly at Detroit, Portland and Washing.
on may all be blotted out by the sweetness and
race OF the next general assembly at Saratoga.
let all loyal PresbyteriRns rally about Prof.
henry p. Smith in his battle for truth and
ight and victory at Saratoga will gain for
'resoyterian liberty what was once won for our
ative land in the same place by stout hearts
no brave hands. CHARLES A BRIdGs."