The evening times., 1899-05-02
DIR. BRIGGS, LATEST TROUBLES.
HIS Probable Arrai9nment ON the
Charge of Heresy


HIS Probable Abandonment ON the
Charge of Heresy.
New York. May within very few
days relief Is hoped for from the strain of
uncertainty under which the Episcopal
Church Is laboring on account OF the or
dination Of DR.. Briggs.
1t will probably come in the form OF the
preferment OF charges Of heresy. which
will make the ordination impossible. until
Dr. Briggs shall have cleared himself and
been oficially declared in full accord with
should this be the result of the trial, it by
no means involves the settlement of the
dOctrinal questions at issue, and. in the
opinion Of a very large number Of clergy
men. DIR. Briggs acquittai would only
serve to clearly define the lines OF de-
marcation. and would ultimately result
in the detection to the Church Of Rome Of
many who would find themselves unable
to accept the principles involved in his
acquittal.
II is to this fact that is due the very
general reluctance to force matters TO an
issue as long as there remains even re-
mote chance that the matter may be set
tied without recourse to an ecclesiastical
court.
1t was learned yesterday that the con-
viction that no settlement was possible
without a trial had so far gained ground
that at least preliminary steps had been
taken to formulate the charges upon Whicn
DIR. Briggs may be placed on trial. AL a
conference OF clergymen prominent in the
opposition to DR.. Briggs ordination, held
yesterday. the whole question was infor-
mally discussed.
1t is said that in view of the divergence
OF views on DR.. Briggs utterances. 1t was
thought best that some authoritative opin-
ion should be obtained. and for this pur-
pose II was decided that a committee oil
eminent clerics should be selected and re-
quested to review the work which has been
the subject of SO much controversy. and
render judgment upon the points at issue.
This committee will go to work immedi-
ately, and upon its report will depend the
precise character of the charges that will
be preferred. That charges will be made.
there was said TO be no question. unless
the necessity for preferring them should be
obviated either by the transferring OF Dr.
Briggs ordination to some other diocese or
by his request TO be allowed to withdraw
his application for admission to the priest
hood.
While there is no apparent reason to
look for escape from the difficulty by the
latter alternative. many conservative cler-
gymen cling to it, feeling that anything
would be preferable to the submission Of
the great points at issue to trial, the re-
suits of which would, in either event, prove
unacceptable to q large section of the
church.
Another reason for hesitancy in forcing
trial springs from uncertainty regarding
points of canonical law. DR.. Briggs Is nov
a deacon, and il tried at all he must be
tried as such. Could be he tried as a
priest. it is said that many uncertainties
would be cleared away.
One point in the controversy that seems
TO have escaped general attention is that
DR.. Clendennin in his letter to Bishop Pot
ter entered vehement protest against the
ordination OF DR.. Briggs under any eircum-
stances.
While Bishop Potter withdrew his selec-
tion OF DR.. Clendennin's church as the
place of ordination, he has thus far -ig-
ncred the general protest against DR..
Briggs ordination. Officially. however.
there was no reason for his recognition Of
the protest, for such action. TO be valid.
requires that il shall be presented to the
bishop by not less than five clergymen
of the diocese.
Dr. Clendeunin said yesterday that he
continued TO receive daily many letters
from clersymen who desired to assure him
of the full approval and support OF the at
titude he had assumed.