The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-06-12

cafiouE ulecouufeu tradition. c0m-
prlsed the text OF Rev: Albert N. Keia-
win. pastor at West Presbyterian
Church. Sunday evening.
He cited the histosic record OF great
mistakes made BY the General Assem-
ply, showing 1t to be fallible. He
claimed profound respect for It an
one OF the greatest ecclesiastic corirts
of the world. He stated the Lyman
Beecher, Albert Barnes and MoCune.
Presbyterian cases, the ex-
cision OF the New Brunswick Presby-
terry IN l74l. because 1t favored reviy-
ais, the Instance Of border State
presbytery declaring slavery divine
and subsequently, voting.
after q reverse of public opinion. that
their former declaration was bias.
phemy and other mattere Of record
showed eccieslastics to be erring, hu-
man and faliible.
Briggs, in his case. had accused the
General Assembly Of following
OLD AND NEW SCHOOLS.
Old school men are atrics Calyaplets.
The new school has moderated some
Of the statements OF John Calvin.
Both schools existed 1t the birth OF
Presbyterianism, harmonIzed and
united In the Westminster Confession
Of Faith. healed their breach OF A. ID.
1857 In 1870 when compact was made
that the old and new schools would
respect each other.
Princeton stands for old school,
Union for new.
It Is absurd to say. as has been said
N recent discussions in the Briggs case
that those OF US who disagree with the
present majority should leave the
church, Our typo OF theology from
the beginning has been recognized a.
one form of Calvinism with as good
right to be taught and preached as the
Prlncetou type.
We say now, as In 1S41 and 1887, the
only way you can got rid OF US is as
you did In those years, by exerclsinQ
Inc power oil a factious majority, cut
ting US OF contrary to law, driving us
by force out OF the Church, and then
when you are dying from hamilton,
when You cannot get along without
US. when you need to Christlanize
your Church with energetic Gospel
methods. invite us back. as you have
done 10 the two previous cases.
In both OF these cases the New Cas-
Tie Presbytery was In favor Of the
u tolerate type OF Calvinism. II we
re driven out l think l can safely pre-.
1icf that the large majority OF the wi.
mington churches will lie on the
American, the Christ like, the Bible
side OF the fence and not with the par.
" Oh slaughter. of cold formality, of
General assemblies,
therefore, are to be respected only for
the good they do and are not to be re-.
spected when they violate compacts
and become tyrants over a minority.
He referred also to the conviction of
DR.. Lyman Beecher In the heated CON
troversy that preceded the division OF
the Church In 1887 on charge of hypo-
crisy and teaching false doctrine. He
was convicted by the Cincinnati Pres
bytery, the same that convicted Dr.
Henry Z. Smith OF Lane Seminary this
year. The same presbytery refused
70 convict the Rev. W. O. McCune in
1877, and was censured by the General
MIR. McCune had com mitted the I'M
pardonable sin in the estimation of the
ieneral Assembly of 1873 of forming
/, church OF Christian people OF other
and permitting them.
lndor his pastorate, OF worshipping
iod according to the dictates of their
own consclences OF reading the Epis.
,opal prayer book. being baptized by
having Methodist class
meetings in a section where there WAS
not sufficient number OF Christians
81 any denomination TO support
Now the General Assembly Is
eoquetling with the l'rostestant Epis-
,opal Church for a union.
WONDER WHAT HYpNoTIzEp THEM.
have confidence in the Presbyter-
an Church OF to-day that 1t was not
represented by the last assembly, and
expect In very few years the sleepv
Did tradltionists will awake and won
Ter what hypnotlzed the-s-ii..lo such a |
seventeenth centJ,rJ act as the sue pen.
zion OF one n the leading Christian
scholars Vi tho Presbyterian Church OF |
lie nineteenth century.
In my conversations with some OF !
he commissioners and In the public
itterances OF others / learned that
hey had come TO the assembly with |
heir verdict made up. The reason for |
he verdict was plainly seen,
MIR. Keigwln estimated that the |
3rlEgs vote represented about 400. 600 |
lew school Presbyterians.
He made valuable exposition of |
he two Ideas or inspiration, dictated |
ford by word" and "plenary," which |
,robably every member CT the last
ioneral Assembly held. Tho rs, 900 to
o.OOO manifest errors arose by tran.
criptlons, etc, and do not change the |
meaning or modify any essential doc |
rtne.
WHAT DR. BRIGGS TEACHES.
DIR. Briggs teaches that the Bible is
ully inspired and In the language OF |
'ur shorter catechism contains the
word OF God" The majority hold that
hough there are errors In 1t yet 1t Is
Il every minute particular the word
u Goa. The words Contains" and
is" are tho catch words. The assem-
'ly decided against the statement OF
he shorter caterhisn.
Again, DIR. Briggs was convicted be-
anse he said that according to his
dea OF inspiration tho original
autographs may have contained
ONE OF the errors we now find. No
mo has seen the original autographs
nd yet the assembly without q word
" proof decided the books were liner
ant.
Again DR.. Briggs was convicted be-
ause no did not believe that Moses
vas the author OF the first five books
u the Bible, end that Isaiah wrote only
part OF the prophesies called by his
anne. large majority OF the Biblical
|
'riggs. No statement or ouotation of
ur Lord or the Apostle from the
looks is Inconsistent with DIR. Brigge's
Jews. 1t Is question that not doz.
n men In the assembly are by their
uucation capable OF considering, for
IL a question that only scholars can
nswer. Yet the General Assembly
hswered IL without hesitation.
RULE OF FAITH AND PRACTICE.
DIR. Briggs affirmed his belief that
he Bible was the only infallible rule /
4 faith and practice, but because in 1
rs inaugural address he had said that i
he Church and the reason with the H
iible were fJuntains of Divine au
horlty they decided that he did NOT u
'eliere that the Bibls was the only in. n
alliole rule. We would have to for.
.et all the lessons of our childhood
lot TO be Influenced by Church and H
eason and by Cody people. by sick
'ess and death. And yet the last as
emily would have you become an in I
late to your Christian father and |
bother, your Sunday school teacher,
he church of your carly home. God
orglye such teaching.
PROGRESS AFTER DEATH.
Again | learned that 1t was heresy
ccording to the last assembly to be-
eve that there would be progress
Tier death in holiness, though tina
anger catechism allirms that com
luniCn with God ia not perfect until
he resurrection OF the body. DR..
riggs says that whoever Is saved
tn af |