The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1893-06-02
FIRED FROM The CHURCH
BY tho Usual Large I,jofly Dr. BFi6ls
Is 0mclllly Bounced.
THE ASSEMBLY's MlLDNess
II Refrains From Burning the Her
etic at the stake a. In the
Good Old Days-End OF
TIE Caso.


Good Old Days-End OF
TIE Cass.
WAsHINVroN, June l.-Haviua decided
thst s hac . heretic on its hands In the
person ci DR.. Briggs, the hrst thing for
tne fH,sbyterian general assembly to do
.niA morning was to consider what should
of' done with him. A committes ap-
Snintsd to decide the matter brought In Q
, accommodation to suspend him from the
ministry. Dr.. Briggs was suspended In
definitely and can only be reinstatsd on
recanting his herstical utterancss.
On convsning the Presbyterian gen.
eral assembly, the moderator an.
nounced the names Of the com,
mitteo to formulate minutes exprcss-
ing the sense OF the assembly % to the
vote taken upon tho appeal from the New
York presbytery In ths Briees case. Rev.
Thomas A. Hoyt Of Philadelphia was made
chairman. The other members arc as fol.
lows: H. W. Consdon, Nebraska, w. W.
narsha. Nebraska; J. J. Lucas, Indiana;
Z. ID. Baker, Pcnnsylvanis; Z. r. whaE
ion' Indiana; Thomas Dewing, Iowa. e.
ders: John Randolph, Baltimore; Thomas
McDougail, Ohio; David jackson, Califor.
mia; Z. T. Green, New Jersey j, A, Curry.
kentucky; +. Warfleld, PENNSYLVANIA.
Tho coramittee retired and the assembly
as court adjourned, resuming Legislative
oV siness ~ an assembly.
The assembly adopted the report of the
committee on overtures reaflirmina the
| deltverance OF tho assembly Of 1892 ON
ehe inspiration of the scriptures.
The general assembly this afternoon
adopted the report Of the committee sus.
pending Professor Briggs from the minis.
try OF the Presbyterian church.
Tho committee on theological. semin.
aries also presented . report on Union
seminary, OF which Briggs 10 ono Of the
faculty, disavowing all responsibility for
its teachings and declining TO receive any
further reports from II until Il Is brought
into harmony with the church.
Rev. John Dickson, chairman OF the
COMMITTEES on theological semiuarics, sub
mitted reNort. The institutions Rener.
ally were reported to be prosperous. In
the ltst of professors the assembly flnds
the name Of Rev. H. p. Smith, who in
december last WAS suspended by the
Presbytery Of Cincinnati for undecision
OF faith. The board should have accepted
the resignation Of Professor Smith OF at
least have relieved him from the discharge
OF his dnties. The assembly therefore is
constrained to withhold approval and
cornmendation Of Lane seminary until
the board has reconsidsrsd its action and
remedied the error. The committee rec
ommended that the reelection OF DR..
Briggs by the Presbytsry Of Newark, a.
director Of the German theological ssmi.
nary At Bloomfield, n. j.. be approved by
this assembly.
losw ana n~cst>A A;.~...s~. -
the presentation Of the report, but the
question was finally put and the report
adopted BY . large majority.
At tho afternoon session DR.. Craig con.
vened the assembly a. court to hear the
report OF the committee appointed to pre-.
pare an explanatory minute In the Briggs
case. Rev. Mr.. .Hoyt, chairman, called
upon DIR. Baker Of the subcommittee
sent 10 interview Professor Briggs, to re-
port the result of the interview. DIR.
Baker said that Professor Briggs stated
zs irrevocable the determination made by
him in the declarations made in his I'D.
dress in his defense and to continue to
teach the doctrines there avowed. Al tho
request of DR.. Baker, Professor Briggs
gave him an autograph letter making the
statement, whereupon DR.. Baker said the
committee took action which Mr.. Hoyt
would now report to the assembly.
The report after recting the proceed.
ings In the case. proceeds: "This judici.
atory finds the final judgment Of the pres.
bytery of New York erroneous aud II 10
hereby reversed; and this general assem-
bly, finds the appellee, Charles A.
Briggs, uttered, taught and propo-
gated views, doctrines and teachings
contrary to tho essential doctrine, holy
scripture and standards of said Presby.
terrain church, and in violation Of the ortii.
nation vows of said appellee; which said
erroneous views and doctrines strike at
the vitals Of religion and have been in.
dustriously spread; the assembly does
hereby suspend Charles A. Briggs, said
appellee, from the ofiice Of minister In
tho Presbyterian church in the United
States of America, until such time as he
shall give satisfactory evidence of re-
pentance to the general assembly of the
violation by him of said ordination vow a.
herein and heretofore found"
The report Of the committee was adopted
and vote of thanks were given the com.
mittee for fits services. motion to re.
woke the action was greeted by Misses.
Rev. DR.. Herrick johnson Of Chicago
presented q protest against the action Of
the assembly on the inspiration OF tho
holy scripture. Rev. DIR. Young offered
supplement to the report Of the committee
on bills and overtures on the inspiration
of scriptures az follows:
fsesotred. That the Bible az we now have it
In various translations and versions when freed
from all errors and mistakes OF translators,
copyists and printers Is the very word OF God
and consequently wholly without error.
Unanimously adopted. DIR. Spraeue pre-
ssnted for consideration . protest against
the action of the assembly In the Briggs
case as being, too severe sentence for the
ofense.
Saratoga, n. Y, was chosen ~ the place
OF the meeting Of the assembly Of 1884.
The records Of various synods reported
and approved except those Of Pennsyl.
vania (for incompletenessl, of South Da-
kota for holding business sessions on
Sunday. The record of Wisconsin was
approved with IA exceptions, which were
ordered sent to the synod for their infor-
nation. Various standing com nlittees
were discharged in due form. reporting no
tbcr business. Tho ustlal resolutions