The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-05-20
THE BRIGGS CASE AGhIN9
eveland Plain Dealer.

AoihVi wv" WIZ 4 'N''pS WI 'e"
eral assembly begins its meeting
in Washington with the eXpecta-
tion that nearly fortnight, in
Guiding two Sundays at least, will
be taken up with the business that
awaits it. Several questions are
on the program for consideration,
but three are of paramount conse-
quence-the revision of the creed,
the declaration as to the inerrancy
of the scriptures and the trial Of
DR.. Briggs. The first of the three
is not expected to take up much
time. at the last years meeting
in Portland the committee on re-
vision presented a report providing
for submitting to the presbyteries
number of amendments to the
creed. The proposals failed to
secure the number of Affirmative
necessary to their adoption, conser-
vatives and liberals uniting to re-
ject them, the former on the
ground that they go too far and
the latter because they do not go
far enough, and that an entirely
new and simpler creed is the need
of the church. What fight may
occur on the revision question will
therefore be on the proposed in-
struction of a committee on revis-
ion to prepare new and shorter
creed.
The Briggs case and the iner-
rancy proposition are in reality
but technical variations of one
question. But for the Briggs case
the inerrancy proposition would
not have come up. Had there not
been division of opinion concern
ing the inerrancy of the scriptures
there would have been no "Briggs
heresy." At the Portland meeting
last year DR.. r. NJ. Patterson, edi-
tor of the Philadelphia Presbyter-
ian Journal, introduced the follow
ing declaration, which was laid
over for consideration of this years
meeting:
The general assembly would re-
mind all under it's care that it is q
fundamental doctrine that the Old
and New Testaments are the in
spired and infallible word of God.
Our church holds that the inspi red
word as it came from God is with.
out error. The assertion of the
contrary cannot but shake the con-
fidence of the people in the sacred
books. All who enter office in our
church solemnly profess to receive
them as the only infallible rule of
faith and practice. If they change
their belief on this point, Christian
honor demands that they should
withdraw from our ministry
They have no right to use the pull.
pit or the chair of the professor for
the dissemination Of their errors
until they are dealt with by the
slow process of discipline. But II
they do so act, their presbyteries
should speedily interpose, and
deal with them for violation OF
ordination vows. The vow taker
at the beginning is obligatory unit
the party taking it is honorably
and properly released. The gener
al assembly enjoins upon all min
listers, elders and presbyteries to be
faithful to the duty here imposed
Every line Of this declaration il
aimed directly at Or. Briggs anc
through him at those who sympa
thize with his views. Its adoption
would be their condemnation anC
unless they turned back on theil
whole course they would have M
alternative but to leave the minist
ry or 60 out of the church altogeth
err.
The status OF the Briggs cast
AS it comes before the general as
sembly at Washington is this
When he was transferred from
one chair to new one of bibica
history in Union seminary in New
York in January, 1891, he dilivert
an inaugural address on 18th.
Authority of Scripture" in whicl
he expressed views directly con
trary to the dogma asserted il
DIR. Patterson's proposition giver
above. The matter was brough,
to the general assembly sitting al
Detroit in the following May, and
his transfer 70 the new chair wal