New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-08
PROF. BRIGGS CRITICISED.
A UNITARIAN VIEW OF HIS CRITICISM AND
THEOLOGY,

.
SECOND UNITARIAN CHURCH. BROOKLYN
DIR. DmGGs's INCONSISTENCY - HIS
BARRIERS" DISPOSED oF-w1DL
HIS THEOLOGY CATCH UP
TO HIS SCHOLARSHIP
The Rev. John W. Chadwick preached on Professor
Briggss Criticism and Theology from the Unitarian
Standpoint In the Second Unitarian Church. Clinton
and Congress sts Brooklyn, yesterday morning. Next
Sunday the last service in the church before the annual
vacation will be held. Mr. Chadwick intends TO go TO
his summer home In Chesterfield, Mass, for the sum
mer. with next Sundays sermon he will bring to
close the twenty year Of his pasorate IN 's
| church, to which he called Immediately after being
| graduated from the Cambridge Divinity school, MI
Chadwick was born in Mdrblehead. Mass, In october.
1s40 lie Is well known poet and writer us wen
as preacher, and is the author of numerous DOCKS III
Guiding the followng "A Book Of Poems "The Bblo
Of To-day The Man Jesus" "The Faith Oh hcasoh'
The Two Voices" Origin and Destiny" Belef ana
Lifc.s "Tath on the EARTH and "The Revelation OF
Cod For many years Of Mr.. ChadwicRs sermons
| has been printed each month in pamphlet FORM Inc
last two series OF those have recently been collected Ill
a volume entitled The Power of an Endless Life' 10
goter with Mrs. Chadwick, he has lately been engaged
IN compiling a volume Of Poems for Lovers Old and
Young which will bear the title "out oil the leart
| II will be published next fall.
In accordance with his usual practice, Mr.. Chadwick
took no text yesterday. The sermon was as follows :
/ "Wo should forgive our enemies" said Heine, but
not until they are hung" The tfesoy terrain Heneial
Assembly, meeting Detroit has acted on this prh
| clple ia dealing win professor Briggs. IL mas not
actually suspended him. 1T has done worse. ~ me-
dapprOved OF his appointment TO the chalr Ol BDhCd
! suspended him. has done worse. III mas
Deemed 10 enJer into consideration OF the mehts Oh
his case. IL simply done the worst IL cOuld nave
done if IL had tried the man for heresy anu louu MN
guilty. branded him as unworthy Of te A-ircs
trust III the annals OF Iengious petsco"'0 thin9
have been things much crueller than TINS. Any tims
smaller meaner, more cowardiy or mort @ , NV
have endeavored valny to recall 10 Oe puc 'uv ~
body capable OF such action IS no disgrace as ucn
better than in Jonah fresh from his eAperece
with the whale. Better alone uldA IL. No Do'""e0 "a
Int Professor Briggs is not alone. All the best
scholarship OF his own Church ana ot the Cnrstian
world is with him in his most radical results Loyi
to his professional brethren, VINO are in the hght win
him. aud 10 hosts of young men VINO are LOOKING 10
him for Inspiration Will, doubt plead with him to
| remain and see what his own Presbytery will do with
scholarship aud tho best manhood Of the Church will
go with lim outside the camp and share IN MS re- re-
| proach. That the theological seminary VIII be SO
instantaneous as to pay any heed to the decree Oh inc
| General Assembly IS hardly credible: 1t mas imown
Professor Briggs for many years, during whch nc ao
flied lis Hebrew chair with eminent ability. ll3 mas
wo the admit alton and esteem Of the Official board the
aectOnate regard Of all his fellows, and for these 10
pitch him inconneny in Obedience TO an arbitrary
edct OF ecclesiastical power would earn for them the
| community. Already the event has Justified this
prophecy which wrote day or two before the action
- If tho Presbyterian Church could have any assur-
ancc that by adopting tho hereses OF Professor Briggs
IL could appease the ratonastc spirit OF the tlme III
it's own ranks II il wise it would make haste 10
adopt them; for indeed, they are very mia III COM
parisOn with other manifestations Of that Higher Clu
cIsm which Professor Briggs delights 10 honor-mahl-
festatlons Of scholarship as able and as eVereht as
his own but much less entanged In the ceremehts Oh
dead theology But the Presbyterian Church can have
no assurance that If 1t went mile with PrOesSor
Scholar a few wears hence 1t would have to do So.
II WILL whether it elects Professor Briggs OF passes
him by or merely robs him OF his orthodox reputaton
and leaves him enthusiastically halfdead by the way,
| after the manner OF the General Assembly ,,..
| Dr. Briggs is not ut all Isolated or pecnnar'
II is one OF many hundred cases all showing many com
mon traits lie is simply dgg ne hsNay OFT Ct h trad
tona dogmatIsm of ms Church. as many etiers, fEes-
byterans. Congregaonalists, EpscOpalians iaptsis,
| JnveIsasts, digging their way 9It 81 tnc tdul-
| onal dogmasm OF their Churches. lie has not pro
ceeded far but he has made good beginning. Espe-
clay his critical results are sound and good Oh pSCe
| rnes they are not radical. They are conservative
Professor BrlgSs Is an extremely cautious crlHo bn
holds on TO the old positions as long as ne can Mne
he gives up the traditional idea of Bible book 1t Is
because 1t can no longer be maintained The agtlen-
s OF 9 dTST and Poessor Briggs still
holds mis- though It has been e6andoe c y o se
Professor Bggss theology is at 9nSe more Fore d tRe
but IT'' it has aspects and phases that are e x
consider his theological opinions First thai which
is critical, and afterward that which Is thc01s
and then his theology from the Unitarian stand.
| point lest should be in too much haste u olS
There is nothing in Professor Briggs inaugural ad.
dress which he had not and Se eSewher but
In the address he passed from the aDSudeC " i to
concrete in few instances that brought MS eaniIs
| home 10 the brethren In striking MANNER He
distinguished three great fountains of divine au-
hority the Bible the Church ana ana tne reason co
ordinate these-to elevate the Reason into equahty
with the B now SO 5O se becaGso the Reason
| Is so Infinitely superior to the other two; Inc
and the Church are two great saw ' te i Hbs
and the Church and the Reason is like saying Hard
Coal and soft Coal and e their All warmth SnG aad
light come from the ,ut bosom and Of t aooa sun
the Bible and the Church come from the intellectual
and moral Reason OF mankind But II Is not strange
naming Reason with the I;ble as source oil divine inc
authority was abominable thing. He is nearer inc
Confession has not been sufficiently irrational for the
reason or in spite OF reason. Its favorltc dctum mas
been that the more absurd ana ncIe e any
and so much greater is the victory OF laltL ,,,,.
Of Faith was hailed by all tie orthodox with tumult
| of acclaim addressed the sceptc thus lou can
say that the Bible has not gwen you every Sp
more lrrtated the pride and prejudices OF mankl4l
morally ana intellectually SO that II Is among tne
most unaccOuntable things, not that IL should DO
rejected by some but that II Should De accepted by
any, Professor Briggs may stu have far to 20 be-
fore he reaches the conclusion that Reason ana Con
science are the only of religious knowledge
the Church the Bible only their historic forms
| but he is nearer this than to the
| tempt OF Reason which till recently has been the
habitual attitude OF the orthodox world.
| What gave his doctrine OF Reason as, with the
Bible and the Church, OF revelation its sharp
est point was his naming our Unitarian hartneau
| as one who mad found God by Reason and by that
] alone lie quotes admiringy from Martlneaus Scat
of Authority in Religion" Ills opponent, Or. Morris,
also quotes from it, but not admirngy; this being his
! quotation: 1.-THE blight of birthsn, with its in
| Voluntary pcrditiOn the scheme Of expiatory
| redemption with its vicanous salvation the
| incarnation with its low postllates Of God and man,
| and IL, unavoidable doctrine Of two natures and
| person: the official transmission of grace through
| material elements I'm the keeping Of cOnsecfated
corporatlOn the second coming OF Christ 70 summon
| the dead and part the sheep from the goats at the
general jndgment-a the growth of mythical 1t
erature or Messanc dream. Pharisac theology,
| sacramcntal superstition, popular apothcosis' Ii
certainly is asking good deal OF Presbytcranism to
ak II 10 believe that the scholar who brings this
1 ncclaafinn annInst nE