New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-31
FINAL WORDS OF DR.. BRIGGS.

HIs CLOSING APPEAL TO HIS BRETHREN Who
APE TO VOTE UPON HIS DOCTRINES TO-DAY.
Washington. May 80 (speciaD-Dr Briggs seemed
u,to the worse for the great effort Of yesterday when
no rose ,o begin his address this morning. lie Is
bearing the strain better than at any previous ui''
At times he relieved his voice by asking PROFESSOR
Brown to read from OF the many books l" wiz"
he referred-his writine>-to show That ne ""H
within the standards OF the Confession and moi con
trsry 10 the teachings Of the Bible III the iha"S d"
dress for whose Doctrines he - on trial
Amended charge four-that Dr. Briggs taught ''i'
errors may have existed I'm the original text 81 "'
Holy Scriptures II came from It's au'horS-"" .o,
sidered AT length 10y the appellee. WHO VIM NV
detail on all the shades OF meaning III "h'n ms
doctrine conld be viewed. lie admitted ui' "'
allegation that he taught that errors HAY nav
existed in the original text Of Holy Scripture as II
came from the authors was fairly accurate c Si'
You can consider nothing but my doctrine a. ''a'l
In the charge and determine whether that j. '""'' "
moi contrary 10 the essential doctrines nan'u III u
We are bound a. Piesbytcrans only TO the essit anu
necessary articles of the Westminster Cohi',''o' =,
not bound to unnecessary and uncssenua sa'e'"'' :"
the Confession. Sul less are we pouhu " aa ~
hitch are uo, in the Confession all. but which are re-
carried a. logical deductions from the No"lo,''" ~
-, a., ,he cburch II we are ~ be held to all The
supposed logical consequences OF the "e'.' 80.
sion do YOU not that you VIII be h'iu W ~ ,. ~
1t N the whole system OF scholastic dogma tau."t !"
,,o,s the Scripture. the Confession VIII o wv
laid nv a crust OF traditional opinion when MAY ~ vi
developing into thicker and more 'ompr,"c"'' ",,I
vr,,, Confession and Bible are buried undcr "o
Of scholastlcisni
co,g on 10 say that the only errors lac ever iouhd
ar .vcr recognized in Holy Scripture had Deem DeNo"'
the range OF faith practice. and therefore 'na' '
a,d not impair the infalliby Of Hoy scripture "s
n rule Of faith and practice. DR.. Briggs s"id 1t wa,
urged that If lac recognized errors in na'tcr' pew
the range OF filth and practice lie excited susWci''
. IN The infallbllity OF Holy Scripture within the
,,noe of faith and practice. His accusers wcI" ell
,,,ea to that opinion for themselves. but they Ia, no
right 10 force their opinions on him. The Conics''"
oia no, say "rule Of all things" but the rule o
f.tb and practice ON this point he said
You must judge by the Confession not by your le'r'
at. your IMPRESSIONS by the conclusions you nav
made But is 1t true that fahblly In the bibe !"
foatt,rs beyond the % tn divine revelation i"p
che infallibnlty matters wiHh the pc oil di'hr
~.v.,at,oo4 We claim that IL docs not. The sacred
-,.tngs were not composed In Heaven by the ho'y
.,r,s. they were sent down from Heaven by ANGEL
hands they not committed 10 The care oil Friees
men they were not kept by succession 81 perfect
,,,ss,s from that moment until the present time IL
sh.s had been the facts IN the might have hsd
= I,,bIs infaIlllhc in every particular But none oi
thee things are true God gave Ill, Holy WORD u
49,. Ga an entirely different way. He used human
go, and all the faculties Of imperfect human nature
,r nod tho voice and hands Of imperfect men Ne
allowed the sacred writings TO be ed@d ant f'o'e'
a and rearr,ngcd and rcarranged again by I'm
perfect scribcs 1t Is impfoDao'c "s' $40" ~ -
sboud nroduce q series Of writings iniaiibc Ia e' ~
$3.50, I, was sufficient that divine Inspiration ana
~. s,d.nce OF the Holy Spirit sholi" make 'h''r
wrftinvs An inSaiblc rule OF faith an" l""'''"' "'
unt he divine energy should push the human and the
fsnbs into the external FORMS into inc ""e''e""' ~N