New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-15
ARGUMENT OF DIR. BRIGGS.
ANOTHER DAY IN HIS OWN DEFENCE.
.r.R1y THREE HOURS SPENT on TIE FIRST TWO
CHARGES RELATING TO THE FOUNTAINS
OF DIVINE AUTHORITY.


OF DIVINE AUTHORITY.
aConvlct me Of heresv under charge l." said Dr.
n.,rrs in his defence yesterday afternoon "and YOU
norra the Christian centuries. All the ages will
no against you and in multitude Of voices ike ,he
~ II many waters. will denounce you as Kho"lhe
r,,b.r the truth nor the power Of Goa"
Tn. scotch Presbyterian Church was filled again.
sores OF people standing in the galleries ana III 'he
osr NJ tn, floor the large audience listening a''eh
,,vely 70 the defendant As he read IRON the SCRIP
as Tho Presbyterian Standards aud his own VIII
''l.' inner, ing unon each and weaving from quota
l and comments an argument considered by some
,irely irresistible, nsumng an Overwhelming ma
s,v for the defendant and thought by others 10 DC
.r.v an ampllGcarion Of his inaugural address, ana
g., M sense an answer 10 the charges preseh'eu ny
the prosecuting committee -
,f.er he had finished his reading for the afternoon
Dr Rrigg, offered to submit in print MS argument
,ho charge relating TO the authorship u 'he
1ot,te,ch and the Book Of Isaiah, on cohdluoh INA.
4, .bsuld be inserted in the stehoSraphic lePor' VI
-. case. Colonel McCoOk, speaking Tor the prose
,o, said tlat if tLls privilege was grah'eu ne
could ask permission 10 have an answer 10 'ne
,r, s,hmitted in the sane way If it were de
-, r, do 50. To this Dr. Briggs objected uniees
10 cr,ld answer the argument oil the prosecutor
- ona asked The defendant how long 1t would TAX"
lin, IN read what he proposed TO submit In PRINT
,ybsn he replied that 1t would take him Week. WIN
..rc.lv q dissenting voice the Pre~bNtey NO'eu 10
Isarn from printed slips whether Moses and ISAIAH
wrote the books popularity asci1Oeo 10 tneni' NVio'
,,Co0,, took exceptions TO this decision. and Dr.
80 snnounc4d bis intention Of Offering protest
10 prtcfs,s DOCTRINE OF THE REASON.
Resuming his argument "hero i'e iei' IL VII -'N''
Or briggs said yesterday
Nv dne.ius is that the Reason is mstoncaly a
rreat fountain divine authority; 10 oolit i, "',
the Westminster Confession "Heh lsho lnis Poi.io
80 ~ Won think that | do. lut you oVtlIooh SOME
Ssry imnoriant statements in tie Conf NSon of taith
~ ,ur Church. 1t is happy Circumstance 'ha' Ia ,,ie
'ameural address Itself / defined the Reason IN TIE
49,. made Of II. The prosecution recoEiiAeu my
da6nition when they quoted IN their Original cuTs'
I'd I'm the inaugural that was "uSing reason IN
brmd sense to embrace tie metaphysical cdesoreS.
the conscience and the religious feeling p' -ol' AZ
''o nroable that the prosecution do keep THIS
deHni1ion before them when they make lnlerehCes
iron, he statements which they cite from the naus-
,'ri This prlbalility amounts almost to certainty
Wnen We obs That they have omitted thS dchhl,
tion from the list Of extracts from ihe inaugural
even in the new charge for hesitate to irnpute TO
committees fresbyterN an unworthy m"tIvr lor I'M,
%eTsT lest YOU make it yourselves. You should
Keep In mind constantly that the reason as Use II
embraces the conscience and the religions feeling
SALVATION WITHOUT THE BIBLE.
The question Of salvation for those. who do not
have the Bible was considered al some length. DIT.
Riggs laid that Holy scripture not most neces
sary TO salvation before it was given and written :;
but ONLY after IL written" adding:
1t is most necessary u salvation TO those who
enjoy the unspcaha6e privilege OF possessing II. Bnl
what shall we say Of those who do not possess me
HOLY scriptures Are they deprived Of the opp,r-
tuuty Of salvation on the lower stage because oth r
more highly favored enjoy the privilege OF SalNauo!
on the hgJer stage )f Holy scripture! You cannot
say unless yOl would exclude from salvation all
who know not Holy scripture. mcuohE the hcathcl'
imbeces, and babes. lOu must make these eX-
ccpons to the statement that Holy scripture is most
Necessary. Bat are shut up 10 these exceptions !!
Are there none in Christian lands TO whom HOLY
scripture is practically an unknown book S'ine
are kept from Holy Scripture by priescr'd'. others
Of the privileged classes Others still BY the dogma lc
barriers 10 which attention called in the in
aueural. Doubtless there is guilt on the part o.
these blt IN my opinion there i much greater gun
on the part OF the modern PharlSece who have OBJ
slruccd the access Of thee multtudes 10 the word
..a, now shall We say with reference TO all these
who for one reason or another have no saving know-
edge Of hoy scripture Is Holy scripture - neces-
sery in the case Of all Of them that there not be sal
vation without their knowledge OF it and faith In il
DO not believe it. You do not believe H. YOn
preach TO then Jesus Christ and salvation through
Him You do NOT 50 10 them with tie Bible ana
e nrar Of them mat they shall accept the scriptures
N oruer 70 OBTAIN salvation II they accept Jesus
S r as TIER saviour they win be saved even they
read or heard char from its pes nSe e Scrip
tue Is most necessary the rule of faith and hfe
S S the until y ana sd hs R0f IN iRa a
1t Is not most necessary IN the that individual
it and personal faith IN ii. Christianity is per
soDal faith In Christ, the living and reSning Hedeener
said IN the passage qnoted from the Inaugural.
and say again Divine authority is The only
.
On which he can rest in loving certainty and build witt
eo great f5untn Of divine n aath6 g nibc
the Church and the Reason" p. -. Those who deny
this statement are the true herecs. For they would
deprive Of loving certainty and JOYOUS confidence In
our religion A the ancient phariSeeS We're rebuked
b. LORD because they shut TIE kingdom Of heaven
Others to enter - these modern pharlsees Shod be
rebuked by the Presbyterian Church for Obstucting
authority, all the avenues by which the divine spirit
gives certainty t. men In religion They would de-
Is such unspeakabe comfort in our holy religion.
THE AIN OF THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
Dr. Briggs in explaining the purpose Of the ad-
dress, Oh which the charges of heresy were based
said
The aim o. the Inaugural Address was not to vndi-
cate the Bible as rule Of faith, certainly not To
say anything which could directly or Indirectly mill
tate against That essential doctrine If had been
my aim ] would have made it my thcme. My aim
TIRE and therefore the ,itlc given the was
"The Authority Of Holy scripture That was IL
theme, that The objective PORT Of its argument
and It's Rhetoric II aimed to remove every stumbling
block SCI up BY the traditional dogma In the way Of
the authority OF Holy Scripture. II endeavored to
set forth the authority OF Holy scripture by addudng
such evidence from scripture Itself every rcasOna-
BE man might understand and estimate at It's In
Il is moi charged that deny the authority Of Holy
Scripture. The complaint IS that d. not make the
authority Of the Bible sufficiently great - be the rule
az faith and prfc:ice But this compliant j, without
Justification. for l. is not necessary 10 maint IN tina III
Bible is The only authority In matters Of religion, or
the only Teat fountain - divine authority or the
consistently that Holy Scripture Is the rule Of faith
ard practice May not Tie light Of nature have
There IS a divine law in the heart and conscience
Of Paul teaches TINT this Jaw Is divine buy 1t
se' i a lnend be the e onV great fountain Of
divine authority - ] claim that ID" Rea on is II
great fountain OF divine authority, and yet not rule
~s cN