New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-30
THE BIBLE AND THE REASON.
A LECTURE BY PROFESSOR C. A. BRIGGS
THE REASON, HE SAYS, IS THEORETICALLY A

bfEAT FOUN1AIN OF DIVINE Al
The third lecture in the sunday evening series ut
the Church of the Covenant delivered last evening
By Professor Charles 4. Briggs, on The Bible AMI the
Reason" Professor briggs delivered the second
lecture the preceding sunday The Bible and the
Church, and next sunday evening will lecture on
The Bible and Inerrancy' lie will close the course
on February II, at which time his subject viii be
1.-The Bible and Higher Criticism The church was
filed yesterday and the congregation was composed
largely Of those who were present at his former
lecture. Professor Briggs read the manuscript,
holding the sheets with both hands, and occupied IA
little more than hour I'm tie delivery. Ills words
listened TO with the closest attention. The fol
lowing is an abstract Of the lecture:
In our last lecture considered the Bible and the
Church great fountains of Divine authority, and
endeavored TO show the relations between them. We
shall now consider the Reason as q great fountain
OF Divine authority. and discuss It's relations 10 the
Bible and the Church.
The Reason Is historically great fountain OF
Divine authority. DO | contradict the Westminster
Confession when take this position Doubtless there
who think that do, but these overlook
very important statements In that Confession. The
Westminster Confession sets forth the great distinguish
ing doctrine OF the Reformed Churches that the Divine
Grace Is not confined to certain channels In commun
eating itself to men, TINT while the Holy Spirit
ordinarily Bible, Church ard Sacraments, lie
sometimes works apart from them and without them
II Is on this ground that the Westminster Con
fesson bases it's doctrine Of the salvation % elect
infants and elect icapables who from their age and
constitutional defects incapable OF being out
wardly called by the ministry OF the Word. such are
saved by Christ through the Spirit, who worket when
and where and how lie pleaseth
This doctrine OF the freedom Of the Divine Grace
and the power OF the Divine Spirit TO work anywhere
and in any place and how He peaseth opens the gate
upon wide territory, which the Westminster dvinei
themselves did not explore but Which they left for us
TO explore as region Of liberty and eXtra-confcs
slonal doctrine. They did not themselves go any
further than elect infants and elect incapables; but
modern Presbyterans have with unanimty extended
their doctrine Of elect infants ard incapableS to oil
infants and lncapabes and have also added the class
OF elect heathen II any class OF persons be saved
by the Divine Spirit apart from Church and Sacra
ment how else can they be saved except by the
direct contact OF the Divine Spirit with their
souls in the forms Of the Reasonl The Westminster
Confession opens the gate into this territory Of Divine
Grace impaired through the Reason! WHO then shall
venture to close It?
Some NAV imagine that the Introductory sentence
OF the Confession OF Faith is against this doctrine
when it says: Although the light OF Nature and the
works OF Creation and Providence do far manifest
the goodness, wisdom and power OF God as to Leave
men inexcIsable yet they sufficient to give
knowledge OF God and of Ills will which IS necessary
unto Balvaon.' The light of Nature is one thing-the
light OF Grace Is another thing. The light that shines
from universal Nature, setting forth the being and
attributes OF God, and declaring the glory Of ihe
Creator and Sovereign OF the universe IS blessed
light that convlcts men OF SIM for failure 10 unite
in the choral OF praise that pervade the universe Of
God but the light Of the eternal logos is still
blessed light Of the Son OF God the Saviour of men. 1t
Is true that the Westminster dvines did not catch
glimpse OF this light OF the log0s. Their ChrlstOlosy
defective at this point we'll at other points.
1t is the merit OF that sect called Friends
Quakers that they dIscerned this doctrine I'm the pro-
lOgue OF Johns Epistle, and held II up before the
modern world until it became one Of the most char
actestic doctrines OF modern times. This noble band
OF pioneers for truth has well nigh exhausted itself
and seems to be In process OF extinction, but the
Friends accomplished their high mission Of establishing
the doctrine Of the light OF the eternal logos and the
universal working Of the Divine Spirit in such firm
position in the modern Christian world that It never
be displaced.
4" / agree with the Westminster Confession In all
It's essential and necessary articles but claim the
right OF going beyond IL into fields unexplored and I'M
defined by 1t. The Westminster Confession gives the
Reason very important place in matters OF religion
10 teaches thai there IS range OF matters especially
in connection with the government and worship Of
the Church where the Scriptures make decision and
that In this field the Church should appeal 10 Christian
prudence and the light OF Nature. What is this but
an appeal To the human reason? The human reason
is to decide, therefore, in questions of religion
where the Scriptures do not decide. The conscience
and the definitely recognized as free and
not to be reduced TO bondage. The and the
conscience respond to the teachings OF Gods Word
and bow TO its Divine authority, but nothing should
be imposed upon the reason and conscience by the
Church that is contrary TO the Word
DR.. Briggs here quoted from the Westminster Con
iesslon to show its recognition Of the fact that there
are several important statements In connection with
IN NJ uhIch forth he
rights of the Reason In relation to the Scriptures
themselves. Continuing, he said:
The Scriptures teach that the Reason is a great
fountain OF Divine authority. They appeal through
ont TO The human The wisdom literature OF
the Old Testament Is sealed TO those who do not
to God. The same is true of the wisdom liter
azure OF the New Testament, embracing the Epistlcs
to the Hebrews the writings OF John, and in q
measure the Eplstles to the Coossians. The Chris
tian knowledge gandly set forth in these writings
as knowledge that the soul gains through the witness
Of the Divine spirit within the forms OF the
Those who deny that God grants certitude Of
Divine authority through the forms Of the would
rob the Divine Spirit OF its chief gohes Unless
God approaches through the forms Of the reason
nearly the whole human prior to the advent Of
Christ lost forever Who shall say that God NAV
not have spoken with Divine authority Socrates and
Plato and other Greclan sages, through the forms Of
the reason. and thus prepared the Greek and the
Roman world for the advent OF Christ In lesser de-
gree, yet less truly, than lie prepared the chosen
people Of Israel! Can think that Aryan an |
ceStOrs Of several generations eprobated passed.
by by the God OF all grace In those mlllennumS when
they permitted 10 exist this earth under the
light Of nature, but without the light Of law aud
Gospel! No! we thank God We have more comfort
than the dyines of the seventeenth century in that
grasp the significance OF the light Of the log)s shining
In all the earth universal the light Of dawn and
Of the activity Of the Divine Spirit As the Church
was constituted before the Bible given the |
Reason antedaed them both No holy prophet could !
ever have spoken, sacred penman could ever have |
written and no covenant OF God could ever have been
established II II had not been that God from time to