Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-06-08
BRIGGS SUSPENDED.

Tho Eminent Scholar and Divine Sus-
pended from the Presbyterian Ministry
Because His Mind Is Too Broad to be
Fettered by the Iron-Bound Dogmas of
His Church.
WASHINGTON, June In the after
noon session the commission met as q
court, and the report of the COMMITTEES
on the Briggs case was presented. The
report, after reciting the proceedings
IN the case, proceeds:
This judiciary finds that said final Judgment
OF the presbytery Of New York is erroneous,
and should be and is hereby reversed. and this
general assembly, sitting as judiciary in said
cause, coming now to enter judgment on said
amended charges, finds the appellee, Charles
A Briggs, has uttered, taught and propa-
gated views, doctrines and teachings set
forth in said charges contrary to the es-
sential doctrine of Holy Scripture and the
standards of said Presbyterian church in the
United States Of America, and in violation of
the ordination vow of said appellee. which said
erroneous views and doctrines, strike at fhe
vitals OF religion and have been industriously
spread: wherefore, this general assembly of
the Presbyterian church in the United States
OF America, sitting judiciary in this cause
on appeal, does hereby suspend Charles A
Briggs, the said appellee. from the office of .
minister in the Presbyterian church in the
United States Of America until such time as
ance to the general assembly OF the Presby-
terrain church in the United States OF America,
for the violation by him of the said ordination
vow as herein and heretofore found.
The report of the committee was
adopted, whereupon Rev. DR.. Sprague
gave notice that at the proper time n
protest would be offered against the
finding of the assembly as being too
severe a sentence for the offense Of the
honored scholar named, and as tending
to restrict the liberty heretofore en-
joyed by ofice-hearers in the Presby-
terian church
After the formal finding of the as
sembly had been disposed of DR..
Harsha, OF the committee, read an ex-
planatory note to he made a part of
the record of the case, declaring that
the doctrine of errancy of the Scrip
lures, as it came from those to whom
and through whom God originally
communicated his revelation, is in con-
fict with the statement of the Holy
Scripture itself: also that in this case as
involved in the question of sufficiency
of human reason and OF the church as
authorized guides in the matter of
salvation. And the committee rec
oramends that the general assembly de-
clare that the reason and the church
are not to be regarded as fountains of
divine authority, and are never to be
relied upon as sufficient in themselves,
and aside from Holy Scripture, to lead
the soul to a saving knowledge of God.
On motion of Mr.. McDougall,
amended by DIR. Young, a vote of
thanks was given the committee for its
services.
After the transaction Of considera BILE
routine business DR.. Sprague presented
for consideration the protest against
the action as the assembly in the
Briggs case, which was received to be
spread on the record, and, on motion
of Rev. Mr.. Dixon, it was voted as the
sense of the assembly that no answer
to the protest was necessary.
Saratoga, n. Y, was chosen as the
place of meeting of the assembly in
1894. the invitation of the first Presby-
terrain church in that city being ac-
copied.
DR.. Craig made the closing speech,
and at $50 p. N. the one hundred and
fifth general assembly of the Presby-
terian church of the United States Of
America was declared dissolved