Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-05-12
CELEBRATED CASE.
MAJORITY AND MINORITY REPORTS OF TBB
PRSSBYTBRY COMMITTEE
On The Opinions Expressed by Rev. Charles A. Briggs
Of the Union Theological Ssminary-halOrity
Report Condemns Him-Dr. Briggs Re-
Plies in Very Vigorous Manner

The committee appointed by the New
York Presbytery 70 investigate the in
augural speech of Rev. Charles A.
Briggs, January 20, 1891, on the occa-
sion OF his taking his seat as Professor
of Biblical Theology, in the Union The
illogical Seminary, has made up its re-
port-or rather reports, as there is a
minority report. The majority report
is sigued by Rev George w. f. Birch,
Chairman, aud who is brother Of Prof.
John NJ. Birch, of Wheeling; Rev. Jesse
f. Forbes; Or. Joseph J. Lamke and
Prof John J. Stevenson, of the Uni
verSity Of New York, and at one time a
Professor in the West Virginia UniverS-
ity, al MOrgantown. These circum-
stances give the matter color OF local
and State interest. The majority re-
port virtually condemns Rev. Briggs.
The committee quotes the objection
able passages in Rev. Briggs address:
He regards the Bible, the Church and
the Reason as the three great fountains
of divine authority. He further says
Christians from the Apostolic age. have
found God through the church. "1nsti-
tutional Christianity has been TO them
the presence chamber OF God. They
have therein and thereby entered into
communion with all saints. 1t is difficult
for many PrOteStants TO regard this ex-
perience as any other than piouS illusion
and deluSiOn. But what shall we say OF
modern like Newman, who could not
reach certainty, striving never so hard,
through the Bible or the Reason, but
who did find divine authority in the in
situations OF the Church? Shall we
deny il because it may be beyond our
experiences"
In referring to Martineau DR.. Briggs
said:
s'Martineau could not find divine au-
thOrity in the Church or the Bible, but
he did find God enthroned in his own
soul. There are those whc would re-
fuse these rationalistS place in the
company Of the faithful, but they for
get that the essential thing is TO find
God and divine certainty, and if these
men have found God without the medi-
tation of Church and Bible, Church and
Bible are means and not ends; they are
avenues to God, but are not God"
He said Rev. SpurgeOn aSSailS the
Church and Reason in the interest OF
the authority Of Scripture. "But the
average opinion Of the Christian world
would not assign him higher place in
the Kingdom OF God than Martineau or
OF Newman. May we not conclude, on
the whole, that these three representa-
tive Christians OF our time, living in or
near the worlds metropolis, have each
i'm his way found God aud rested on di-
vine authOrity?"
These paragraphs in the judgment OF
the committee, cannot be recOncled
with the Confession, chapter l, section /.
The second indictment of the majority
report is what DR.. Briggs calls liner
rancy." DR.. Briggs said: Il shall ven
ture 10 affirm that, so far as l can see,
there are errors in the Scriptures that
no one has been able TO explain away,
and the theory that they were not in the
original text is sheer assumption upon
which no mind can rest with certainty.
If such errors destroy the authority
of the Bible il is already destroyed for
historians Men cannot shut their eyes
10 truth and fact. But on what author
the Bible by this theory of inerrancy?
The Bible itself nowhere makes this
claim. The crcedS of the Church no.
where sanction iJ. IL is ghost of mod
ern evangelism 10 brighten children"
The denial OF inerrancy in the orig
inal text is regarded by your committee
as conflicting irreconcilaby with the
Confession, chapter l, section 1.
DIR. Briggs does not believe in Il mid
die state or probation after death, which,
of course is a adrive at the Catholic
church Then he says: There Is no au-
thOrity in the Scriptures or in the
creeds of ChrStiandom for the doctrine
of immediate Sanctihcation at death.
The only SanctiicatiOn known TO expe-
rience, % Christian orthodoxy and to
the Bible is progressive specification.
Progressive SanctificatiOn after death Is
the doctrine of the Bible and the
Church. and it is of vast Importance in
our times that we should understand it
and live i'm accordance with II. The
bugbear of a judgment Immediately al
ter death aud the illusion of magical
transformation in the dying hour should
be banished from the world. They are
cOnceitS derived from the Ethnic relig-
ions. and without basis in the Bible or
Christian experience rs expressed In the
symbols OF the Church"
Your committee regard the statements
made In these quotations as irrecOncil-
able with the Confession, chapter XXXii.,
section /.