New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-25
SELECTIONS FROM The MAIL.
DR.. BRIGGS AND HIS PRosECUToRS.

Or. BRIGGS AND HIS PROSECuIOE>'
T the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: II We may trust tie accuracy and the cor
rectnos5 OF The Tribune In reporting the answers OF
Dr.. rrisSs TO lie Prosecuting Committee last week.
and would swear By The Trbune-we must 10
impressed with scholarship which j. Doth a'cur'''c
and intensely Christian. Tie Prosecuting CommU1e
thought 10 doubt that they were doing q fine thihg
when they appealed T. TIE general Christian HleHl
senrc for vote upon the various standings III ''
Kingdom OF Heaven Of the distinguished gentlemen
row departed. by the names IF SpurscOn Newman 1"d
perhaps df the committee would decide that hc might
have place q Maitneau. No doubt some ot ~"
preachers who are pressing. II not closely, TIE "'e'
Of The hereto haye otter p.clchcd 70 their dear
brethren upon the text: Judge not, tmt yc be not
judgrdand forget HOW, j, sometimes the 'aS' WIN
those who preach 10 apps il t. themselves person
ally. At any rate wOuies what Ny. spIrse'l
whom tho committee assigns the highest pace. "ou.'
have said II he hal been p:ccut when his prospects
for such "A place were under discussion. We THINK
tlat the committee sccrcd one point In the eyes Oh
Christian people in raising tie question. ana peral'
another in deciding In favor oi spurg'oh-
But listen 70 DR.. Briggs: The prosecution
use the passage from The ina gura referring to spur
econ under both charges. They harp upon IL In thIr
argument u excite prejudice against me. l
yield to none in admiration OF Sturgeon rs Ihast"r
Of sacred eloqucncc But any one who Understands
the state Of religious opinion in England knows that
spurgcon only represented party among tho Non
confOrmists, and that considerable / Oportion OF
them would assign him higher place than Martinea'
or Newman. lie lived to lind himself la hopeless
minority in his own denomination, and TO separate
from the mass OF the N0nconioruists, whom
he accused OF being on the down grade
In the average opinion OF the Church OF
England. Sturgeon would certainly assume the
lowest place OF the three. Among Roman Catholics
the world over Newman would have the prc-cmincncc.
Among German PrJtcstants, Martmcau woIld hold
Tho highest rank. In North America, without doubt
Sturgeon is in greatest estimation. But suppose
| am mistaken in statistics, and my opinion 10 Wide
Of the facts, Is such mistake heresyi Am re
sponslble for the facts Where do they find In
Holy Scripture tho authority for exciting Sturgeon
above Martncau ami Newman Az Christian mlu-
listers | ask you, ought We not to estimate these
three representative Christians OF our time Win
Christian love! And Is it not Christian love &C. say
We refuse 70 determine which Of them has the high
est place in the Kingdom Of Cod This IS Intelligent
reading and full OF Christian love- II reason, or, We
might perhaps say, reasoning, is rot fcaniain oi
divine authority in the Interpretation Of Scripture We
hope least that is clear, from such lucid reason
Ing. that il Is such II fountain in discussing who is
the greatest in The Kingdom Of Heaven.
We have often heard it Gad tmt men y the
Briggs stamp are shameiIlly deficient tloir Spirit
ual side. Not long certain pastor In our good
old orthodox town charged Or. Ll han Abbott, VINO
ecturcd here the Bible. with giving the people stone
hmsS; Y furnish The br'aa And msy usually DO
10 men sny that The Intellect is cnid and must De
rccgated from the spAoTc Of religion Read tn r.
DlcS Of this hereto, DR.. Bsgs ami you Will INA such
a rare combination Of clear reason and dep 1--we -
can pcriap, scarcely be iaIrllelcI In TIC h loiy o
Christian warfare.
IL D., also said by tlO," who read about DR.. liirts
ami his ideas, ana who DO little toward aud tindint
ihcm that Or. Briggs goes to FAR. II WoId Dee
better flr such 10 -ay that hc nh<ht - to iar
An Alpine guild" may - too Ia. II J., hoi,
however. The Dti~iiL>s uI The iulfiNi WHO J.
struck with and terror hv tie h'lsht OF tie
mountain c wishes 10 climb. and by th" accounts OF the
too VcnturosOmr spirits II guide, 90 charge iIe par
ticular Guide into whom L. desire, 20 put lis imih
and whom he only know, partially win going 100
lav lie must Dirt travel With TINT guido ahd Bsccg
tain for hun, cn how far a guide mas venture. The
man who has IDt followed Dr. Briggs in detail, or
not folowci him nj all ms no business to venture
an opinion rs Lis ability Tor IntTprctin, scripture
or tho standards Of the Church. II Dr. Briggs zoe
too far, must be- sure to ascertain first how inr
he docs 60 CHARLES ii. LEEtH
Fason, Penn Dec -, l-V2.