The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-16
nt06t'S MINNEAPOLIS OFFICE,
~ 20 WASHINGTON Az SOUTH,
Telephone 2796 j.

Only few of the commissioners to the
Presbyterian assembly arrived in Mime
apolis yesterday, but a large number are
due today. The great bulk of the visi-
tors WILL however, arrive tomorrow. Rev.
w III. Roberts, clerk of the assembly,
will arrive in Minneapolis today and will
take up his quarters at the West no.
tel
Prof. Arthur c. MoGiffert, of Union
Theological seminary, and author of "A
History of Christianity In the Apostolic
Age" will send a communication to the
Presbyterian general assembly, which
convenes in Westminster church, Min
neapolis, tomorrow. In some respects
the reply will be the answer of Union
seminary Higher Criticism so-called
Prof. McGiffert refuses to discuss the
matter, but 1t is known what general
lines the answer will follow And these
lines lay down a principle which, if ac-
cepted, would make the suspension of
Rev. DR.. Briggs from the Presbyterian
ministry illegal, and precipitate into the
Presbyterian church controversy more
radical in its effects. so 1t is declared,
than any involved yet.
First, Prof. McGiffert will say that he
has nothing to retract He stands by all
he has ever written. Next he will make
an elaborate argument to show that a
denomination has no power to condemn
what 1t regards as erroneous doctrine
He will affirm that denomination may
not remove from its ministry any whom
Jesus Christ recognizes and places in his
ministry. Such contention would be, as
can readily be seen, to declare the
grounds upon which his colleague, Prof
Briggs, was suspended unlawful, and
hence that Prof. Briggs is still in the
Presbyterian ministry.
Prof. McGiffort has sent a letter of de-
Tense to DR. w. H. Roberts, of Philadel-
phia, the stated clerk.
Acting without knowledge of what Prof.
McGiffert intended to do, there have been
elected to the general assembly several
commissioners who were prominent in
the Briggs trial and suspension. Two of
these are Rev. DR.. Dunlop Moore, of the
presbytery of Pittsburg, and Rev. DR..
@. w. F. Birch, of the presbytery of New
York. The first named is an authority
upon Presbyterian law. 1t was he who
furnished the law and the precedents
upon the prosecution of DR.. Briggs. The
last named led the prosecution-used the
material which the PittSburg divine pro-
Vided, and more than any other one man
secured the suspension from the Presby-
terrain ministry of the Union professor.
1T can be stated upon the highest au-
thority that it has been by concert that
these men are sent as commissioners to
Minneapolis this year. Seven overtures
are behind them, showing the wide inter-
est, and these men declare in advance
that Prof McGifert must either change
his views submit to suspension.
Speaking of the case of Prof McGiffert,
a dispatch from New York says:
At the last meeting of the assembly a
minute was adopted requesting Dr. Nc
Giffert to explain a number of passages
in his work-passages which many of his
fellow ministers criticised strongly as
subVersiVe not only of the standards of
the church, but of essential Christianity.
1t is understood that Dr. McGiffert will
present a reply to the minute, and thus
the matter may come up, or it may be
forced upon the attention of the assem-
bly, by petitions from various preSbyter-
les, sons dcsen In the land having voted
in favor of doing so. The presbytery of
New York, however, will not figure as
one of the petitioners, since 1t has taken
no action to that end The fight against
the colleague and pupil of DR.. Briggs was
waged in the presbyteries which adhere
to the ancient provisions of Presbyterian
ISM although among the commissioners
from this presbytery, who will be relied
upon to second the attack on the profess
sor will be Rev. DIR. w F. Burch and
Rev. RI. Robert S. Sample, both of whom
distinguished themselves by the ardor
and determination of their assault upon
the orthodoxy of DR.. Briggs They left
for Minneapolis today in order to be on
the ground early.
1T was said today by prominent Pres
byterian minister, who voted to acQuit
DR.. Briggs, that, in an address delivered
since the descent of the criticism upon
his Apostolic Age, DR.. McGiffert had
stated that his book was purely a his
torical work; that history was not theol-
ogy, and that therefore he was or ought
to be, beyond censure for heterdoxy. IT
was inferred by this minister that this
distinction would be DR.. McGiffert's prin-
cipal explanation and defense. The min
lister added that the last assembly had
also shown a fine discrimination In care