Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-28
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
Mr.. Shirley Wards Address in
Emmanuel Church.
He Details the Features of the Great
Meeting.
Tho Briggs Case-Its History and Pres
ent Status Nothing to Fear From
This Latest Attack ON the Bible.
some vivid Thoughts.

Mr.. Shirley @. Ward, in his address
to the congregation of Emmanuel
church on Sunday evening on the SUBJ
ject of the late Presby .erian general as
sembly, said that he was candid enough
to admit that he had for months pre-
vious very strong desire to be mem
Der of the assembly. The press through
out the land, both religious and secular,
and even to the monthly magazines,
characterized the then coming assembly
as one which would be historic in the
annals of Presbyterianism, and compar-
able alone with the Westminster as
sembly, which met in London in 1643.
Mr.. Ward drew a graphic picture of
these two great assemblies, their num-
bers. their personnel, their authority,
their scope and powers, to the great sat-
isfaction of the audience. He then,
after brief history of the trouble be-
tween Union Theological seminary and
the general assembly, discussed at some
length the Briggs case. His analysis o.
the origin and history OF the Briggs case,
and its present status before the church,
gave the audience clear idea
OF this now celebrated theologi-
cal controversy. Alter referring to the
excitement or great mental strain which
ia felt throughout the entire church,
under the general belief that the teach
ings of DR.. Briggs and his colaborors in
the sshigher criticism" we're undermin-
ing the faith of all Christendom by
attacking the authenticity of the Bible,
Mr.. Ward said:
While have never bad any particu-
lar sympathy with the methods of DIR.
Briggs in his higher criticism yet
have never feared any serious results to
the church of God or the Bible from it.
would be ashamed of the Bible if the
pens of DR.. Briggs and Thousand others
could overthrow it.
The Bible is either divine or hu-
man book. If it is divine, if it is the
very breath of God, it will stand if it is
merely human production it will fail.
For nearly 1000 years it has stood the
fire of Greek, Italian, German and Eng
lish criticism, yet today it is the same
old Bible that Christ called the Scrip
lures. Gods works and His word are
twin monuments of His immutability.
The works of God as seen in the natural
world all declare His glory and omnipo-
tence. Those works which pertain to
our physical earth-the lofty mountain,
lifting its snowy chalice to catch the
first gleam OF the rising sun; the ocean,
4'boundless, endless and sublime"
pealing at one time its grand anthem to
the rock-bound coast, at another lisping
its love-song to the fower-kissed strand !;
the majestic river, the waving forests,
the beautiful flowers are but one octave
in the song of alteration in which sun
and star and planet join,
Forever singing as they shine:
"The hand that made us is divine"
Mans arm is very short. Job says in
the 38th, in burst of inspired poetry,
when speaking of Gods power and
mans weakness:
-Canst thou bind the sweet influences of the
Pleiades
Or loose the bonds of Orion? -
Or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?"
When man can destroy the works of
nature; when he can make the rivers
Aow to the mountains; when he can
make the waves flow toward midocean,
then he may be able to destroy the word
of God.
In all this scare about the "higher
criticism" which seems to find its ex-
preston in the opinions of DR.. Briggs,
let the church plant itself on that
promise that mot one iot or little of His
law shall fall"
When man with his literary pick and
shovel can turn Jupiter from his flaming
pathway in the skies, when he can lay
his little finger on the glittering track
of Mars when his feeble voice can pre-
vent the song of lost Pleaid from melting
into the chorus of the morning stars, we
may expect Gods word to be robbed OF
its sweet message of life and salvation to
the worlds history as the grand Hima-
laya of His revelation.
There stands at the foot of the noun
tain single man with pick and shovel
digging away at it's base, with the view
of overturning its lofty peak.
Ages have passed aud the man is COW
cred by the debris, dug up by his own
pick, uncovered the marble base suffi-
GENTLY to show that it's foundations were
laid by the everlasting Father.
Himalaya still stands, catching the
first CLINT of morning. holding the last
.gleam of sunset, feeding with its melt
ing snowfakes the rivers of the world.
So will this grand old book stand, de-
spite the assaults of the higher criticism
or less honest attacks of open in6delity.
So we say to our people, Lay aside all
fears as to the future of the Bible. God
has given it to US and He will defend it..
As there was no discussion of the re-
vision question before the assembly, Mr..
Ward briefly referred to it as having
been sent back to the presbytery for
further action.
At the close of his remarks, Mr.. Ward
enlivened the audience by some pleas
ant "reminiscences he had gathered from
members of the assembly in regard to
DR.. Chichester.
THE COENNAN ASSAULT.