The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-07-07
REPLY TO BRO. CADE'S STRIC-
TURES ON THE PRES
BYTERIANS.


Mr.. EDITOR:-In your issue of May
10Th you have, in the editorial col
umns, some very severe structures on
the course pursued by the Presbyterian
church in it's dealing with DR.. Briggs,
of Union Theological Seminery, n. Y.
The following week I dropped you a
postal asking you kindly to please look
over the case anew and see whether
you had not spoken unadvisedly in the
matter. AS yet have received no re-
ply or recognition, unless it is to be
found in the two recent lectures by
Rev. Thos. Dixon on the same subject.
In the editorial you expressed amaze
ment that Christian people should act
as the Presbyterian church had done.
Our time-honored confession of faith
was stignatized as least iron" and fit
only to be "thrown away" DR..
Briggs views were euphemistically
styled Liberal" The Presbyterian
church was dubbed a stranger of
free discussion. These are serious
charges to be braught against a body
of Christians, and ought not to be done
inconsiderately. AS the charge has
appeared in the columns of THE Pro
GREssIVE FARMER, I hope the following
article may also be admitted:
DR.. Briggs was installed Professor of
Biblical Theology in Union Theological
Seminary, N Y, last January. At
his induction into office he made the
following solemn promise and state
ment of his belief:
II believe the Scriptures of the Old
and New Testament to be the Word Of
Cod the OnLy i3tdllibIe rule Of faith
and practice; and I do now, in the
presence Of God and the Directors of
this Seminary, sOlemnly and sincerely
TecejUe and adopt the Westminster Con-
fessiOn of Faith as containing the 5ys-
tenn of doctrine taught in the Holy
Scriptures | do also, in like manner,
approve the Presbyterian Form of
Government and do sOlemnly promise
that I tUjU not teach or iRcuIcUte Gny
thing scLicb shall appear to me to be
su6UeT8jUe of said system of doctrine,
or of the principles of said form of
government so long as | shall continue
to be a professor in the Seminary"
Qtalics mine.)
Cn this occasion he delivered All IL
arlgufal address. In this address he
EXPLICITLY states that there are three
fountains of diUine dutbOrjty-the
Bible, the Church and Reason-ltnd
that men can find salvation by any Of
them.
AS to the infallibility of the Bible, he
says: There are errors in the Bible
which cannot be explained away"
The Westminster Confession of Faith
says of the death Of believers: The
souls Of the righteous being then Cat
death) made perfect in holiness are re
ceived into the highest where they be-
hold the face of God in light and glory
waiting for the full redemption of their
bodies" This DR.. Briggs emphatically
Denies With reference also to the de
crees DR.. Briggs is at variance with
the Scriptures as interpreted by the
confession.
Now the Presbyterian church, hon
estly trying to obey the Saviour's com
mand to preach the Gospel, has estab-
Iished seminaries, Of which Union
Seminary is one. She believes the
Bible is Gods Word and the only IN
faIJibIe rule offajtb and practice. She
wants that taught at the Seminary,
and requires her professors to solemnly
promise that they will not teach to the
contrary. DR.. Briggs makes that
promise and clearly violates it.
The Presbyterian church then says
to him, you are not teaching what we
believe to these young men, and we
cannot approve of your teaching for us
any longer.
Aud because she doesn't want her
young ministers trained in Dir. Briggs
belief, the editor of The PROGRESSIVE
FARMER sends into many Presbyterian
homes an editorial expressing amaze
ment at the Presbyterian church for
"strangling free discussion, " her belief
about the Bible should be thrown away
and DR.. Briggs accepted Qor there is
no other alternative in it's place; and
then we are told that the final triumph
of Christianity may be expected.
1 am County Lecturer in the Alliance
and feel a deep interest in its welfare
and believe I have right to enter a
solemn protest against said editorial.
This whole matter, too, takes on a
cr1,o,ro,, ,,no+ Wa coo tln1c cd