The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1892-02-05

Of the Psalms because Of their deyilish
malignity. He has also ridiculed the the
ology of Princeton; and from the first hia
pulpit has been distinguished for ito rad
ical opposition to the ground taken bj-thc
Reformed and Lutheran preachers Of last
Sunday in defense of the old faitl, i'll the
Bible. DR.. Van Dyke has not been so out
spoken, but undoubtedly he must be class
ed with the followers of DR.. Briggs, though
| in the past his church has been avery cit
adel of Calvinism and the most conserya-
tive Presbyterian orthodoxy.
The old-fashioned Westminster Confess
sion doctrine as to the absolute perfection
of the Bible has, therefore, had no con-
spicuous champions in the Presbyterian
pulpits of New York at this time when the
teaching has been assailed so boldly by en-
emies within the household Of the faith.
The anxiety of Presbyt audiences has
seemed to be to hear the side Of the oppo-
sition and not to listen to the defense.
Accordingly the Rev. DR.. Burrell Of the
Reformed Church at Twenty ninth street
and the Fifth avenue, and the Rev DR..
Remensnyder of st James's Lutheran
Church, have felt that it is the duty of
those who believe in the infallibility Of
the Bible, to come forward and proclaim
their convictions SO that the public may
not receive the impression thnt they have
no reaonable and defensiblc case to pre-
sent against the new theology.
The position taken by both Of them is
very simple. The new form Of expression
is that "thc Bible contains the Word Of
God" that is, along with the errors, his
torical, scientific, or superstitious. The
belief OF these preachers is the belief of
the old theology, that "the Bible is the
Word Of God" very different statement,
of course. "God,'' said DR.. Burrell, "em
stood over them us they wrote" They
mighty, and they set down not their own
limited knowledge, but the illimitable
knowledge of 0mniscience. Either the
Bible is all true because it is the Word
Of God, or it is not Divine, except in the
sense that the truth in any book has Di-
vine quality. 1.-THE Scriptures are merely
the selected writings Of the Hebrews, as
Dr. Lyman Abbott says, if as human pro-
auctions they are liable to hnpan errors,
when, asks DR.. Bubbell, is to determine
when they are true and when false? If
they are not the perfect and absolute au-
thorty, as orthodox Professionalism de-
scribes them, where is there any such au-
thorty; and if there is none, how can re-
llgion nave any dogmatic basis, or be
other thun mere speculation rs to matters
Thai are beyond human knowledge.
Dr. Bcmensuder opposes the Briggs view
the positive belietot Protestant orthodoxy
that the Bible is inspired and infallable
III ,l.c fullest sense, not only in thought.
but in word not onty on points of doctrine
but in It's historical and scientific state
incnts as we'll; not only in part, but who'll
~ and throughout. 1t has the exclusive
claim 10 inspiration, 30 TINT al other
books are the work of men." Ten or If
teen years ago, any other statement with
reference to the Bible would have shocked
the great body Of Presbyterians as impi-
Gus; but now preacher who makes it
seems singular. Even those who have
come out against the views of the new
critics have usually guarded their words
50 rs to avoid the expression OF belief in
verbal and literal inspiration as it was
held almost universally by orthodoxy a
generation ago. Strangely enough, at the
present day it seems to require more cour-
age to defend the old doctrine than to
proclaim the new. Even pulpits from
which VIC should expect the stoutest cham
pionshp of the absolute infnllibIi,y Of
the Bible az the Word Of God and the
only Word Of God, exhibit disposition 10
cvadc The issue, which is about rs bad rs
complete and actual surrender itself.
The issue is simply between the Bible
rs the Word of God and the Bible az hn
man production which no rightful author
It's over the ooDsciences OF men AZ ,hnal
and absolute truth.