New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-10

HIS ORTHODOXY RAsHLY QUESTIONED.

HIS ORTHODOXY RASHLY QUESTIONED.
,rrxRY DAY SHOWS HOW THE PROFESSIONS
| VIEWS HAVE BEEN MIsoUoTBD.
the Editor OF Tho Tribune
cir. Nv attention has been called by one Of your
,.norters to an article in The Mail and Express Of
November 8 entitled "Dr. Briggs and Henry Day."
have been asked II the statements therein made in
gard TO Dr. searns's declining to accept the chair Of
| systematic theology in Union Theological Seminary
and in regard to the beliefs Of DR.. Briggs certain
no,nts in theology therein named are true.
Although desire no public discussion on matters
pertaInIng to tho Union Seminary and the opinions OF
mr. Briggs, yet, my name is freely used In said
article and regard most Of the statements made
g, II as perversions Of truth and justice, and my
silence might be construed assent to the state
m,nts made, consider 1t proper to correct the mis-
statements Of the article
l. It Is not true that DR.. Stearns has positively
declined the chair which has been rendered to him in
| the seminary.
Q No difference of opinion between him and the
professors OF the seminary prevents his accepting the
said chair.
A. The seminary has not less than It's average num-
her of new students for many years past. 1t has
few less than last year. when the class was excep
tionally large. There has been finer body OF
students in the seminary than now.
l. The Article saws, Mr.. Day declares that Dr.
priers,s views are peculiar" have never so de-
c,arc in the sense used in the article. said did
not nroposc TO defend his peculiar views meaning III
n, had any,: and meaning further by peculiar not
be,etcan but views which can be entertained by the
latitude allowed under the creeds OF the Presbyterian
Church. This latitude Is very wide, especially III
eschatology. The article quotes me as saying tnat
81 do moi propose to defend Dr. Briggs's peculiar
fo.i mic akc
ecrce with Them / wish to say my statement as
originally wrote It, might not agree with him.
In printing the "not" was by mistake omitted BY
This popularity" do not mean heresy, but originality
within the limits Of belief allowed by the creods The
man who has no such originality is too common
place for a proncssorstp
5. The article assumes that DR.. Briggs Is opposed
n the doctrines of the Westminster Assembly Of dvines
and Is seeking revolution In the Church In regard
10 them The truth Is that very few ministers OF the
Presbyterian Church stand by the Westminster Coh-
fesson In It's full, literal and historical sense to the
extent that Dr. Briggs does. Ills position as puohcv
expressed Is that he Is opposed to revision ana hihAs
It futile, and that it will not succeed lie accuses
the great body of the ministers and theoogans OF the
day of having sweryed from the strict doctrines
of the Westminster dvines; and 1t Is we'll known that
he Is the foremost defender Of their faith In this
country His peculiar position in regard to revision
IS Let the standards alone, but give more liberty Oh
opinion in the mode Of accepting them'
O. The article OF "The Mail and Express comes
to the point when 1t does state what are Dr. Bngess
beliefs. Here is something tangible Here we nave
facts to deal WITH and not nero general assertions
az heresy The article states that Dr.. Briggs believes
in redemption after death. DR.. Briggs has never
made such a statement Of his belief. His VIEWS al
published are that regeneration takes place IN this
life: that sanctfcation may go on In the f1iddlc
state This doctrine is not contrary to the West
rho arflr "A
DR. Briggs believes that OUT Of the distOrtng ana
distorted memories OF the damned in hell gospel
may be formed in that region which the lost may
believe and be saved That DR.. Briggs believes that
after he gets to Heaven himself God Will oner him
the chance to save the whole collection OF lost spirits
provided he will be willing to 90 into that world
and suffer the tormcnts Of the damned with thcm and
that he will accept the offer do It, and them.
He thinks II Is reserved to him to do work of saliva
tion at which the Saviour. the glorious Son Oh Goa,
failed and that he will be able to save those whom
Christ could not There Is no MISUNDERSTANDING
these statements Of fact The writer either has proof
of them, or he has wlfully given currency to an
abomnabe SANDER and pure fabrication.
/ now say DIR. Briggs has no such beliefs as are
above stated and has never in his writings, ex-
pressed opinions which could by any perversion OF
Language, be tortured into an expression OF them
The writer evidently has been peruslng an article
of DR.. Brggs's In the December Qss0) NUMBER OF
demption after Death In that article Dr. Briggs
has given the various views Of different writers from
the . shepherd OF HerDlas . down TO this day, on
the subject of the middle state-the possibility VI
| redemption there. lie quotes from the ingenious
book called Letters from HELL" in which the posi-
bilty OF hypoertcal preachers in hell preachi's
tho gospel as they remember 1t Is mentioned, ana
he also speaks OF the theory OF tho Savonrs commits
sonng some of the redeemed 10 preach the gospel In
| Iades
After mentioning all these various views In regard
to the condition Of departed souls, DR. Briggs says
of them: 1t is without any warrant in Holy Script
ure and must remain pure conjecture He further
says of these views: AN such theories Of redemption
OF lost souls after death castles in the air. No
one can put any confidence in them. They have no
solid ground to rest upon.' And yet "The Nail and
Express has deliberately said these are DIR. Briggs
beliefs.
| think have thus shown that all the statements
made in the article In regard to the views OF DR..
Briggs are not true How great the wrong to impute
such false views any clergyman Is leave to Others
| to determine. HENRY DAY.
Ncw-Yorb Nov. o. 1890.