The herald., 1893-05-31
INSPIRED WORD OF GOD.
The Presbyterians and the
Holy Scriptures.
They Stick to the Inerrancy of
the Good Book.
Arguments Concluded in the Briggs
Heresy Trial.
The Enemies of the Professor Admit
That He Has Made Strong De-
fense - An Attempt to
Take Vote.
By the Associated Press.I

WAbHlNdIUN3 may OU.-Ab DHe OpeH-
ing of the Presbyterian general assembly
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, Ore, in
1892, on the inspiration OF the Bible.
The substitute reaffirms the deliverance
of 1892 that the original scriptures OF
the Old and New Testament, being i'm
mediately inspired OF God, are without
error. This deliversnce enunciates no
new doctrine, and imposes no new test
of orthodoxy. The report will be oon-
sidered later.
The assembly then resolved itself into
an ecclesiastical court, and DR.. Briggs
resumed argument in his own defense,
occupying all the balance OF the
morning.
For considerable portion OF this time
Briggs followed the same lines OF argu-
ment he used before the New York
presbytery, with such omissions and
additions as were necessary to make IL
timely and pertinent to the case. The
argument was carefully prepared and
entered deeply into the technical intri-
cacies of the case.
Continuing, DIR. Briggs said: 'Let
me refer to word spoken by DR.. Lsmpe,
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 ad-
mits it. Are you ready to admit that,
Iao v,d
nothing of Him through the personal
relations that we enjoy in the Lords
supper? / cannot subscribe to that doc
trine; it 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..
Il.ampe. He said ths Bible wss the
Christ and the apostles. just think OF
that, brethren. Did they give as moth.
ing but what they found in the books of
the Old Testament? DR.. Lampe's state
ment is dreadfully wrong. Another
statement by DIR. Lsmpe in his ar GU
ment yesterday is that the faith OF the
Christian church is based solely upon
the scriptures. Are you ready to accept
that? | 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 he, ITO
bring forth my position. l shall adhere
to the policy which have thus far fol-
lowed with regard to errors in the holy
scriptures. l refused to accept the
dogma that the original autographs in.
terpret. l main tanned that there were
errors in the texts which we have and
that it is improbable that the original
texts. if we could discover them, would
be much different from those we havein
that regard. l refuse to affirm that there
are errors in the original autographs,
because it is unscholsrly, and it is
against the truth-loving spirit of Chris
tianity to make afirmstions OF dogma
where we have no certain evidence. |
have always refrsined, as far as possible,
from pointing to errors in the present
text OF the scriptures, but every biblical
scholar admits them"
When DR.. 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 made a wonderfully strong pre-
sentation of his case. 1t was AS p. m.
when Briggs closed, having spoken in all
hours and 45 minutes.
Colonel McCook then proceeded to
close the case for the appellants. The
speaker traversed anew the grounds of
the teachings of the defendant, and
asserted that despite the lstter's avowals
and explanations they were in opposi-
tion to the holy scriptures and confes-
sion of faith, and therefore gross errors
in the eye of the church. He also as
serted that the doctrines at issue were
essential, Notwithstanding Prof. Briggs's
declaration of opinion to the contrary.
Before adjourning till evening Prof.
Brown offered prayer for the president
OF the United States and the great gov
eminent he represents.
WASHINGTON, May 31.-AS the even
ing session a number of commissioners
spoke pro and con on the Briggs case,
and an attempt was made to reach vote
before adjournment, but without sue
cess.