BRIGGS, CIIARLES AUGUSTUS ( 1841—) . An American theologian. lle was born in New York City, -January 15, 1841; studied at Uni versity of Virginia. graduated at Union Theo logical Seminary.. New York, 1863; studied at UniNersity of Berlin, Prussia, 1866-69, and was ordained (Presbyterian) 1870. He was pastor at Roselle, N. J., from 1870 to 1874; professor of Hebrew and cognate languages in Union Theo logical Seminary, New York. 1874-91. and has since been professor of biblical theology in the same institution. llis inaugural address on inking this latter chair (January 20, 1891), on The Authority of the Holy Scriptures. eontained statements respecting the Bible. inspiration, and the place of reason in religion which were the subject of charges for heresy before the Presby tery of New York ; which. however, after a six weeks' trial, acquitted him ( December, 1892). Those who were dissatisfied with this verdict brought his ease before the General :Assembly of the Presbyterian Chureh in May. 1893, and
by that body he was suspended from the minis try. but the Seminary refused to remove him. lle entered the ministry of the Protestant Epis copal Church in 1897. Ile is the author of Biblical Study (1883), enlarged and rewritten, and entitled General Introduction to the Study of Holy Scripture (1899): American Presbyte rianism: Its Origin and Early History (to 1775), together with an appendix of letters and docu ments which have recently been discovered (1885) —an exceptionally important volume, show ing the author's capacity for original his torical re.va reh ; Messianic Prophecy: A Study of the Messianic Passages of the Old Testament (1880); Whither? .1 Theological Question for the Times (1889) ; The Bible, the Church, and the Beason (1892) ; The Higher Criticism of the Ilexateuch (1893) ; The Messiah and the Gos pels (1894) ; The Messiah of the zlpostles (1895).