Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-23
Interest in the Distinguished Pro
lessor Now Greatly Increasing.
THE NOTED THEOLOGIAN
Busy Putting the Finishing "Details to the
Presentation OF His Side He Will Conduct
His Own Case-Past Heresy Trials Before
the Presbyterian General Assembly.
PROF. CHARLES A. BRIGd.


Prof. Briggs makes his headquarters. With
him are Prof. Brown and a number Of other
prominent New York people. members of the
New York presbvtery, who are admitted to be
Prof. Briggs followers if they are not openly
known as Briggs men. Many other Presby-
terians, commissioners to the general assembly.
are at the Cochran, and this may be said to be
the general gathering place for the Briggs
party, just as the Arlington is for the anti
Briggs delegation.
DIR. Briggs is, personally, one of the most in
terestlng Of men. His home life at the
| seminary is pleasant in the extreme. What
is more, DIR. Briggs takes personal inter-
est in the students that are under him
at the seminary and makes of them friends as
well as disciples The result of this is that
he is personally one of the most popular
men in the faculty Of Union Seminary. In
sense this accounts for his large following,
for almost without exception the mon who
have studied under him understand the sig
nifcance CT his views as he has expressed them
much better than a mere outsider could pos
sibiy do. In general conversation about the
hotel corridors one may often hear the
opinion expressed that in course of time the
Presbyterian Church, if it does not actu-
ally come around to his point of view, will at
least realize that his position is by no means as
extreme and heretical as now seems to be the
case.
DR. BRIGGS PRErARING HIS CASE.
Today DR.. Briggs denied himself to many
OF his callers, nor was he approachable even
to newspaper men Though he has not been
mt all anxious to have his case written up to
any extent in advance of the time when
1t Will come before the assembly. he and
his followers are always very courteous and
obhgirg TO representatives OF the press. 1t
was understood. however, that this morning
he must be left to himself. as he was busy pre-
pairing the final details of his side as
it iN to be presented. He thought
that there was at least possibility Of the case
being reached this afternoon, inasmuch as the
report OF the judicial committee set down
for the first order of the day at the after
noon session. OF this there was really very
little likelihood, for it was known that
the reading of the reports and the remarks
upon them would consume considerable time
aud there was another item OF business put
down for o'clock. twas the prevailing opin-
ion this morning that the assembly would
simply hear the report this afternoon and set
some time tomorrow for the vote upon it
WILL CONDUCT HIS OWN CASE.
DR.. Briggs will conduct his own case when it
comes before the general assembly. That
this is altogether a wise move some Of his
followers are no. willing to admit. They
| say that he is quite likely to hurt
his case as he is to help it. He is man
of strong convictions and his manner is not
one to conciliate opponents He is by no
means what would be called a polite man.
| and there are many people who believe that
the whole trouble in which he has involved
| himself and the church has grown quite as
much out Of his manner out Of his views.
| 1t is told Of him that at the time he was
preparing his now famous inaugural address
he read it over to one of his fellow
| members on the Union faculty and that the lat
ter suggested some apparently slight changes
in the wording that would not materially
alter the sense Of the paper but would be less
likely to give offense. This DR.. Briggs
declined to do, and it afterward turned
out that the suggestions were on the
very points that gave rise to the
question of DR.. Briggs orthodoxy. 1t is also
said on the very best Of authority that the adj
dress of Dr.. Briggs was IN exact line with the
wishes of the wealthy New Yorker who endowed
the chair OF Biblical theology at Union Semin-
AIRY and at whose request DR.. Briggs was trans
ferrcd to that chair from the one of Hebrew.
DISCUSSING THE PROBABLE REPORT.
The commissioners to the assembly were
busy during the day discussing the probable
nature Of the report to be made by the
judicial committee. 1t WAS generally believed
that the committee, which has been sitting for
two days in one OF the pGrlors OF the
Fredonia. would present two reports, a minority
and a majority report, In proportion OF about
one to three. 1t Was certain that the majority
would be in favor OF enter tanning the appeal
in the Briggs case and would recommend
that the assembly proceed without delay
to the trial of the case. The report would be
read by DR.. Baker, the chairman of the conf
mittee. The minority report. it was thought.
loith no
Of the appeal by the assembly and so put the
signers on record. or it would recommend that
the appeal be sent back to the synod Of New
York.
leading Briggs man was asked by THE STAR
reporter this morning if the vote upon the re-
port of the judicial committee would be strictly
along the line that has beon drawn between the
Briggs men and the anti-Br!ggs men and
whether the vote would give any intimation of
the relative strength of the two sides.
LEADING BRIGGS MANS OPINION.
mo, think not" va; the answer. "You
see there a number OF commissioners.
just how many we lave no means of
Judging. who may be opposed to DR.. Briggs
and who will yet vote i'll favor of sending the
| ease back to the synod. There are three
reasons why the commissioners should vote in
favor of this move, irrespective OF party lines.
The first of these Is on the ground OF propriety.
for they believe that the case should
be heard by the synod. the next judi
cGtory above the presbytery, before it
comes before the assembly. The second reason
is on the ground OF expediency, and the third.
and possibly the most powerful Of all. is the no.
weather. The case may consume a very con-
siderable amount of time. and there are many
commissioners who may not desire or who for
various reasons may not be able to stay in
definitely
''Is there any chance of the case being sent
to q commission for hearing. y
mo. hardly. The provision for n commits
| sion in such cases sounds very well indeed,
but commission is not very
| satisfactory body after all. Its decisions are
| not final 1t must report 70 the assembly, and
| that body has the right to review its con-
illusions, though it might to some ex-
tent be moved by the strength of
| the recommendations of the commits
| sion. Still. the case might go on
| indefinitely in that way. We would not raise
| any objection particularly to the reference of
| the case to commission, and l rather think
| that any objection would come from the other
side. They realize the power they have by
| argument and eloquence to move such
| a large and comparatively unwieldy body as
the general assembly, which consists of nearly
| 600 members.
| FORMER HEBEsY TRIALS.
| Many of DIR. Briggs followers are of the
opinion that before many years public opinion
of he ND IF n ibc5