Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-01
THE PRESBYTERIAN CRISIS.
Editorial Expressions on the Result of tn,
Briggs Trial.

Editorial Expressions on the Result of the
| Briggs Trial.
The church will suffer seriously from this
| condemnation Of Prof. Briggs. 1t has srrayed
| itself in opposition to the Christian scholar
| ship of the day. 1t has made it impossible
for any young man who accepts the modern
methods Of biblical study to enter it's
ministry. 1t has made itself, theologically. one
| of the narrowest, if not the narrowest of all
| the larger Protestant sects, and it has COM
| mitted itself to q view of the Bible which not
| only cannot be proved, but which Christ an
| scholars who are listened to by intelligent
| people everywhere say can be disproved by the
Bible itself. A sect which decides to stand or
| fall on the assertion that Moses wrote the whole
| of the Pentateuch may be respected for its
| sincerity and honesty. But no intelligent man
who believes that such question must be do
cided by the evidence Of men who have inves-
| tigated the subject will find himself able to
join it.-N. r Tribune.
In his defense before the general assembly of
| the Presbyterian Church DR.. Briggs skillfuliy
made it clear that the decision was quite as i'm
| portant to the church as it was to
him personally. In fact, except for the
sentimental pain Of leaving the church
in which he had been brought up, it il unlikely
that condemnation will do him any injury. A
scholar of his attainments will find do difficulty
in continuing his professional work In churches
In which he would be received with
out question on the very profession
OF faith for which he has been
tried as a hereto. Every historical church has
doctrines which cannot be well defended, but
which are quietly suffered to lapse into Sin
nocuous desuetude." The question for the
Presbyterian Church is whether q man who is
| in possession of the results Of the advance
that has been made in biblical learn
fxyn hall ha
Guided from it's ministry and its communion
for reaching and announcing different con-
illusions from those reached by the West
MINISTER assembly. To state the question is to
show how important bearing it has upon the
future Of the Presbyterian Church.-N y
Times.
What is to be the course of DR.. Briggs
and of those who think as he does2
One or two of them may be put out
II they all 60 out with him they leave
behind them a narrow sect, out Of touch with
modern thought and destined to decay. If
they stay in. as is more likely, and continue the
fight, how long will it take for the minority Of
yesterday to become the majority in the gen.
eral assembly? On the answer to these ques-
tons seems now to depend the continued use
fulness Of the Presbyterian Church in the
Omitted States as q witness to living Christian
faith. -Philddelphia Times.
1t now remains to be seen what position
Union Theological Seminary will take in
the case. To a previous assembly it has
already declared q certain sort Of indepen-
dence, claiming the right OF the trustees
to select the members Of the faculty as it
sees fit holding itself alone responsible for
their theological opinions and doctrinal
tenets. The seminary has stood by DIR. Briggs
all through his trials before presbytery, synod
and assembly, and is not likely to desert him
even now that his teachings have been pro-
nounced heretical by the highest council Of the
Presbyterian Church.
Whatever may follow in this case the Presby-
terrain Church will remain one Of the strongest
religious denominations in the country, with
an earnest and well-educated clergy and with a
laity devoted, conscientious and true to the
teachings Of the Great Master. in whose foot
steps they seek to Observation-Disclosures An'eri-
can.
Most laymen in and out of the church prob
ably feel that there is quite enough for a great
church to do without giving time to trials,
and this opinion is sure to affect the general
body Of the church. None the less, the action
taken at Washington will keep from the
service of the church many earnest and gifted
men and will stimulate the departure of others
to communions accepted by the Presbyterian
Church orthodox, but more ready to let the
truth prevail without the aid Of heresy trials
Philadelphia Press.
II the general assembly were an ordinary
body of laymen. the assertion would be almost
justifable that it had been packed" against
the New York divine. OF course such an
inslnua.ion would be repealed with indignation
by the eminent theologians who compose the
trial court, but the whole course Of the pro-
ceedings thus far indicates predetermination
to immediate DIR. Briggs the altar Of
Calvinism. Chicago Herald.
We cannot but think it would be better for
the Presby terrain Church, for intellectual free
dom and for genuine religion IL some common
ground could be found by the great mass Of
thinking and sincere men in the church broad
enough for the radical progressives like DIR.
Briggs, and for his antagonists, who are equally
radical in their conservatism. 1t is possible
there are enough in the gathering ut Washing
ton to stake out such ground and keep the two
extremes within the limits without making a
prize ring of it. but it must be confessed the
present outlook is not hopeful Cleveland
PiGindedler.
When he declares that every word in the
Bible. from the opening sentences of Genesis to
| the last sentence in Apocalypse, is the very
word Of God, absolute in historical truthful
ness and perfect infallibility, the dogmatist
| blihdy declares his intention to suppress. if he
can, the results of critical inquiry. He is re-
solved not to see Hence he accepts impossi-
biiities.-Portldnd Ore9onidr.
II there was ever any doubt about the de-
termination of the prosecutors Of DR.. Briggs to
hunt him out Of the Presbyterian Church by
| fair means or foul.it was removed by the action
of the general assembly. In point of fact they
are simply self-appointed heresy hunters,
whose mission has finally been Endorsed by the
general assembly .-Rochester Union and Ad-
rertiSer.
c. L. Mass Meeting at Takoma.
The regular monthly mass meeting Of the
District Of Columbia Christian Endeavor Union