Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-14
rsPrc1LL TELEGRAM TO THE DrsPArcH.l

AAAANACs " CdlA Al4S lOAA VI NAO L lSbOg hOi y
this afternoon, and then Prof. Briggs was
on his feet to begin his defense against the
charges of heresy. The galleries were
crowded with women, who listened intently
to the argument of the accused professor,
and few of them watched him through
opera glasses as he stood under the pulpit
maintaining, in passionate language, his
right to remain in the Presbyterian church
An interested observer in the early part of
the afternoon was Mrs. Grover Cleveland,
who sat far back in the body of the church
with her pastor, Rev. William Merle Smith.
She left about o'clock.
Prof Briggs characterized Prosecutor G.
W. f. Birch's argument as not even a seri-
Gus attempt to pr owe the charges. He said
1t was an amusing resort to heather theol-
ogy. Colonel McCook's argument, said
Prof Briggs, scared into the region of ab-
stract thought and reminded him of the in
tellectual processes of the scholastic theo-
logian.
''He did not seem so much concerned
about the Holy Scriptures" said Prof
Briggs, ''as he did with his system of dogma
Poor man! Is his life so stepped in dogma
tic faith that he knows no difference be-
tween his Bible, his creed and his system of
dogma? He would deliberately choose a
dogma rather than Christian life. :"
The Prosecution AssaiIed Bitterly.
Prof Briggs said that the prosecution had
fagrantly disobeyed the Instructions of the
Presbyterv in their arguments. First, DR..
Birch used the Scripture references TO prove
that his Interpretation of the inaugural ad-
dress was correct, instead of applying them
to the charges The argument of DR.. Birch,
said Prot. Briggs, shriveled up into nothing
ness, for what he tried to prove he had no
right TO prove. Colonel McCook had also
deliberately introduced into his speech
arguments on charges sixth and seventh,
which had been stricken out by the Pres
bytery, and in this Prof Briggs maintained
he was guilty Of contempt of court.
The Presbyterian Church, Prof. Briggs
said, has double rule of faith-the Bible |
and the Westminster Confession When |
ever the latter was not in harmony with the |!
former it must yield. Holy Scripture is the |
intallible test of every statement in the
Westminster standards, and no man can be
proved guilty of heresy or sin who is not in
conflict with the Holy Scripture. At the
same time there are many statements of
Scripture, as the doctrine of the millennium,
which are not comprehended in the system
Of doctrine, and are not, therefore, part of
the church rule of faith.
Not Found to the Confession.
The formula of subscription taken by
ministers and elders did not bind them to
every statement in the confession, but only
TO the system of doctrine contained therein.
''In these ordination VOWS" said the Pro-
fessor "are wrapped up all the principles
for which American Presbyterians had been
contending from the beginning-liberal SUBJ
scription to the system of doctrine, a gen.
eral approval of the Presbyterian mode of
government and discipline, and the neces-
sity of piety and religious experience in the
ministry. This system of doctrine, in our
terms OF subscription, means the system of |
doctrine contained in the Westminster Con-
fession, and that system is composed of the
essential and necessary articles. The Pres
byterian Church in the United States of
America has never attempted to set forth
what are the essential and necessary articles
OF the Westminster Confession, and, there
fore, there Is room for considerable differ
ence of opinion with reference to any doc
trine which may be in debate"
Prof Briggs said a right decision as to
these essentials could be arrived at by
certain historical principles. There were
three ecclesiastical rules of faith of the
Presbyterian Church-the Confession, the
Larger Cateehism and the Shorter Cate
chism.
One Way to Rule Out DOCTRINES,
Prof Briggs maintained that nothing
should be regarded as essential which is not
contained in all three systems This prin-
ciple would rule out of the amended charges
all but two of the seven doctrines stated to
be essential
''The Westminster standards stereotvped
the doctrines of the Westminster divines of
the seventeenth century," said Prof Briggs,
1--WE have subscribed to their system and to
the essential and necessary articles of.their
confession. But we have not subscribed to
any other dOgmatic systems, or to the
essential and necessary articles in any other
systems, whether these are stated in printed
books or are bubbling up in speculative
minds 1t is necessary for the Presbytery
to consider that they have no authority to
determine what is essential and necessary
according to their views of what is essential
and necessary in the present state of the
ology; but they must determine what is
essential and necessary according to the
Westminster Confession of Faith. The
Westminster system is the rule of iudg-
ment, not any other system of theology
which may possibly rule your faith and
life.
As to the Confession of Faith.
''The Confession of Faith" continued
Prof Briggs, represents that we must dis
tinguish in Scripture itself between the es-
sential and the non-essentiaL This section,
which the prosecution disregard in their |
charges, teaches that Holy Scripture is
for all alike, rich and poor, wise and ig-
norant, and that all may attain such suf-
fcient understanding of it as is necessary
unto salvation. Therefore, dog
matte faith is unnecessary unto
salvation 1t is not necessary that
anyone should accept or hold any confess
sion of faith, or any catechism, or any creed,
Dr. anv of the dogmatic utterances of the
Church in order to salvation. They may
me and all be unknown to the reader of
he Scriptures, and yet he may gain from
Scripture itself sufficient understanding of
hose things which are necessary to be
Known, believed and observed for saliva
ion
scripture needs no fences to inclose it,
10 breastworks 10 defend it, no champion
o espouse itg cause, no dogma to bar il in
I is entirely sufficient of itself alone to
convince, persuade, enlighten and save
mankind. 1t is the achievement in part of
he modern disciple of Biblical theology
hat it presents the teachings OF Holy Scrip
Ure in their Biblical proportions, thus
moving the exaggerations of the tradi-
ional dogma, its insertions of unscriptural
iogma in its systems, its neglect Of i'm