Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-05-25
THEBRIGGSCASE OPENED
General Assembly Sitting as
an Ecclesiastical Court.
DR.. BIRCH AS THE PROSECUTOR

He Opens With an Eloquent Address for
the AppelIants-Cites Errors Charged
DIR. Briggs Asks for Time, Which is
COnceded-His Lengthy Reply.
WASHINGTON, May 25.-After listening
to the report of the Foreign Board of Mis-
sions, yesterday, the Presbyterian General
Assembly convened as an ecclesiastical
court to consider tie charges of heresy
against Professor Briggs. After the chair
man of the Judicial Committee had re-
ported that the Judicial Committee unani-
mously recommended that the Prosecuting
Committee be allowed one hour to open
It's case, that five hours be given to Prof.
Briggs, and that the committee be given
two hours in which to close, this to be ex
tended, if desired, to four hours, the
Rev. DR.. Birch, chairman of the Prose-
cutting Committee, made brief extract of
the argument prepared.
DR.. Birch, after touching briefly
upon the history of the case he said that
there was an exceedingly suggestive COM
parison between the action of the Apos-
tolic Council with respect to the appeal of
Paul and Barnabas and this Appeal of the
Committee of Prosecution. The Apos-
tolic Council entertained the appeal of
Paul and Barnabas, and sustained it by
sending down decree to the Church of
Antioch which defined the limits of Chris
tian liberty of those Gentiles who might
be admitted to church membership The
General Assembly entertained the appeal
Of the Committee of Prosecution, and sent
down a decree to the Presbytery of New
York defining the limits Of its liberty
with respect to this case. The decree of
the General Assembly ordered tho presby-
terry to try the case upon its merits.
The decree Of the Apostolic Council
taught the Gentle Christians that purity
was the absolute condition of peace. So
that when the question was between
purity and the loss of concord the former
was to be preferred to the latter. The de-
cree Of the General Assembly taught the
New York Presbytsry the same thing; but
the final Judgment of the inferior court is
| the unscriptural, unconstitutional and
disloyal effort to reach peace by COM
| promise with and a liberation of error.
The form in which the final judgement of
the Presbytery was returned gives the i'm
| preston that the alleged errors of Profess
sor Briggs were unimportant and that no
| essential doctrine had been contradicted.
There has been q tendency to minimize
the full force of the indictment. The
errors charged are fundamental. The
charges relate:
| First-To the question as to the supreme
and only authority in matters of faith and
practice.
Second-To the question as to the iner-
| rancy or truthfulneSs of the inspired word
| of God.
Third-To the historical validity gof the
| Old Testament.
Fourth-As to the fulflllment of the
Messianic predictlon-a question of
supreme importance in it's bearing upon the
view which is taken of the truthfulness
of Scripture and of the truthfulness of
| God.
Fifth and lastly-There is the doctrine
of redemption concerning which it has
been alleged that Prof. Briggs teachings
| have been especially erroneous and hurt
| full, but which could only be partially
| tried in the lower court.
In reply to the argument that an appeal
| cannot be taken from verdict of acQuit-
tai, DIR. Birch said that this was equivalent
to a claim that part of the church was
| greater than the whole.
Dr. Briggs then arose and protested
against the entertaining of the appeal by
the General Assembly. He quoted the
law which prohibits the employment o.
| professional counsel in such cases, Sayine
that, if permitted to do so, he would hav,
employed such professional counsel, fol-
the reason that it was doubtful if he coul,
present his case as it should be done.
| This situation was one that was force,
upon him by the Book of Discipline, whic
made it necessary for him to rise abov
personal considerations and to appear a
the attorney for DIR. Briggs. The question
before the Assembly was not, he said
whether DR.. Briggs teachings were proper
but whether or not the appeal could b
lawfully entertained. Was the appeal
then, DR.. Briggs asked, an appeal from tn
final judgement of the Presbytery of Ne,
Yorkl DR.. Briggs continued his protes
and altered strong argument against tn
legality of the appeal. He spoke for a
hour and half and yielded only for