The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-03

EEA7TEE. sATCRDAf. JUNE y.



The national assembly OF the Presby-
terrain church has suspended DIR. Briggs
from the ministry. which Is egniyalen. to
expulsion. - ne must rccant his views
and cease to preach "Briggsism" before
he can regain his standing in the church
This action Of the Presbyterian church is
IN event OF far-reaching consequence In
Its history. No other action could. how
ever. have been fairly expected from the
Presbyterian church; the difference be-
tween "Briggsism" and Presbyterianism
II radical and fundamental. The Freshly
terrain church, under Its confession OF faith.
rests its claims to spiritual authority on
the word Of God: on the absolute inspira-
ton and infailibiiity Of the Bible.
DR.. Briggs does not believe in the in
errancy Of the Bible: he says the word OF
God is in the Bible, which IL very differ
ent thing from saying that the Bible II
the word Of God. Where it is true it is Of
God, but where reason and scientific schoi-
arship have. in the judgment Of DR..
Briggs, shown It to be false 1t 10 Of man.
The truth in the Bible, apart from its
errors. II DR.. Briggs Bible. and logically
tho truth in every religious work would.
Of course. be the Bible to him. too. There
II truth in the Koran, in Plato, in Marcus
Antoninus.
DR.. Briggs thus subjects the Bible to the
same criticism that is applied to all other
books: the test of reason and scholarship.
This il the test that Prof. Huxley honestly
and fearlessly applies and admits that he
II an agnostic, bu. 1t is not the doctrine Of
faith on which the Presbyterian church
accepts the Bible ~ absolutely the inspired
word Of God and infaliihle because it il
of God and not Of man. The trouble with
DR.. Briggs 10 that he wants to believe as
much Of the Bible ~ he can reconcile to
his reason. to cast out the rest rs incredi-
bile and still stay in the Presbyterian
church.
In his heart Briggs and his followers
have no more faith in the supernatural
basis Of Christianity than Minot Savage,
John w. Chadwick or DR.. Bsrtol. Of the
Unitarian church. but they are not capa-
BILE Of the intellectual honesty which was
manifested by Newman when no went
over to Rome: by Theodore Parker when
he left tho Unitarian church; by Prof
David Swing when he left the Presbyterian
church. or by DR.. Thomas when he left the
Methodist church. DIR. Briggs turned his
back ON the faith that IL the only iounda.
ton Of the Presbyterian church and Of all
orthodox churches.
The moment man rejects the infallible
authority Of the Bible and denies the in
errancy Of the Scriptures. rs an intellectu-
ally honest and consistent man he has no
business in the Presbyterian church until!
that church changes its standard of faith
and throxs overheard the Westminster
Confession He can be Unitarian; he
can be a Bri.ssite. but he is certainly no,
q Presbyterian. The manly course for DR..
Briggs and those who accept his views TO
have pursued Was 10 have left the church.
as the Rev. Dr. Edward Clark recently did
in New York city. DIR. Clark had preached
In Presbyterian church twenty years. bat
he lett II on the ground that he did not be-
lieve IN the incrraucy of the Scriptures.
The Rriggsites are a wealthy and iniu.
entail minority Of the church. They have
absolute control of the Union Theological
seminary: they control the faculty OF Lane
Theological seminary: they include some
OF tho brightest minds in the Presbyterian
pulpit; they have the sympathy of the
abiest preachers in the Congregational
church Of New England aud Of Andover
Theological seminary; they have the
richest and most powerful churches on
their s'ie IN the leading cities Of the land
In New York, Boston. Philadelphia and
Chicago, they are socially strong and are
not without sympathizers in the Protest
ant Episcopal church. for Rshop Potter
If that church.. congratulated nr. Rr.erS
on tse very address which contains his
hereticsl views. Under these c.rcum.
stances It is qu,te nksly there will lie a
serious spli, ia she Presbyterian church
The fte.hv,cTtan> and the Rrigr~i,cs
arr MITCH further apart than we're LYMAN
Beeches representing the oil Puritan
tongreEa;ionahsts. and The school a,
Claiming. ioF tae | nlgsrian school %,
Claiming VAS so conservative that II
broke With Theodore Parker on hg. inter.
probation of miracles and his rejection .,
the supernatural divinity Of Jesus Chris,.
II the Rrisgsiscs have the courage O.
their convictions they will stop henccgosth
pretending 10 DO PreshyseT,ans. whlch
they certainly are nos: they really belong
&c the plymouth church. Lyman Abbot;
sehoo. ri concrceationalists or 20 the
HebeF Ses;cn school Of Episeops.ians
There - pen'y Of room for them under
the aas Of l1r. ANs~as or pr. Newton. ba,
they have 10 honest right 10 carry the
Pressy'erssn lag ana yet follow Dr.
Briggs.