Evening journal., 1893-05-24

plea FOR union in the church. After it
was ended the pastor made his astonish
ing remarks, to wit. 81 am sure we
have all enjoyed Dr. Smiths sermon this
morning. But there is one important
omission. He neglected to state the
cause OF the dissension and distraction
in the Presbyterian Church at this time
the reason why the church has failed to
accomplish what it ought to. ! want
here and now to state the cause That
cause is DR.. Briggs. / would not be in
that mans shoes to day for all the
world. Let as sign hymn No 533.
This was Rev. Dr. Sunderlaud's eloquent
plea for union in the church and his con
tributiou to that end I'm considering il.
one is quite at loss 10 know which of
the qualities revealed by it most to
admire. There is first the graceful tact
of such an utterance, at a time when the
lease" of DR.. Briggs is about to be
brought before tribunal of which the
speaker is presumably a member. Then
there is the Christian spirit in which one
| Christian minister considers the pro-
cedures of another Finally. there is
the strong good sense evinced in at
tributing to DR.. Briggs the decline of
Presbyteriauism and ''the dissenson and
distraction in the Presbyterian Church at
this time All these are tempting
themes Of comment, but the
former two are rather awkard to
handle, and we need only remark upon
the last, the sweet reasonableness' of
attrbuting to pr Briggs not only the
division In the Presbyterian Church, but
the decline Of that church The truth is
that the decline began before DR.. Briggs
was born, certainly before he was ad.
mitted to the ministry, and that before
he began to make any public utteranoes
about the Bible or ABOUT the CalvinistiC
doctrines it had become a very urgent
question in the Presbyterian Church how
the decline was to be averted. Mankind
outside the Presbyterian ministry found
the doctrines of Calvin, as set forth IN
the Confession Of Faith revolving and
incredible, and educated young men alb
stained in yearly increasing numbers
from entering its ministry. It lost year
by year many of those who had been
bred in its communion, and IL gained n
compensating accessions from the out
side Yet all this while il was united
and harmonious as well as stagnaut ol
declining. It was absolutely plain thai
some new line must be taken if th'
church was to prosper, and that II mus
be brought more into conformity will
the spirit of the age aud with tn,
opinions Of the educated modern world
= For a Presbyterian minister to oppos
this was necessarily to introduce dis
sensi on and distraction in the church
, | instead of unity and harmony for whicl
I the church was languishing. DT
Briggs is one of the men who have ven
a tured to say inside the ministry of tn
+ Presbyterian Church what oil educate
men were saying outside of that minis
A try. His attachments to the tradition
n and the name of the church made hin
anxious to remain in its ministry, an
to promote its progress by aerating az
liberalizing and undermining such of ii
doctrines as are obsolete and fantastic
That such a man "distracts' the churc
may be true enough; but so far frol
e contributing to its decline, he is takin
q the only means possible to check this
f decline. If the sentiments of the Re-
# DR.. Sunderland prevail, the harmony q
o he church may be temporarily restore
- by the expulsion of DR. Briggs, and III
n consequent suppression of other lil0
IS minded but less courageous pastors, bl
the decline of the Presbyterian ChurC
It will continue at an accelerated rate.