Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-30


ure, that's, "the Word of God written" Sword
Of God written" is only an explanation Of the
term "Holy Scripture" 1t may be that the
prosecution have in mind some hidden sense of
this passage which they have not yet brought
out to the light Of the day, but, with the best
study that l can give it, it amounts to nothing
more than that Genesis is the written Word Of
is, is Holy Scripture. &C.. &c. / certainly hold
to this cordially. Genesis, Exodus and the
entire list Of writings given in this section of
the Word Of God. constituent parts of Holy
Scripture. / do not know why the prosecution
cite this phrase unless they think that il is
trary to my statement when say: The Bible. as
book, is paper, print and binding-nothing
MORE
CONTAINS THE WORD OF GOD.
1t is evident, therefore, that the Westminster
doctrine Of Holy Scripture must be so con-
structed as to enable us to say, "the Bible con-
tains the Word Of God" as we'll as to say, sis
the Word" There are two extremes of state
ment which are both inconsistent with the
Westminster statement. Ii, on the one hand.
you take the statement of the shorter catechism
and say Holy Scripture contains the Word of
God in its chief doctrines, but there some
doctrines of faith and rules Of life which are
not the Word OF God, then you cannot sub
scribe to the statement, lis the Word of God"
take no such position. So, on the other hand
III you Jake tut suttcutut Oh inc larger cate
chism in such a sense as to say, Holy Scripture
is the Word of God in all Its parts. thoughts
and words, sentences and linguistic expression
then you cannot subscribe to the statement
contains the Word of God" The true West
minister doctrine is the same that we have
already seen, that the Bible contains the Word
of God in that it contains the rule of faith and
practice, and it is the Word of God because this
rule of faith and practice SO fills and pervades
and controls Holy Scripture to make it to all
iutents and purposes the Word OF God. AS a
Westminster divine well says:
For the Scripture stands not in cortce YER
borum but in medulla sensus it's the same
wine in this vessel which was drawn out of
that"
VERBAL INSPIRATION AND INERRANcY.
Now can sincerely subscribe to both state
ments, sis the Word of God" and contains
the Word Of God. but challenge the subscrip-
ton to the words CONTAINS the Word of Cod
on the part of those who insist that lis the
Word OF Cod means verbal inspiration and
lnerrancy in every particular. | challenge
the subscription to the clause contains the
Word OF God by the prosecution when they
say:
God Is the arranger of its clauses the
chOoser of its terms and the speller of its words.
so that the text III its letters. words or clauses
is jr,rt as divine as the thought
l., 4e blind zeal with which some have recently
of Luther uncharitable conduct at the confer
ence at Marburg. To use the words of Dr.
Schaff:
Luther first rose and declared emphaticaliy
that he would not change his opinion on the
real presence in the least. but stand fast on it
TO the end of life. He called upon the Swiss
to prove the absence of Christ, but protested
at the outset against arguments derived from
reason and geometry. To give pictorial en-
phasis to his declaration he wrote with a piece
of chalk on the table in large characters the
words of institution with which he was deter
mined to stand or fall: Hoe est corpus Meun."
ADyIDED PRoTEsTANTIsM
We well know the evil consequences Of a
divided and distracted Professionalism which re-
suited from this intolerant and opnionated
conduct of the great reformer. Shall we allow
men who are pigmies alongside of Luther to
plunge our Presbyterian Church into distrac-
ton and division b. the entering edge of the
copula "is?' In the usage of language this
little word sis is capable of a variety of inter-
pretatlons. ''This il my body" in the words
of JESUS. is of infinitely more consequence
than Holy Scripture is the Word of Cod in
our confession of faith. Give heed to the
warning of history.
MOSES AND THE PENTATEUCH.
DR.. Briggs then took up the charge that he