The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-06-07

and for all the advancement of MN KIND Is &C
complished in a moment of time by magical
transformation in the dying hour. The Chris
tian church has always taught the existence of
a middle state between death and full REDEEM p
ton. There have been those who taught the
sleep OF pious souls. DR.. Birch seems to en-
terrain this belief, for in his argument he said :
"All dead Christians are asleep"
The assembly laughed aloud at this and
again when DR.. Briggs said that all "ortho-
dox" persons had rejected this idea.
| have shown you, continued DIR. Briggs.
] that all the questions that have been argued
| by me have been argued by my sdversaries as
| well In tho court Of the prssbytery. Now ask
| you. even II have made many mistakes, is it
| fair? Is il righteous? Is il honorable 10 them
to force the court of the general assembly, in
despite Of what have said before you. TO put
the case in the form that the appellee had ad-
mitted the facts. presbytery has admitted the
charges to be relevant, and that therefore.
there is no alternative left but to vote for con-
viclion.
Mr.. Moderator and brethren, he continued,
you will have 20 take great care unless in con-
demning the accused, you accuse the views of
those theOlogians who have argued against me.
For l will undertake to bring out an enormous
catalogue OF hereaies In their arguments. In
less you take great care you will put yourself
IN very unfortunate position and your action
will be hard to justify before the Christians Of
the world.
This remark, which was delivered in a
peculiarly earnest manner, and sounded
very much like a threat, created stir
among the commissioners. 4 low, con-
fused murmur OF comment ran around
the church. The point had evidently been
appreciated. Continuing. DR.. Briggs said ::
The time will come when no man shall be
put In jeopardy on account of his religious be-
lief. The time will surely come when no man
will be deprived OF his eoceslastioal life by O
mere majority OF such members as now constr
tute the courts of tue church. But as things
now are, the court of the presbytery of New York
will compare quite favOrabiy with any other
courts which have thus far mad jurisdiction OF
the case. and this general assembly will have
TO take great pains to purge itself Of any sus-
pioiOn of bias IL can undertake TO imDart
such thing to the members Of the lower
court.
Cases in History.
Referring to the Spurgeon case, Or.
Briggs said that the question was before
the assembly to decide whether Spurgeon,
Newman and Martineau have, each in his
own way, found God and rested on di-
vine authority-SpurReon in the bible,
Newman in the church and Martineau in
the reason. For himself, he would de-
liberstely choose the company Tor time
and eternity OF Martineau and Newman.
rather than of such loveless persons as
would cast them out of the congregation
of the faithful Here again the bold
words OF the speaker created considerab
subdued comment. Continuing, DIR. Briggs
said
Let me refer TO a word spoken by Dr. Lampe
yesterday. lie said. if l understood him right
ly, aud tried to take down his exact words.
We know nothing OF Christ save what we get in
the bible story (Dr. Lampe, sitting directly in
front OF the speaker, nodded his head In cOnfir-
nation of the accuracy of the quotation
lie admits II. Are you ready 10 believe that,
commissioners? DO We learn aud know moth
ing Of Him through the Ders )nsl relations that
We enjoy IN the Lords supper? | cannot sub
scribe 10 that doctrine. IL is rank heresy, If
ever heresy was promulgated in the history of
the church.
Now, let me call attention 10 another error
made By DR.. Lampe. lie said that the bible
vas the hnal authority given TO US by Jesus
Christ and the apostles. just think OF that.
brethren. Did they give us nothing but what
they found IN the books OF the ola testament?
DR.. Lampes statement is dreadfully wrong.
Another statement by DR.. Lampe In has aTgu-
ment yesterday was that the faith OF the Chris
tian church was based solely uDOn scripture.
Are you ready 10 accept that? | am not. Ny
faith 10 based upon the Lord Jesus Christ, ana
Him alone.
1t being now 1925 o'clock. Prof. Briggs
suspended his argument and the Rev.
Loyal y. Graham OF Philadelphia pre-
sented the following:
Whereas The general assembly is now in
session in the capital Of the nation; and.
Whereas, This day has been set apart to
honor the memory of the men who fell in de-
Tense OF our common country: therefore, be II
Resolved. That this assembly adjourn at
noon today, TO convene at 7:45 o'clock D. M.
as tribute 10 the memory OF the nations
patriotic dead who laid down thsir lives in be-
half OF our civil and constitutional liberty.
The assembly having, however, made q
different order for the day, directly deter
mined not to retain the resolution at that
time and took a recess until 2:20 D. IN.
Briggs Defense Concluded.
At the afternoon session DR.. Briggs con-
tinued his defense:
l now wish. said be, to bring forth my posi-.
ton. l shall adhere to the policy which have
thus far followed with regard 10 errors IN the
holy scripture. ! have refused to accept the
dogma that the original autographs were iner-
rant have maintained that there are errors
in the texts which we have. IN the best texts
get by the science of textual criticism
and that IL is improbable that the original
texts. il we could discover them, would be
much different from those we have in that re-
gard. But have refused TO affirm that there
were errors In the original autographs, because
il Is unscientIhc, IL - unscholarly and il is
against the ruth-ioving princi pies OF christian.
ity 10 make atiirmatiOns of dogma where we
have no certain evidence | have always re-
Trained far possible from pointing TO
errors in the present text of scripture. But
every biblical scholar admits them.
Returning to his belief in progressive
sanctificstion, after death, DR.. Briggs
said
The doctrine of progressive specification is
in accordance with the laws that God has es-
tablshed in the ethical constitution of men
The church and the bible give their potent aid
to the conscience In the ethical elevation of
humanity. IL is always, everywhere, aud in
every variety OF form ana education, or train.
ing. Shall ali this ethical training cease at
death? all the varied stages Of progress In the
different periods OF life Of culture of racial
and national Advancement be reduced to a
common level and made of no effect by a
mighty Transformation that will deal
with the race, father and child
mother ana babe, master and scholar
seif-saorihcing missionary and pagan convert
the devoted evangelist and the thief and muir
derer there DIR. Briggs shouted his words) turn
ing in his last hour to Christ from the shadow
Of the gallows-all in one undistinguishsble
mass? Such a doctrine strikes a deadly blow
at the moral nature of man. the ethical consti-
tuition Of society. the historic training Of our
race and the moral government of God.
The doctrine OF progressive sanetf cation
after death harmoDiEes Christian faith with
Christian ethics and both of these with the
ethics of humanity and the ethics of God IL
enables US TO comprehend the whole life of
man, the whole history of our race from its first