The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-01-11
The Brfggs Trial. Heritics, Like
Witches, Banished to the DOs
mains of the Past

The result of the trial of DR.. Charles A
Briggs, Professor In the Union Theologica
Seminary of New York. and one Of the most
scholarly members of the Presbyterian Church,
is another mile stone in the highway OF relig
ious liberty and progressive theology, For
nearly three years the kconflict has been waged
with determined vigor on both ssides. until it
centralized in a charge Of hsresy. consisting OF
six specifications, and with It a trial In the New
York .Presbytery. in which one hundred and
twenty nine of its scholarly men sit as judges.
The trial lasted nineteen days. sixteen OF
which were devoted to the arguments OF the
accusing and the accused.
The point that we desire most particularly to.
impress upon all careful. thoughtful minds.
those who have an interest in religious progress
is. that one hundred and twenty. nine scholarly
men who composed this court of inquiry. who,
during this long trial listened carefully.
tnoughtfully. and intelligently to the argu-
ments on both sides. nre much the better able
to decide as to whethe rthe position occupied by
Dr.. Briggs is the right one. than all the others.
who can only judge by reading partial accounts
of the same. or have their opinions formed by
reading editorials of secular or religious news.
papers. the latter, it may be. colored by secular
prejudice.
Specification 1st charged the Doctor with
teaching. That reason Is of Divine authority,
and may and does savingly eplighten men.even
such as do reject the Scriptures as the authori-
tative proclamation of the will of God." While
thel DR.. contepded that the treason is a founda
ton Of. divine authority" he claimed that a
false construction had been placed on his teadh-
ings, and the claim he made was sustained by q
vote of 6s to 60. The closeness of this vote shows
that while majority believed that the Doctor
did not teach as charged, he must have been
very near the border of the forbidden land.
k1ne and specification. touching the authority
of the Church. is immaterial to the general
public. Tne vote stood u OBS in favor of the
accused.
8rd specifcation.-This charged that the DIR.
taught that there were mistakes in the Bible.
This he claimed was q fact. in strong language.
during his argument, and he convinced the
court that he was correct, by a vote of SO to g..
4th specification. Teaching that Moses is not
the author af the Pentateuch. and denying the
authority of the Book of Joshua. DR.. Briggs
admitted the charges true, and claimed that the
Pentateuch was two parallel narratives, written
by several different men. afterwards changed
by ancient Jewish writers. Seventy-two mem
bers of the court supported this view. while So
did not. and four did not vote
5th specifcation.-That Isaiah waa not the
author of half of the book that bears his name.
The Doctor admitted this charge to be true. and
the vote stood 10 to 40 in his favor.
9Th specifications and the last.-Teaching that
sanctifcation was not complete at death; In
other words that progression was a law of the
other, as well as this world. DIR. Briggs was
sustained in this view by a vote of 80 to 81.
The effect of this trial cannot be estimated,
It will reach as far into the future as did the
protest of Luther against the efficacy of the in
dulgences. over three hundred and seventy
years ago. y. s, +.