Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-08
TWO NOTABLE DIsCOURsEs.
Rev. DIR. Bartlett Reviews the Incidents of
His Passionate In This City.

HE ALSO TAKES Up THE CASE OF DIR. BRIGGS A,
| DISCUSSED By TEE RECENT GENERAL ASSEM-
| BLY-HE CONSIDERS THE DOCTOR TOO DOC
| MArIc TO BE GOOD TEACHER OF YOUNG MEN
| Two notable sermons we're delivered yester.
| day by Rev. DIR. Bartlett, the eloquent pastor
| of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church
In the morning the ninth anniversary of his
pastorate was observed by q discourse, which
reviewed many of the events of the past years,
both in the life Of the church and in that OF
| the city. He paused to speak of the wonderful
development of the city and paid noble
tribute to the position which the capital city
has taken as the center of so much of the
POLITICAL social and artistic life of the country.
The wonderful prosperity of the church was
shown by citations of statistics of money raised
and work accomplished.
THE LATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
In his evenings discourse DIR. Bartlett gave
an entertaining account of the proceedings of
the late general assembly and made some OBJ
servations on the results. The government of
the Presbyterian church, the speaker said, re-
sembled that of the United States. The ses-
sions of the church corresponded with the
political division of the country-the presby-
terry was the state and the gen eral assembly the
resentative body. coming directly from the
people. In addition to the general matters Of
business connected with the church which
came before the assembly there were two
special matters which created the greatest
interest. These were the report of the COM
mlttee on the revision of the confession and
the case of DIR. Briggs. The utterances of the
latter in his inaugural address. the speaker
said, had stirred, alarmed and excited the
church that Overtures from sixty-three
r4r.c Ir-Fdr hal IN m
bearing his name. 1t was an unusual circum-
stance that such a general expression of
opinion should come from the presbyteries
on one subject The delegates had been elected
largely to represent this feeling in the church.
In speaking of the report of the revision COM
mittee the speaker said that the fact was es-
tablished that the presbyteries were ready
for an intelligent revision of the confession
which would make it more in accord with the
word of God and the times.
DR. BRIGGS NOT QUALIFIED TO TEACH.
DIR. Briggs, he said, did not come before the
assembly as a hereto or culprit. DR.. Briggs
had for the past ten years free rein and had
expressed his opinions freely in his writings.
Not word had been said to him during all
this time officially that was calculated to de-
prive him of his freedom. The Presbyterian
church, he said, was pretty free church and a
wide latitude was allowed. In the case OF DIR.
Briggs it was made as clear as day in the dis
cussion that he was not qualified to teach.
Even those who spoke in his favor admitted
that One of his pupils, now professor in
Lane Seminary, in an argument In defense OF
Dr. Briggs said that he had thoroughly eX-
amined one of the theories advanced by DIR.
Briggs and he was free to confess that he
did not understand what DIR. Briggs was
driving at and he did not believe
that the doctor knew himself. The trouble
with DIR. Briggs Is, the speaker said. that he Is
dOgmatic and positive. He knows or processes
to know positively as facts what learned
scholars only hold as theories. For example,
he says that if lie knows anything about Moses
he is convinced that he did not write the Penta-
touch. The speaker said that in the face of the
many theories that have been held on this sub
jeet he thought that DIR. Briggs would have
shown himself to be better qualified as "a teacher
of youth If he had expressed himself with more
moderation.
ASSUMES TO KNOW TOO MUCH.
DR.. Briggs, he says, assumes to know too
much. He settles all kinds of questions. The
church wants the truth, but it does not want
dogmatism. DIR. Briggs from his study of the
Hebrew form of worship thinks that our mode
OF worship is too plain. He wants something
in the way ofritualism introduced in the church.
DIR. Briggs complains of being prosecuted. On
the contrary. he has the fullest liberty and to-
day he could walk out of the Presbyterian
church if he so desired. DIR. Bartlett said that
DIR. Briggs seemed to be anxious to be perse-
cuted. He wanted to be made a martyr of.
In regard to the trustees of the Union
Seminary. he said that what their future
action would be rested entirely with them.
Their constituency the Presbyterian
church. and if they wanted to separate them
selves from their constituency they could do
SO. A seminary without constituency was
like a mill on top of mountain. The church
furnished the seminary with the raw material
and then supplied market
No CRANK IDEAS WANTED.
One thing was settled by the action Of the
assembly, and that was the church did not
want the minds of the young men filed with
crank ideas and then turned out to bring dis
cord and excite controversies in churches
throughout the country. What was needed in
a theological seminary was such training as
would enable men to preach the gBspel. 1t is
all very well. he said, to be critic of the
higher thought. but the salvation of souls was
of more importance than dogmatic utterances
on disputed points. In conclusion, he said
that such events as the Briggs case in the his
tory of the church were calculated to do good
rather than harm. The e,ating influence of
affection seen in public and private affairs.
and so it was with the storms and trials that
come in the experience of church.
The Doctors Have Left Town.
4 n n :. 4 II 4