The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-06-12
DIR. BRIGGS DEPENDED.
The Rev. Washington GLADDEN. Pleads ia
Investigation and study Of the Bible.

The Rev. Washington GLADDEN. Pleads for
Investigation and study Of the Bible.
COLUMBUS, O.. June 1.-THE Rev. Wash
inRton GLADDEN.. pastor of the First Con-
Rregational church here, has this to say re-
speosins Dr.. Briggs and his recent trial for
herssy: prof. Briggs says that tho only
way to fnd out what it IL is to take the
bible and study II carefully. and lot It tell
its own story. That il what hs has done.
That 10 the method Of the higher criticism.
His opponents say that that is dangerous
business. We have . tradition they
say. that the bible 10 SO and 90;
this tradition has been held q long tim o;
any one who refuses 10 accept 1t 10 her
etic.' Isubmit that their method of ap-
pealine TO tradition for a settlement OF a
not ono in i've Of them has any special
qualifications for deciding this question in
the right way; that not one In five of them
has carefully examined those particular
facts of the bible on which Prof. Briggs
based his opinions; that not one in five Of
them has read Prof. BrigQs' books.
"Ths majority of the cardinals against
Galileo was proportionately much larger,
but the world kept moving. after the cardi-
nails had decided that 1t didn't. Prof.
Briggs has told the simple truth about the
Bible. Tho truth will stand. Twenty years
from now, il the Presbyterian church lives
till then. the truth which he has told will
bs confessed BY its assembly. The mon who
have condemned him have judged them
selves. will not put the Judgment into
words; leave that to history.
"But even In this case W have striking
illustration Of the marvellous changes thas
have taken place In this departments of life.
been looking back. tho fate of Prof. BrieQs
would have been very different. Two hun
dred and fifty years ago. in the New Eng
land city which was onss my home, the
man who Was the founder Of that city OF
Springfield. and a true. brave. noble. Chris
tian man. wrete a book on theology
which differed somewhat from the
prevailing theorlss. and sent the manu-
script TO England to be printed. Somebody
found out shat such . book Was comina !;
some of the theologians suspected that it
might contain heresy, and BY order of the
Legislature the whole edition wss seized on
is . ..Iivel in Boston h.reo, and burned on
PynohoA found that the country was too
hot 10 hold him. and he. was COM
pelled to forsake the home that
he had made for himself in The
Conneoticut valley and return to England.
Nothing Of the kind is going TO happea to
to p'pi S. bss: nss h They are mot mot going 70
advertise them. They will mako tens OF
thousands of readers OF this Literature BY
this Judgment And the people who read
these hooks will know that they are true;
and will know what TO think Of tho men
who have condemned them.
9TH, 90 hundred and forty years ago This
very month Of June man was ON trial In
Geneva. Switzerland. ior differing with the
majority On some doolrinsl point; and the
majority against him was much more over
whelming that that Of the general assembly;
In fact there was no minority. And the
Judgment was. not that he should be sus-
pended from the ministry or that his books
should be burned on tho public square. but
that he himself should be burned At the
stake. Prof. BrigQs has reason 10 thank
God that hs does not live In tho good old
days OF John Calvin and Michasl Ssrvstus."