The morning call., 1893-06-02
BRIGGS GOES OUT.
Not Exactly Burned at
the Stake.
A HERETO FOR ALL THAT.
Therefore the Presbyterian Church
Has No Room for Him or Ills
Schismatic Teachings.
Special TO The MORNING CALI.


the delegates to the Presbyterian General
Assembly to do this morning was to con-
slider what should be done with him. The
committee appointed to decide the matter
brought in the recommendation, 'Suspen-
sion from the ministry" and the assembly
adopted the report. DR.. Briggs was sus-
pended indefinitely, and can only be re-
instated on recantatjon of the matter in
his speeches and writings TO which objec-
tion is made. 1t is most unlikely that lie
will ever do that.
On the converting OF the Presbyterian
General Assem- Sly, the moderator an
n0unced the names of the committee to
formulate the minute expressing the sense
of the assembly as to the vote taken upon
the appeal from the New York Presbytery
in the Briggs case.
Rev. Thomas a. Hoyt of Philadelphia
was made chairman. The other members
are As follows: Mnisters-H. W. Cong
don, Nebraska; W. W. Harsha, Nebraska;
j. j. Lucas. Indiana; G. d. Baker Penn
syvsnia; E. P. Whallon, Indiana: Thomas
Dewing, Iowa. The elders are: John
Randolph. Baltimore; Thomas McDou-
gall, Ohio; David Jackson, California; E.
T. Greene, New Jersey; j. a. Curry. Ken
tucky; E. d. Warield, PENNSYLVANIA.
The committee retired and the assembly
as a court adjourned, resumipg legislative
business as an assembly.
The assembly adopted the report of the
committee on bills and overtures reaflirm-
ing the deliverance of the assembly of 1892
on the inspiration of the Scriptures.
Rev. John Dickson. chairman of the
committee of theological semiDaries, SUBJ
mitted his report. The institutions gen.
erHlly report prosperity. As to the Lane
Theological Seminary the trustees had
been compelled to abolish the chair of
practical theology owing to their reduced
income, thus compelling the resignation If
DR.. Roberts. who was the incumbent In
the list of professors the assembly finds
the name of Rev. Henry Preserved Smith,
ID, who, in December last. was sus-
pended by the presbytery Of Cincinnati for
unsoundness in faith. The board should
have accepted the resignation of Professor
Smith or at least have relieved him from
the discharge CT his uutes. The assembly
therefore is constrained to withhold its ap-
provai ard commendation from Lane Sem
mary until the board has recousidered its
action aud remedied this error.
The committee recommended that the re-
election of Rev. Charles A. Briggs, DID,,
by the presbytery of Newark, as director
of the German Theological Seminary at
Bloomfield, Y. j., be disapproved by this
assembly. A long and excited discussion
followed the presentation of the report,
but the question was finally put and the re-
port adopted in its entirety by large ma
jOrity.
At the afternoon session DR.. Craig COR
vened the assembly as court to hear the
report of the committee appointed to pre-
pare the explanatory minute in the Briggs
case, and Rev. Mr.. Hoyt. chairman, at
once called upon DR.. Baker Of the sub
committee sent to interview Professor
Briggs to report the result of the inter-
view.
DIR. Baker said that Professor Briggs had
stated his irrevocable determination to
abide by the declarations made in his ad-
dress before the assembly in his defense
and to continue to teach the doctrines
there avowed. At the request of DR..
Baker Professor Briggs gave him an auto
graph letter making sucn statement,
whereupon DR.. Baker said the committee
took the action which Mr.. Hoyt would
now report to the assembly.
The report, after reciting the proceed
ings in the case, proceeds: This judica-
tory finds that the said final judgment of
the Presbyt terry of New York is erroneous
and it is hereby reversed, and this General
Assembly finds the appellee. Charles A.
Briggs. uttered, taught and propagated
views. doctrines and teachings contrary to
the essential doctrine of the holy Scripture
ami to the standards of said Presbyterian
church and in violation of the ordination
vows of said appellee. which said er.
roneous views and doctrines strike at the
vitals Of religion and have been in
dustriously spread.
"This assembly does therefore suspend
Charles A Briggs, the said appellant,
from the office of minister in the Presby-
terian church in the United States OF
America until such time as he shall give
satisfactory evidence of repentance to the
General Assembly for the violation by him
of said ordination VOW as herein and
heretofore found"
The report was adopted aud vote of
thanks given the committee for Its sery-
ices.
Rev. DR.. Herrick Johnson of Chicago
presented protest against the action of
the assembly on the inspiration of the holy
Scriptures, and Rev. DR.. Young offered a
supplement 10 the report of the committee
on bills and overtures on the inspiration
of the Scriptures, as follows:
Resolred, That the Bible as we now have It,
in various iranslations and versions, when
freed from all the errors and mistakes OF trans
lators cOpyists and printers, is the very ord
of God, and consequently wholly without
error.
This was unanimously adopted, and
then DR.. Sprague presented for considera-
tion protest against the action of the
assem- bly, in the Briggs case as being too
severe sentence for the offense of the
honored scholar named, and as tending to
restrict the liberty heretofore enjoyed by
office-bearers In the Presby terian church.
Saratoga. N. Y, was chosen as the place
of meeting for the assembly OF 1894, and a
recess was taken until 7:45.
The records of the various synods were
reported and approved except those of
Penn sylvania, for incompleteness, and of
South Dakota, for holding business ses.
sions on Sunday. The record of Wiscon-
sin was approved with fourteen exeep-
fionc which uprp ordered tha