Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-13

The assembly in number of instances has
received, declared IN order and issued cases
bly,. 1888, pages 597, GIT. 629; 1892, page So;
Presbyterian Digest, page 555.
I'd. Are there sufficient reasons why the case
Of Prof. Briggs should be an exception and 60
over the head Of synod directly to the assem-
bly,?
la) Sooner or later. it must 90, and the
sooner the better for the "peace and work. of
the whole church.
co. The teachings Of DR.. Briggs as professor
in a seminary Of the whole church affect not
the presbytery Of New York only, but the entire
church The influence of his books and
synod Of New York
(c) After trial by the synod Of New York,
when the case came to the general assembly,
all of that great synod. with it's thirty -one
presbyteries, 1,I66 ministers, SSS churches and
l7O. 900 members, would have no vote
The reasons for direct appeal seem there
fore to be conclusive.
THE MERITS OF THE CASE.
Gas to the merits Of the case: First. DR.. Briggs
affirms that there are three sources or
fountains Of Divine authority. inaugural ad-
Dress page "a. He means, 1 suppose three
channels. not sources. for only God Himself
can be the source of Divine authority. And
then adds that 'Spurgeon, who found God in
the Christ Of Scriptures, will have no higher
place in the kingdom Of God than Martineau,'
who found him through reason. And yet
Martineau states that he does not believe in the
incarnation or divinity of Jesus Christ, and that
reason led him to reject the atonement seat of
authority in religion.
Book ", chapter 2-If the affirmation of a
mans salvation by reason who denies the God.
head and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus does not
contradict the teachings of the Presbyterian
church and the express word of God, then
am unable to understand or state what would
be contradiction.
-. Dr. Briggs afirms address, page So
there are errors in the Scriptures The
standards of the Presbyterian Church affirm
that the Scriptures are the word of God. the
only infallib,e zule Of faith and practice and
Webster defines 'infalhbleness' as entire ex-
emption from liability to error 'inerrabiltv,'
incapable Of Mistakes These two views
are not merely divergent; they are destructive
one Of the other: it is impossible for both to be
true.
49, Address, page SO. DR.. Briggs says, and
evidently with entire acceptance. 'Kuenen has
shown that many predictions Of the Old Tesla
ment have been reversed by history, and that
the great body of the Messianio prophecies
have not only never been fulfilled, but cannot
now be fulfilled
1.-The Presbyterian Church teaches that all the
things written in the law of Moses and the
prophet and in the Psalms concerning Him
have been or will be fulfilled: that not jot or
little can tail until all be fulfilled. These two
teachings'a are Numerically opposed and antag-
onistic.
~ DR.. Briggs charges Protestant theology
with limiting the processes of redemption to
this world address. page 49, and on page so
affirms that the Bible teaches a race re-
deemer' and a race redemption
1.-The Presbyterian Church denies that there is
any such thing as the redemption Of the race,
and affirms that God saves out of the lost race
those who accept His Son. Jesus Christ together
with all those who have not reached years of
discretion.
ONE OR THE OTHER MUST GO.
''These are the four fundamental contradic-
tons between the Presbyterian Church and DIR.
Briggs-the issues thus Joined are vital and ad-
init OF no compromise-one or the other must
60 out. both cannot coexist and cooperate in
the same communion. The question now and
here is-not who is right or who is wrong-not
are the views of DR.. Briggs true or false, but
are they at variance with and contradictory of
the constitutional truths of the Presby terrain
Church. 1t is for the entire church. in whose
name and by whose authority the indictment
against DR.. Briggs, runs through its supreme
count to declare. under the most solemn sane
tions known to judicial proceedings, whether
or not the accused is guilty as indicted
The original parties, the Presby terrain Church
in the United States Of America and Prof.
Briggs, will be present. All of the evidence au-
thenticated and attested on the records of the
court below will be printed and in the hands of
each member OF the supreme court. His
brethren and peers under sanctions more
solemn than those that bind the Supreme
Court Of the United States will sit as judges in
the case. Of all men beneath the skies Prof.
Briggs is most deeply interested in an imme-
date trial before such court. If he cannot
get justice in this court he will never find it on
this earth.
THE Presbyterian Church has not forced this
issue on Prof. Baiggs. but he has forced it on
the church. From his position as authorized
teacher in Union Seminary he demanded that
the traditional barriers embodied in the con-
fessional beliefs Of the Presbyterian Church
should be removed and that the church should
accept his teachings as authorized and in ac-
cord with the confession and the Word OF God
No possible course was open to the church than
to accept the issue thus raised by DR.. b. and
invoke the judgment OF the entire church,
whether or not do these teachings contradict
the cherished and confessional beliefs of the
Presbyterian church,