The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-18
REV. DIR. pRTsoS.
- Rible o. Trial-rhe Church.

ard betleI, ITOin IdSauislls AAOSelSHl, JuQa-
=, Polytheism, Catholicism, Protest
a1tisn. down to Mormonism. and what are
u lose s'isms" but the shadows of mems
S1inds. in different parts Of the world, pro-
I-,oed. generated and given mental vitality
- according to the condition, education.
s,vironment and brain capacity Of the
oaonle} Why did Dolytheism die, the child
y thought of enlightened Greece and Rome?
Sir1nly because the minds and education of
20 people had outgro1n the thought of
,nsny gods: their loves, their jealousies and
me doings of their gods. That and nothing
more.
obisctiuG to my broad, liberal and pro
-rsssive ideas: "The church of my fathers
al their faith is good enough for me-"
There we differ" replied. The faith Of
nv fathers has nothing to do with my
1sth Their faith was built upon their
rssson and education; and my faith is built
mon my reason and my education. Thought
and investigation never stand still.n The
factors who physicked our fathers Of fifty
ar one hundred years ago could not physlc
me to-day unless they were thoroughly up
IN all branches Of medical science. So with
The doctors of divinity fifty and a hundred
Years ago. My old great~great-grand-
father preached Calvanism, pure and simple,
over 100 years ago; but l have no idea of
swallowing his theological medicine. His
faith was not good enough for me, aud
guess ne has learnt something by this time.
Rev. Dr. Briggs has made an issue, and one
that cannot be lodged, compromised or
ignored 1t has got to be met: met with
fscts-hstorical facts. The people, the
times, the surroundings, the influence I'M
der which prophets, apostles and bishops
wrote and spoke are legitimate subjects for
criticism and investigation. simply dare
n think outside Of all churches, and other
men do the same. In truth, they have put
me to thinking, reading, INVESTIGATING and
research. 1.-THE history Of the Christian re-
lgion TO the year 200," is book that will
make any man think, and think as he never
thought before
II the Bible be an inspired book, every
word, every line, every narrative, every
historical assertion made therein then there
must be or should be some divinely inspired
men to interpret it. Human laws made by
men are judged and explained and passed
upon by men. If the apostles were inspired
and that is claimed for them-where is
the man or the men who now walk the
earth who can look his fellow man in the
face and say: "Behold an inspired man of
God speaks to you, hear him and believe"
Work miracle If you please, we would
say; here is my cane, turn it into a snake
and | will believe in your inspiration.
Peter. James, John and others of their day
were something of thaumaturgists, and that
was their clnching assertion or argument
that they were inspired. Inspired men gen
orally had wonderful powers, and miracles
came easy to them.
But" says Rev. DR.. Briggs, I'VE have
got to look beyond the language, letter and
the Interpretation to get at the real spirit
of what is Jaug in the Bible If the men
who wrote the books Of the Bible we're in~
spired, and did not exercise any reason,
Judgment, and were not influenced by their
surroundings, then they themselves could
not interpret what they said. But if they
did exercise their reason, Judgment, ETC.. =,
then we must endeavor to reach or under
stand their reason and comprehend their
surroundings That is a sensible view to
take But to the churcha exclaims the bs-
lever In the church as a divine
institution. Well, what is the church
but body of reasoning, thinking,
Investigating menu What is a party but a
set Of men in party convention to draw
up set of resolutions and say, this is the
voice Of the Democratic or Republican
party? Why all these councils, synods,
conventions, il what was delivered to the
Fathers was inspiration? Why talk In such
assemblies about the spirit of the times, the
intelligence of the people, the advancement
Of thought, the investigation Of science, the
revelation OF geology, the study
OF ethnology,. etc.. which never
entered the brain of the writer
of many books in the Bible, and not
dreamed of by the Fathers. The church
once ranked science, and sat in judgment
upon scientific books. Must the living
thought and knowledge of to-day stand
still and be knocked down by the bones Of
the dead pastl If the church has not
changed, have not the people in wonder
tu degreel The love of power il mania
with some men and, like the miser, nothing
but the hand OF death better will ever make
them give it up. The church loves authority
and power. and hence the fight against
any man who loves truth than authority.
Should it ever be my privilege TO see in
ialhble men, men who never take cog
nizance of their reason, Judgment, logic /;
who never consult facts, history, and are
perfectly Indifferent to all surroundings,
Just as Jesus was, then [ may believe in
some infallible church.
But with the Bible before me, knowing
something of the history of the people who
wrote the books, their peculiar ideas, their
understanding Of God, their peculiar belief
In God and Gods dealing with them for near
two thousand years, and books covering a
space Of near two thousand years, | must
not forget there was good deal Of human
nature and human passion in all that was
said and written. OF the thirty-odd sacred
books read in the churches before Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John were ever known, it
strikes the common mind that there was q
good deal of religious thought outside of so.
called orthodoxy. st. Luke tells us many
had taken q hand to set forth what they
knew" He intended to write something
himself, and, fortunately, we have his
views.
There is unrest in the church and among
brave, thinking ministers. They are being
God.
There is no moral obligation resting upon
any man or woman to think or investigate
tor themselves, but / ask that charity of
leeilng which will not condemn any one
VINO records their own thoughts. All men
are not morally or physically brave, and
~ takes but very little to scare some people,
especially If they have any interests at
o tee' The pocket nerve is the most sem
stVe nerve in our bodies, and is known as
'ne arguriontic nerve.
nave written thtsarticle, Mr. Editor, be-
oause tcls trial of Rev. DR.. Briggs means
q onahge or revolution in thought in q
SleaIer or less degree, just as the discus
s4ou relative to the Westminster Catechism
means more modified form OF Calvinistic
tteachlngs. The people might as well know the
ruin now as later. 1t is coming, and it had
oSlter come gently than like a torrent
I mhlch will do great injury. France once
.eaped with mighty leap from Catholicism
" atheism; but in time took in a taste of
Iotestantism, and was saved from her