New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-28
DELAY IN THE BRIGGS TRIAL.
WAIVERS MADE BY BOTH PARTIES.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IT, TAKE UP THE CASE
TOMORROW AND SETTLE Jf WITHOUT DE-
LAY-CHuRCH UNITY DISCUSSED.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSr.l


Washington, May 21.-Contrary TO expectation,
the Eriggs herrsy trial not taken up this
morning: but the day was not lost. DR. George
b. Baker the chairman of the Judicial COM
mittee, repoI ted that after "A conference with the
appellee, aD:. the appellants he had secufcf
statement that both parties waived IN" reahing
OF the record, except far as either party mishs
desire To refer 10 il in the arguments TO be pre-
scntcd. AMI il was therefore agreed that ~ 10
would tax" a day, and there so much pressing
routine business before the Assembly, il would
he wiser 10 hold three sessions today and begin
III" trial IN Monday morning. II was also de-
cidcd TO hold three sessiols every day next week
until tn" ease WAS decided.
Opinions differ 10 when a decision will be
reached. Tho conservatives seem 10 think that
a verdict should be reached by Tuesday night, and
tha, then the Assembly would bc able To complete
it, business on Wednesday. adiourning that even
ing Friends of the defendant think that DIR.
lrgg, should have all the time he needs, which
j. said TO be tlrc" or four days. In addition TO
the parties, the Book of Discipline allows members
Of the Now-Nork Prcsbytery to he heard hut 10
j. not doiritcly settled yet whether that means
every mcrlbcr of the Pr'~bytery who may b" in
Washington, or whether II il confined IN the COM
mi--ioners the Assembly.
At'r the parties are heard tho next stop VIII
b rhc hearing of addresses from. as macy members
Of the Assembly as desire 10 speak. unless =
tim" limit i, m,d" 4 vote will then lr taken
without del ate on each specification OF crror
ALLEGED, the "ucsfinrs being in this form >" Shall
the specification Of error be sustained ,?
II is impos .ple 70 forecast tho result definitely.
but ia" vote of yesterday would seem to Indicate
that the Judgment Of the Pr'sby terry can hardly
hc reafiirned here Should one nor" errors
all 'gcd IN the APPEAL hc found the A>s' nhy
will dct"rmin" whether in" Judgment Of IN" Tres
ryteiy shall be- reversed modified or the csse
II, rcmand.d for a new trial II tic verdict ia
changed and Dr. Briggs l., found guilty, then ex.
pul.on. suspension or y rel,nk Will be in order
Many men who are extremely conservative in
their opinions assert that they are NOR" deslrons
of securing a drliycrancc on th" questions under
rnvicw than they are 10 secure CONVICTION OF
Dr. Briggs. and if th" vote should be- against tie
Professor they will recommend that he h" re-
bnli,l, but not suspended or expelled.
The rrmor that DR.. Bris-s might Withdraw from
the PRESBYTERIAN Church. which prevalent
last NIGHT wa, said 10 have ts origin IN III" fact
that the time limit was likely 10 br raised when
tho trial begins This week Inc refused 70 speak
on the preliminary question unless proper fiins
wcrn allowed TO cypress his opinions. ana as mo
Assembly. or rather the majority. fr"ls incli'"d
10 fix limit upon III" parties and others wh"
shall sneak next week. il was inferred that he
would resist that decision. as lie had IN" former
tim" limit. But to-day it j. said that DIR. Briggs
wae meeting in friendly intercourse with the MEM
bers Of the prosecutor and Is desirous OF reaching
conclusion which shall b. satisfactory 10 all
DR.. Henry Preserved Smith. of Cincinnati. eaih
to-day that he felt the decision OF the Biisgs
case would prejudice his own when il came be-
Ihat -
that the General Assembly had settled the ques-
tions al issue. and would decide accordingly. Dr.
Smith is under SUSPENSION and Will" precluded
from preaching is still allowed to teach in Lane
Seminary He has held himself strenuonsy TO the
order of the court and has not preached In other
churches, as he might have done.
The Assembly adopted one report Of its Com
mttco on Bills and Overtures to-day, and ~
ceivcd another which bears the question at
issue although not connected directly with tho
case of Dr. Briggs. DR.. Young reported for the
rommttcc, that in answer 10 a number ~
ovcrtures asking for a brief creed in tho place
Of the present Confession of Faith, and a'so for
,recific changes in the present confession.
tho committee did NOT think tie present time
favorable 70 consider such matters and r"ad
from the 9th chapter of Acts at the 3lst verse.
expressing the hope that now. a. in III" anciens
days. the Church should have rest and multiply.
Dr. Booth Of Ncw-lork. member OF the
prvision Committee, and enthusiastic ~
vsionst, supplemented the report with an earnest
spe, ch along the line suggested by the COM
mittec. Dr. Booth .sid that he had reached ths
conclusion that the time had not com" for arfion.
aud that he was in favor of allowing the Church
rest for year.
Dr. Young also reported for the sam" COM
Ia f.1i
come up for discussion later:
Th, General Assembly reanirns the deverance ~ 'he
Assembly touching the inspiration of the
Holy Scriptures and doing declares that ihe <atd
dll,e-.cc cnunciat,s doctrine but rather inter
rres am gives expression to what has ever been cher
i,hed and believed fun nenal truth and whirh
expressly taught in our >randa dS 9Th" authority Of
Holy Scriptures for which o" !ht 10 b" believed ana
oleycd dcpndeh upon the testimony OF any man Or
Church bur wholly upon God twho is truth itseh the
Author thereof and j. b. received becauss
il is the Word Of God Confession l. A.; The Holy
scriptures Of the Old aud New Tosaments the Word
Of oi fIarqer Catechism. question 3f'; And Of In
fanlc truth and divine authority Confession L. 5)''
Church unity was discussed at length, and tive
Of the speeches callcl forth by the report were
received with suppressed excitement The Rev.
DR. Joseph T. Smith. of Baltimore spoke in ref
crence 10 the conference with the commission
from the Protestant Episcopal Church. Presby-
tcrans he said. bcliev" in the office Of bishop,
but differ with Episcopalians a. to the juris-
diction of that Office. The Asscmbly's COMMITTEES
is now Miting for IN answer TO proposition
by it relative to interchange of
pulrits ,,,,,,- :.
behalf of the Committee Federation OF
Churches of the Presbyterian Family: Dr.
Charlie. l.. Thompson. Of Ncw-Nork, chairman
Of the Committc" Church Cooperation. adj
dressed the Assembly in advocacy of the plan sub
mtted by him last week. lie urged the Assembly
10 adopt the reports Of both committees.
Then came the first Of series OF sensational
addresses DR.. iollited, of Newark said that
he Thought the Committe" on Church Unity made
a mistake when il proposed % shift the discussion
from the differences between the two great &C.
clcsiastcal bodies named 10 those points in which
they wera in harmony. skilful physician seeks
10 ascertain and remove the cause OF disease IN
his patient The differences serious in their
nature not only to Church unity but TO Christian
unity. The first is the non.rerosnition OF tho
validity Of Presbyterian ordination, This ne