Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-27
THINGS IN GENERAL.
1t Would Be Good Thing TO Convince In
stead of ConvictinG Herctics-The Posi-
tion Taken by Dr. Briggs-Reljgion Just
Now Subject of Much Discussion.


Now a Subject of Much Discussion.
WRITTEN ron rifE bIsPATCar.i
1t is rather singular, when one reflects upon
the fact. that there Is mt more effort made to
convert heretics. There is no lack of ecclesias-
tical trials and senteaccs. and all that, hut
nobody rxppc:s that these thiLgS will really
convert the hcrstirs The process is such as
tins: Mr.. MacQ Iaary. DR.. Briggs. or what
ever your MANS iS yOu are reported to u as
holding such and such ve.s. and as making
expression of them thus and So: On the other
hand, the Prayer Book. the Westminster Con
fession, our forrularies state these things
after quite different fashion. NoS, we Will
look into your case, and IL VIC lind that Won and
the formularies not in perfect agreement
We will give you six months to bring your mind
iuto harmony with the formularics, At the
end of that time, If you are not prepared to
take back these ungOdly and unorthodox words
which you have uttered, we will present you
With your resignation.
What decent man was ever so coavincedf
What other result could be expected from
such foolish dealing than the emphasizing of
all the unnrthndox notions that the hereto
las ever had9 You shall state to US within
the space of twenty inmates that you are IN
error in the working out of his sum. Eight
times two are sixteen. Biockhead, dare you
persist in denying 1t? Out with paper and pen
Gil, and confess before the clock strikes zen
| that you are an .noramus. Eight Times two
are sixteen" The arithmetic is all right; but
where is the healthy minded scholar who
would not persist to the last in declaring. rs he
did at first, that eight times two are twenty?
Every right instinct of his nature would make
that assertion. After ALL fair dealing is before
the multiplication table, ard freedom Of think
ing is better than all the regulations of arith-
Nnhndy rea1ly DPrSnaled by
threat.
To Convince, Not Convict.
1t seems to me that the very best result of an
ecclesiastical trial would be not to convict but
TO convince the hereto. Why didn't some
body go i'll friendly way to Mr.. MacQueary
and do his best TO persuade him3 Why did
they not have in Ohio Theological Persuasion
Committee? Let truth and error grapple."
That quotation was made to me by DR.. Bates.
the prosecuting attorney in that case. But
truth and error had fair fight. at ALL Why
| don't the Presbyterian theologians convince
DR.. Briggs-or confess that he has convinced
them?
Let truth and error Grapple. Send the
strongest and broadest-minded men that ortho-
doxy has, and let them discuss the matter with
the hereto. Give everybody a fair chance all
around. And whoever comes out ahead. give
hin LDe UdUCeT dllu pTuClallu vi
dox. Or are we too narrow-minded, partisan,
prejudlced opinionated for that? Is there no
way of dealing with heTetics except that old
| way of putting them to silence by cutting on
| their heads?
l was considering last week the bereSy of
| DR.. Briggs. There Is only one pertinent ques-
| tion TO be asked about the position Of DR..
Briggs. and that is Is it true? He makes GER
| tain assertions. Shall we raise a great outcry
| that these assertions arc un-Presbyterian? Are
| they untrue?-that is the real question. Every
| good Presbyterian wants Presbyterianism
| synonymous with truth. That Is what they have
been repairing the confession for, to make it
square with what Is now known to be true.
| One OF the foolishest things which was said in
| the discussion about that change of the formu-
larry was, I'VE can't preach these doctrines
any longer. People won't stand it." Is that
what preachngis for. then, to tell people what
they like to hear? Orthodox or unorthodox,
Presbyterian or un-Presbyterian, pleasant or
| unpleasant-all this Is quite beside the marx.
Is 1t true? Is it true? That is what we want
to know.
The Position of Dr.. Briggs.
Now, DR.. Briggs makes certain assertions
about the Bible. He finds fault with six posi-
tions of popular theology about that book. He
maintains that the teachers Of the church ought
to set their faces against these six miscoucep-
tions. He proposes. as professor of Biblical
Theology in Union Seminary, to train young
men to be enlightened teachers, who shall know
what the Bible is. The right idea about the
Bible. according to DR.. Briggs. ex-
Seok o1
to its letters. words and punctuation marks;
~ the necessity OF holding all the traditional
statements as to the authorship of the scrip
lures, looking to the higher criticism" as
safer guide than mere conjectural tradition;
az the denial of error in the Bible, contessing
circumstantial mistakes in 1t freely; 10y the
idea that miracles are violations of naturallaw,
and 10y the maintaining Of the presence in the
Bible of minute prediction.
Is this the right idea about the Biblei That
is the question.
Then the professor went on, in that remarka.
BILE address of his, to consider the theology of
the Bible. And here. amid much to which
nobody could well object he singled out two
doctrines-one for approval. one for disapproyal
Presbyterian atmosphere DR.. shedd, who sat
on the platform that day, was observed to be
deep in meditation" as the students applauded
the speaker. Yes, indeed! Professor Briggs
declared, in good round tone and with no the
illogical evssions or hedgings that he believed
in Purgatory, and that he didn't believe in
Election
Reaction Against Limitation.
Here are his words as they were reported the
next day in the New York Tribune: Another
fault Of Protestant theology is in Its Limitation
of redemption to this world. The modern reac-
tion against this limitation in the theory of
doctrine in the Bible, but do ind the doctrine
of the middle state Of conscious higher life. in
the communion with Christ and with multi
tudes of the departed. and of the necessity of
entire sanctifcation in order that the work of
redemption may be completed. Progressive
sanctitcation after death is the doctrine of the
Bible and the Church. The bugbear of juds-
ment Immediately after death and of a magical
transformation in the dying hour should be
banished from the world, and we should look
with hope and joy for the continuance of the
process of grace and the wonders of redemption
in the company OF the blessed to which we all
are fastening"
Isn't that Purgatory? No fire, and no prayers
for the dead.-but all the rest of 1t. Well 1
what if 1t is Purgatory. Is it true? That first,
and last and all the time. is the one question
And then here is this about Election: THE
Biblical redemption is the redemption of our
race. Loving only the elect is earthly, human
teaching; but electing men to salvation by the
touch of divine love, that is heavenly doctrine.
The Bible does not teach universal salvation
but it does teach the salvation of the world, of
the race of man; and that cannot be accom-.
plished by the selection of limited number
from the mass"
This, now, So far as appears in the reports of
the address, is the whole of. it and the worst of
it. These six barriers to The right reception of
the Bible, and these two doctrines. one affirmed
and one denied. will probably make the counts
in the ecclesiastical indie ment
A Subject of Much Discussion
The most interesting subject of discussion
among the most thoughtful people nowadays is
the subject, in some shape, of religion. 1t gets
into the reviews and magazines and
newspapers. and even into these Monday
Meditations. The Professor Of Things
in General, looking out over the
trend of contemporary thinking, notices this
And he notices, also, that the religious move.
ment all along the line, is toward breadth, toll
erance wider views. closer relation between
the church ard the people, reasonableness,