St. Paul daily globe., 1893-05-31
IN HIS OWN BEHALF. !.
.M
DR.. Briggs Concludes His De-
fense te the Charge Of
Heresy. =
Impressive and Dramatic
Scene at the Close Of
the Address.
His Argument Entered Deeply
Into the IntrieaeieS Of
the Case.
A Sentence From Lampe's Ad-
dress Characterized as
Rank Heresy.

Rank Heresy.
WASHINGTON. May 30.-This was the
second day devoted to the actual trial of
Prof. Briggs before the general as
sembly on the charge Of heresy. So
far from diminishing, the interest in
The case would seem to be on the in.
crease. Notwithstanding the many
counter attractions in connection With
Decoration day, there was yet a large
crowd early on hand at the New York
Avenue Presbyterian church, and when
the days session began the galleries
were crowded as usual. When DR..
Briggs. in closing his defense, sOlemnly
challenged the court to judge him justly
the scene was most impressive, and
even the most unrelenting anti-Briggs
men in the assembly admitted that the
alleged hereto had made a wonderfully
strong presentation of his case. For a
! considerable portion of his time he fol-
-|lowed the same lines of argument that
! he used before the New York presby-
terry, with such omissions and additions
as We're necessary to make it timely and
| pertinent.
His argument, as he presented it. was
not one that gave any chance for orator
cal effort. 1t was carefully prepared
technical paper. which entered deeply
into
The Intricacies of the Case.
Much of the address was taken bodily
from the "defense," and this DR.. Briggs
had his friend DR.. Brown, of Union,
read for him. DR.. Brown is a man of
fine presence and magnificent voice.
While he read the man whose orthodoxy
is the great question now before the
PRESBYTERIAN church sat back in chair
upon the platform and took little
needed rest. The day was almost de-
void of anything like sensational feat
ures. The nearest approach to this sort
of thing was when DR.. Briggs quoted a
sentence from DR.. Lampe's address of
yesterday, and characterized 1t as rank
heresy if there ever was heresy.
DIR. Briggs, at $50, resumed his argu-
ment in defense of the charges made
against him. 'It is the knowledge of
God and his WILL" said Dr.. Briggs,
(which is necessary to salvation, not
the knowledge of geography or chro-
persons. The knowledge oil God nee
cessary to salvation does not imply that
the words containing this knowledge
are inspired. The prosecution seem to
think that the whole of the Scriptures
is the word of God, and that everything
in it is divine and infallible. But the
confession does not say this, and evil
dentlY does not mean this. We must
study the varying phases of
The Three Standards
so as to get doctrine that will be con-
sistent with the phases of them all. 1t
is evident that this must be so con-
structed as to enable US TO say that the
Bible contains the word of God as we'll
as to say the Bible is the word. We
must endeavor, as students oil the West
Minister confession, to study the original
phases of our confession as set forth by
Wallace, and also to bring out the his
torical meaning of the Word of God.
NV doctrine can be stated thus:
There is no authority in the Scriptures
or in the creeds of Christianity for the
doctrine of immediate sanctification at
death. The only sanctification known
to Christion orthodoxy is progressive
sanctification. Granted that am
wrong in my Interpretation of
the doctrine of sanctifcation at death,
does the Presbyterian church recognize
this principle as an essential TO the
church? If so, no man can become a
Presbyterian minister who does not hold
to the doctrine of immediate sahctitica-
ton at death. If this idea obtains it
will be destructive to the peace and
prosperity of the church. do not think
the superior courts will sustain this
idea. If they do tine Christian people
will regard them as breaking the bonds
Of catholicity."
What SanctificatiOn Is.
Continuing with his argument as to
what sanctlfication really is, DR.. Briggs
said that it was not merely cleansing
from sin, but the adoption of habits of
purity.
Briggs, ''that all the questions that
have been argued by me have been ar
gued by my adversaries as well in the
court of the presbyteIy. Now l ask
| takes, is it fair. is it righteous, is it
| eraI assembly, despite OF what | have
said before you, to put the case in the
| form that the appellant has admitted
the facts, the presbytery has admitted
| the charges to be relevant, and that,
| therefore, there is no alternative left
| but TO vote for conviction? Mr.. Moder-
ator and brethren" he continued, 'you
will have to take great care unless, in
condemning the accused.you accuse the
views OF those theologians who have
argued against ME. For l will under
! take to bring out an enormous catalogue
| of hereses in their arguments. Unless
! you take great care you will put your
selves in very unfortunate position,
and your action will be hard to justify
before the Christians of the world"
This remark, which was delivered in
peculiarly earnest manner, and
sounded very much like threat,
created a stir among the commission
ers. A low confused murmur of COM
ment ran around the church. The
point had evidently been appreciated.
| Good Time Coming.
Continuing, Dr. Briggs said:
1.-The time will come when no man
shall be put in jeopardy on account of
his religious belief. The time will
surely come when no man will be de-
prived of his ecclesiastical life by a
mere majority of such members as now
constitute the courts of the church
But, as things now are, the court of the
Presbytery of New York will compare
favorably With any other courts which
have thus far had jurisdiction OF the
case, and this general assembly will
have to take great pains to purge itself
of any suspicion of biasere it can under
take to impart such thing to the mem
bers of the lower court"
Continuing, Dr.. Briggs said:
DIR. Lampe yesterday. He said, if l un
derstood him rightly, and tried to take
down his exact words: we know moth
ing of Christ save what we get in the
Bible story Dr. Lampe, sitting di