Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-31

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W. n. PURNELL
my body" and the whole world was divided as
to his meaning When they condemn DIR.
Briggs for language they could not understand
they condemned also the Savior.
Rev. MIR. Fueller was about TO speak Of other
charges when his time expired
DIR. THOMAS C. KIRKwoop.
DR.. Kirkwood Of Pueblo, Col, said that he
had come with the intention Of giving all posi-
BILE benefit of doubt to the accused. but he had
come with the idea that there was growth in
the church inimical to the church and due to
some ones sowing. He had been slow to be-
leve that DIR. Briggs was the source of all this
evil. but after sitting in council with the assem-
bly, he had come to the conclusion that they
had reached the fountain head Of the trouble
As a result of such doctrines the people Of the
land were coming to think that the Bible is not
the book that it used to be. Even in his far
distant land the i'll effects Of this belief were
seen in the Sunday schools, in the churchea
He could not but vote to sustain the charges
against DR.. Briggs, for he was the man who had
sown the seed of careless thinking and loose
believing. The wrong had been done and the
assembly had discovered the doer Of the wrong,
and it was their duty 70 act
REV. DR. PuaH.
Rev. DR.. John W. Pugh Of Bloomington, Ill,
said be WAS one Of the las who had voted to
send the case back to the synod Of New York.
because he wanted to conserve every right Of
the appellee He had listened carefully to all
the pleas. He did not wish to cast any imputa-
ton upon any man, but he was constrained to
say that the address Of the appellee was to his
mind the most magnificent case Of special
pleading he had ever heard. 1t cleared up
No nharn IN nd
believed that this was q case in which sanctiied
common sense must have full sway. They must
face squarely the question, Did the presby-
terry of New York err in the manner in which
they had dealt with with this case.
ELDER FRANK Z. HAMILTON.
Mr.. Frank Hamilton Of Bloomington, III,
made plea for the creed Of our fathers, and
said that il the church accepted the views Of
the accused they would raise up barrier be-
tween themselves and the Bible. He urged
striking decisive blow at the so-called higher
criticism, which studies only to destroy belief
This was not SO much a criminal case as il was
law-making assembly, for if it permitted the
decision Of the New York presbytery to stand
1t would adopt their action as the law Of the
church.
REV. DR. M'CLUnK.
Rev. DR.. James g. K. Mcclure Of Chicago
said his first reading OF the inaugural was IN the
quiet Of his study before it had created any dis
turbance and excitement Reading the argu-
ment Of the prosecuting committee subse-
quently ii had seemed to him that there
was difference in the attitude from
which the subjects involved were viewed.
He believed that il they voted
to sustain this appeal they would COM
init the church to line of doctrine before they
were really prepared for it, He feared that il
would have hurtful effect He feared they
could not explain their action satisfactorily TO
even the most spiritually minded Of their mem
bers. They should judge of this man as Christ
asked that He be judged, by His own explana-
tons and words. He would. therefore, vote
not to sustain the appeal
ROYAL Z. BARBER
Rev. Mr.. Barber Of Illinois reviewed briefly
the specifications unfolding the charges against
DR.. Briggs. In the light they had he did not
think they would be willing to say that an in
justice had been done. Upon the all-important
point of the errancy or the inerrancy Of the
Scriptures the defendant had stated frankly
that he accepted the Bible as inerrant in all its
essential points. The matter Of chronology
did not assail the essential nature OF the Bible
itself For example, it was but recently that
they had come to realize that perhaps the
Psalms were not all the work Of David.
DIR. HERRIcK JOHNSON.
DR.. Herrick johnson Of Chicago read rapidly
q speech, but did not have time to finish il. He
said the first four grounds Of appeal were tech
nical and unimportant They should sweep
them away. all Of them. As to the fifth ground
OF appeal, mistakes or injustice. he understood
DR.. Briggs to affirm that the Bible is the only
infallible rule OF faith and practice and to deny
that sin of any sort is carried beyond death. He
went over quickly DIR. Briggs utterances. He
had asked himself certain questions, and
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