St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-26
| IN HIS OWN BEHALF
DR.. Briggs Addresses the Gen.
eral Assembly for Nearly
Five Hours.
He Has Grown Old in the
Discussion Of This
Matter.
A Strong Plea Against the
Jurisdiction of the Gen.
eral Assembly.
Against the Policy Of the
Church to Leap the
Synod.

WASHINGTON, May 25.-The Briggs
case had one good effect today. The
devotional service with which the ses.
sions of the general assembly are opened
was largely attended. Folks flocked in
and listened to prayers and song for
half an hour rather than wait and not
get in at all. Rev. DR.. Moore, the per-
manent clerk, conducted the service.
There was large gathering in the
church, and most of the gathering were
church people who know how to sing
hymns, SO the songs were rolled out in
splendid style. and the service as
whole made very agreeable prelude to
the business of the day.
DR.. Briggs came in just at the close
of the service and took his seat at his
table inside the chancel. On the table
he placed a little vaise, in which he
carries his papers. Prof. Francis Brown
deposited on the table beside the valise
a Syphon bottle of soda water, from
which at times DR.. Briggs refreshed
himself. Mr.. Cutcheon and DR.. Frazier
also took seats at the table. On the OPP
pOsite side the prosecution committee
sat.
The Public Interest
of the previous two days was, if any
thing, increased, but owing to the adj
mirable arrangements for seating the
audience and maintaining order, there
was but little confusion and
no discomfort. Among the spec
tators was the venerable Rev.
William Field, d. D.. of New York.
Prof. Briggs spoke altogether four and
half hours at three different slttlngS OF
the court. Col. j. j. McCook, of the
committee on prosecution, closed the
case on behalf of the prosecution. He
divided his argument into two parts,
speaking an hour and twenty minutes
in the afternoon, and concluding at the
evening session.
When Moderator Craig resolved the
assembly into judicial court. DR..
Briggs resumed his speech in defense of
the action Of the New York presbytery
in the case of the prosecution against
him, and in opposition to the entertain
ing of the appeal from the judgment of
the presbytery thereon. In the course
of his argument, DR.. Briggs said the
presbytery of New York, the largest
presbytery in the church, after a long
and patient consideration of the case,
gave verdict of acquittal. Would the
general assembly give the same time
and patience to considering
The Merits of the Case,
If the appeal should be entertained;
body would be more equitable court
than the Presbytery of New York? His
contention, in part, was that the Pres
dict despite great pressure upon Its
members to convict, and, as to his case,
recited facts that he has grown old in
the long-pending discussion of this
well-knoWn matter, beginning with the
inaugural address on the authority of
Holy Scripture delivered in the chapel
of the Union Theological seminary.
New York, garbled reports of which, he
said, had been printed, and public opin-
ion excited against him before the adj
dress was published.
He alluded to the appointment of
committee TO consider the address
while he was i'll and had no redress, and
of the subsequent action Of the general
assembly in 1892. He recited the du-
ties required Of him by the directors of
the Union Theological seminary;
but, he SAID, "1he general assembly at
Detroit, in May, 1891, Notwithstanding
these categorical answers, undertook to
veto the transfer of Da. Briggs to the
chair of Biblical theology. Two of the
prosecutors took part in the act of veto,
and used
Their Personal influence
in its behalf, and then. with the other
members OF the committee appointed to
prepare the necessary proceedings,
blossomed out into a prosecution COM
mittee by their own inherent energy"
He also referred to the dismissal of
the case against him by the general as
semblv at Detroit and the subsequent