The record-union., 1893-05-31
PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY.
DIR. BRIGGS ARGUES IN DEFENSE
OF HIS POLICY.
Bis Opponents Admit That He Has
Made a Strong Presentation
of His Case.
Special to the REcoRD-USroS.


WASHINGTON, May 30.-At the open
ing of the Presbyterian General Assem-
/ bly, this morning the Committee on Bills
and Overtures submitted substitute for
| the answer it made yesterday to the over
lures regarding the deliverance of the
] General Assembly at Portland, Or, in
1882, on the inspiration of the Bible. The
substitute reatlirms the deliverance of
! 1892, that the original Scripture of the
| Old and New Testaments, being inme
diately inspired of God, are without error.
/ This deliverance enunciates no new doc
trine and imposes no new test of ortho
doxy.
The assembly then resolved itself into
an ecclesiastical court and DR.. Briggs re-
sumed his argument in his own defense.
For considerable portion of mis- time
/ Briggs followed in the same line of argu-
ment he used before the New York Pres
/ bytery, with such omissions and iaddi
tions as were necessary to make it timely
and pertinent. His argument was care
fully prepared, and entered deeply into
the technical intricaces Of the case.
Continuing, DR.. Briggs said: 'Let me
4 refer to the words spoken by DIR. Lampe
yesterday. He said, if l understood him
rightly, we know nothing of Christ save
what we get in the Bible story"
! DR.. Lampe nodded in confirmation of
the accuracy of the quotation.
| He admits it. Are you ready to be-
! lieve that, Commissioners? Do we learn
and know nothing of him throught the
personal relations that we enjoy in the
Lords Supper? L cannot subscribe to
that doctrine. 1t is rank heresy, if ever
heresy was promulgated in the history Of
the church. Now let me call attention to
another error made by DR.. Lampe. He
said the Bible was the final 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 Old Testament?
DIR. Lampe's statement is dreadfully
wrong. Another statement by Dr.
Lampe in his argument yesterday was
that the faith of the Christian church is
based solely upon the Scripture. Are
you ready to accept that? l am not.
My faith is based upon the Lord Jesus
Christ, and him alone"
After recess DR.. Briggs continued his
defense. 81 now WISH" said be, "to
bring forth my position. | shall adhere
to the policy which l have thus far fol-
lowed with regard to errors in the Holy
Scriptures. | refuse to accept the dogma
that the original autographs interpret.
have maintained that there are errors in
the texts which we have, and that it is
improbable that the original texts, if we
could discover them, would be much diff
ferent from those we have in that regard
l refuse to affirm that there are errors in
the original autographs, because it is un-
I scholarly, and it is against the truth of
the loving spirit of Christianity to make
affirmations Of dogma where we have no
certain evidence. l have always re-
Trained, as far as possible, from pointing
to errors in the present text of the Script
ure, but every biblical scholar admits
them"
When DIR. Briggs. in closing, 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.
Colonel McCook then proceeded to close
the case for appellants. The speaker
traversed anew the grounds Of the teach
ings of defendant, and asserted that. de-
spite the latter's avowals and explana-
tions, they were in opposition to the holy
Scriptures and the confession Of faith. and
therefore gross errors in the eyes of the
church. He also asserted that the doc
trines at issue were essential, notwith-
standing Professor Briggs declaration Of
opinion to the contrary.
Before adiourning till evening Professor
Brown offered prayer for the President
of the United States and the great Gov
ernment he represents.