Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-29

DIR. BAKER.
the plan OF salvation, our duty and the condI-
lions Of eternal life and destiny. For this rea-
son the Bible alone as against the church and
reason, gives light in the moral and spiritual
realm. 1t is a light to mans pathway and
limp to his feet, by which he discovers his way
through the darkness Of this world to the world
of eternal light. The Bible is as the bread of
God to give life to mems souls, for man shall
live By every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God. The church is constituted Of
Grant men and women only partially sanctified.
and the reason, unless enlightened by the Word
Of God, gropes in the darkness of sin. Neither
has power to enlighten, assure and quicken a
Holy Scriptures to believing hearts. for in them
the Holy Spirit speaks with divine love and
power.
THE PRESBYTERIAN BELIEF.
In harmony with all evangelical Professionals
Presbyterians believe that salvation and assur-
ance are obtained through belief of truth re-
vealed in the Holy Scripture; they do not hesi-
tate to say that, since the Holy Spirit bears
witness by and with the word Of this blessed
book which has expressly set down in it the
whole counsel Of God concerning all things
necessary for His own glory. mans salvation,
faith and life. men who tell us they canno.
find God and certainty in these Holy Script
ures are, as those Scriptures declare, dead in
trespasses and sins.
Tho Scripture expressly declares that men by
wisdom. that is through the forms Of the rea-
son. have not known God. History shows that
to be absolutely true. Reason, unaided by re-
vealed truth. has never been able to bring man
| out of the bondage of sin to God. And, there
fore, lit pleased God by the foolisnness of
preaching to save them that believe" God
begets men to a new life by the word of truth
and saves them by the belief OF that truth,
'.for how shall they believe on Him of whom
they have not heard and how shall they hear
without preacher?" (RoIn. 1O:I4)
INFANTS AND HEAruEN.
Amy discussion in respect to the salvation of
infants, incapable and exceptional cases Of
heather. through the working of the Spirit. is
immatcrial here-no question is raised in the
charges in reference to them The matter in
hand is wholly different. Can one having the
Bible and rejecting it find the way to God
teaches that those possessing the revealed
truth which il contains saved through
belief in that truth, and not otherwise The
Holy Spirit has given the Bible to enlighten
men sayingly, and it is hardly to be supposed
that He will enliShten i'll other WAYS those who
reject the Holy Scripture, or find it an unsatis-
factory source OF comfort. There is nothing
in the church and reason, apart from the Bible,
by which the Spirit can saviDgly enlighten men.
He bears witness by and with the Word in the
hearts of those who believe unto salvation.
Albert Barnes states very truly on Peter, L.
ures tina. divine truth is made the instrument
| of quickening the soul unto spiritual life"
The same is true in reference to the question
| of certainty. Assurance stands solely on the
truth OF Scripture. on Gods promises. Chris
tan assurance, resting on q firm belief in doc
trines respecting Christ and salvation. mus.
stand or fall with faith in Scriptures truth. 1t
Is absurd TO suppose, and dangerous to teach,
that the Holy Spirit would give this assurance
through church or reason to those who either
As Albert Barnes states in Ihess., q: 10: mo
one who is not a believer in the truth can have
evidence that God has chosen him.
That the Holy Scriptures claim for them
selves supreme authority in matters of faith
and life is indicated BY texts which we have
cited in connection with these two charges and
their specifications. These texts are to he
taken in their obvious meaning and not in the
strained Interpretation which DIR. Briggs puts
upon them.
Christ and the New Testament writer's in
variably appeal 70 the Holy Scripture as the
ultimate authority for the settlement of all
religious and moral questions. 1T Is written"
with them a final settlement. since for
them God speaks in wha. is written. Christ
convicted the ratioualistic Sadducees Of error
Pharisees OF error respecting divorce, due in
each case to ignorance of the Scriptures. Mt.
%: 20, 10: SO.
THE FINAL AUTHORITY.
With Christ and the apostles the Bible alone
held the place of absolute and final authority
They never appealed to either church or rea-
son, but brought both church and reason to the
bar of Scripture for judgment and light.
In harmony with this truth of Scripture our
standards as cited by us affirm that 1.-THE whole
counsel of God concerning all things necessary
for His own glory and mans salvation faith
and life, is either expressly set down in Scrip
turc. or by good and necessary consequence
NAV be deduced from Scripture" SO that all
who will may become savingly acquainted with
God and gain assurance of His love; that the
Holy Scripture is most necessary, as it
makes the full discovery Of the 'only way" Of
mans salvation. the Holy Spirit bearing wit
ness ..by and with the word" in the heart foy
the conversion and comfort of the soul; and
that all matters Of religion are to be authorita-
lively settled by an appeal to the Holy Scrip
lures. since the Holy Spirit speaks in them as
the Supreme Judge.
DIR. Briggs teachings conflict with both
Scripture and the standards. They touch
matters which vitality essential to Presby-
,erians. whose faith and practice are based
solely on the authority of Holy Scripture.
THE CHURCH OF ROME.
According to these views We must recognize
the Church of Rome a great fountain of di
vine authority. able to give men, without or
above the Bible. a saving knowledge of God and
divine assurance. This would be complete
abandonment OF the reformation pOsltlUll, ana
for the Presbyterian Church it would mean de-
nominational suicide. Whether or not DR..
Briggs would regard this IN any sense a calam-
ity cannot be determined with certainty. for he
regards it to be the duty of the hour, in the in
terest Of the broadcast comprehensionism. to
destroy all UNCONVENTIONAL barriers which sep
arate Protestants and to form an ALLIANCE be-
tween Professionalism and Romanism and all
other branches Of Christendom." (Whither,
p. Ill
The positions taken in his inaugural certainly
entite him to the dignity of chief apostle in
such n movement.
DIR. Briggs teachings respecting the reason
are even worse than those respecting the
church. In referring to Martineau an
Illustration he has made his meaning unmis-
taxable. Martineau's late work shows that he
rejects the entire Bible as revelation from
God. and all the distinctive doctrines of grace.
rejects Christ Himself Lord and Savior and
consigns the account Of His incarnation,
resurrection and other miraculous events to
the wonders of an invented Messianic mythol-
ogv or popular apotheoss. The Bible states:
That il thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that