The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1893-06-09
DIR. BRIGGS SUSPENDED.

IreSDyterlan general assembly at
Washington on the 1st. Having
decided they had a hereto on
their hands in the person of DR..
Briggs, the first thing for the dele
gates to the assembly TO do on
that date was to consider what
should be done with him. The
committee appointed to decide the
matter brought in the recommen
dation, Suspension from the min
istry," and the assembly adopted
the report. DR.. Briggs was ac-
cordingly suspended indefinitely.
| and he can only be reinstated Oh
recantation of the matter in his
speeches and writings to which
| objection has been made. 1t is
not likely that he will ever DO
this.
| An idea of DR.. Briggs teach-
ings to which a majority of the
church objects, may be gained
from an extract from the doctors
remarks in his own defense. He
said:
LET me refer to the words
spoken by DIR. Lampe yesterday.
He said, if l understand rightly,
we know nothing of Christ, save
what we get in the Bible story
CDR. Lampe- nodded in confirm
alton Of the accuracy of the quo
tation.) He admits it. Are you
ready to believe that, commits
sioners? Do we learn and know
nothing Of him through personal
relations that we enjoy in tine
Lords supper? l cannot sub
scribe to that doctrine. 1t is rank
heresy, if ever heresy We're pro-
mulgated in the history of a
church. Now, let me call at
tention to another error made by
DR.. Lampe. He said the Bible
was the final authority given to
US by Jesus Christ and the apos-
ties. Just think of that, breth-
rem. Did they give us nothing
but what they found in the books
of the Old Testiment? DR..
Lampe's statement is dreadtuily
wrong. . Another statement by
DR.. Lampe in his argument yes
terday was that the faith Of the
Christian, church was based solely
upon the scriptures. Are you
ready to accept that? l am not.
My faith is based upon the Lord
Jesus Christ, and him alone. l
now wish TO bring forth my po-
sition. | shall adhere to the pol
icy which | have thus far followed
with regard to errors in the Holy
Scriptures. l refused to accept
the dogma that the original auto
graphs were inerrent. l MAIN
tanned there were errors i'm the
texts which we have, and that it
is improbable that the original
texts, if we could discover them,
would be much different from
those We have in that regard. |
refused to affirm there were errors
in the original autographs, be-
cause it is unscientific and it IS un-
scholarly and it is against the
truth-loving spirit of Christianity
| to make affirmations of dogma
where we have no certain evil
dence. l always refrained, so far
as possible, from pointing to the
errors in the present text of the
Scriptures, but every biblical
scholar admits them"
DIR. Briggs occupies a chair of
Biblical theology in the Union
theological seminary, New York,
but it is understood that the re-
cent decision of his case will not
affect his relations with that in
stitution as it is supported almost
entirely by New York merchants
and others, and that he will be
sustained by the board of directors
and members of the faculty of the
institute. 1t is thought, however,
that the action taken at Washing
ton will not end the matter.