Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-12-02
from the New York Herald. NoY. 23rd.J u
DR.. Briggs Reiteratas His Views.
IF 1T BE HEREsY TO TAKE NEWMAN Az hAe
WORD, HE aLoRIEs IN SUCH HEREsY.

If 1T BE HEREsY TO TAKE NEWMAN AT Hls
WORD. HE aLoR1Es IN SUCH HEREsY.
The second lecture in the series on "ihe
Bible and Modern Thought, begun ID me
Church of the Covenant, at Ihlrty-nl.n
street ard Park avenue, last sunday even'
ing by the pastor, the Rev. Or. ). d. Mc'
Ilvaine, was given before e very large COZ
gregation last night by Professor Charles
q BRIGGS. Its title was ''The Bible and
the Church as Fountains Of Divine Author
ity," and every word received the CLOSEST
attention. n
cit ought to be commonplace" ".
Briggs began. ssthat there are historically
three great fountains of divine authority
the Bible, the Church and the reason
when it is said that the reason is the seat
of divine authority the meaning 10 tnaS
| God enters it to speak through the con-
science with divine authority to man. Inc
! Church is not the original source OF au.
thority apart from and Independent Oh
| God, but is source out OF which, as lrcM
| fountain head, arises the divine autnority
| that we need. The term fountain OF OIL
| vine authority ought not to be open TO o.
lection, for no one can reasonably confuse
The fountain with the living water that
flows through it or the power back OF IL
that pushes the water forth.
"The Christian Church is divided INTO
three great parties on the question OF the
relations of Bible, Church and reason. The
churchman has exalted the Church above
the Bible and the reason, the rationaiiss
| has placed the reason uppermost ana tne
evangelical party uplifts the Bible beyond
the claims of both Church and reason. NO
party, so far as know, has made the three
sources of divine authority co ordinate
Here is the distinction make. The Bible
| alone is an infallible rule Of faith and
practice, the conscience alone speaks the
categorical imperative within the man ana
the Church alone administers sacramentai
grace. God is the only divine authority
The Bible. the Church and the reason have
divine authority only as instances OF his
sovereign will and gracious pleasure.
| THE BATTLE GROUND OF THE REFoRMA'
sThe relative authority of the Bible and
the Church was the great battle ground OF
the Reformation. The Roman Catholic
party in the Church claimed that the
Church had divine authority to determine
the canons of Holy Scripture, to give the
official Interpretation of Holy Scripture and
to define all Questions of doctrine and
practice not defined by Holy Scripture.
i
dan;ed the authority of the Church on
these points. They asserted the indie
pendent divine authority of the Holy
Scripture. and the independent rights OF
reason, conscience and private Judgment"
DR.. Briggs then went on to show the
Protestant stand to be the right one and
quoted literally from both Roman Catholic
and Protestant authorities.
I "The only way to stop the leaks in
I Professionalism, said he, sis to reafirm the
nositiou of the reformers. Their doctrines
need great emphasis at the present time,
| when the Church is making every effort to
throw off from Holy scripture and modern
thought the incubus of traditional dogma.
The Reformation did not seek to destroy
! the Church, but reform it. They deprived
the Church of its usurped authority, over
the Holy Scripture and the consclences Of
men, but they did not take from j. any
authority that it possessed by divine Of
| historic right
NEWMAN AND HEREsY.
DR.. Briggs spent the rest of his lecture
in proving this statement, and gave guam
tity of quotations from Luther, Lyra, Wick
life, Newman and others. Speaking o.
Newman DR.. Briggs:-"The late Cardina
Newman was the representativechurch
| OF our Qay-a man OF nlgn cuituro, " uook
insight in the things Of God, a sanity mar
| if there ever was such.
sIf it be heresy to take such man at biz
word and say that he found divine certain
ty through the Church, glory in sucf
heresy. I wonld rather follow him into thu
presence of my Master than risk the com
| papionship of those uncharitable men whit
. would exclude him from the Kingdom O
God.
. 1.-THE Church is plainly great fountain
J of divine authority, and those who deny
this take away from the Presbyterian
church the only ground for its existence
1t is true that the church is far from attain
ing it's ideal. It has ever been a weak ano
unworthy minister, yet Gods spirit haf
guided it to development of it's constitution
ts doctrine and its life."