The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-28

church. or If DR.. Briggs viii revise his
higher BibiicaI criticism" 50 as 70 square
it with the creed he can stay in the church.
bu. thus far the church has refused 80 re-
rise i;s creed IN any essential particular.
and Or. Briggs is not likely. without abso-
late ~recansac:pn Of his book and his ad-
dresses. TO make the national PRESBYTERIAN
assembly believe that the Westminster
Confession IS reconciIable with Brggsssm-
Or. Briggs belongs 20 sha' class of brilliant
but -xactimg persons who wish 20 "eai
thei. axe and have i. too" he wanss 10
enjoy the luxury Of preaching heresy I'm
der the Westminster Confession, and We.
enjoy the protection and fellowship OF the
church which has made that confession
the head OF It's theological corner
DR.. Briggs. wc predict, VII fail. and he
ought 30 fail, for ne is nothing but a clever
clerical lawyer. preaching heresy by open
or covert insinuaiions and then trying to
make q legal defense against suffering the
logical punishment Of a hereto At the
hands OF q church that declines to make
its creed match his views and denies that
By sny fair, honest reasoning that its creed
does match his views. DR.. Briggs is a sub
tie critic, vain of his scholarship. anxious
to display it together with his dialecticai
skill, bat. utterly lacking the manly cour-
age Of his convictions, he tries TO pretend
that he is n loyal devotee o: the creed
against which he has strongly and insidu-
ousiy stimulated a revolt.
This il not saying that DR.. Briggs views
are not plausible, rational and in accord
with the opinions of many enlightened
minds. but they are not Presbyterian
ism. and no candid nan who holds
such views can reconcile them with the
letter or spirit of the confession OF faith.
"Brigglsm" may be better than Presby-
terisnism, but i, is certainly not Presby-
terianism, and DIR. Briggs is only a bril-
liant and scholarly p%etsifogger in an
ecclesiastical court when he seriously tries
10 make the Presbyterian church believe
thai "Briggsism" is in accord with Pres
byterianisn. So long rs the old creed
old creed describes the Bible as the sole
foundation of faith and authority, and
treats it as the infaliibie word of God.
while DR.. Briggs rests his faith on the
Bible. the church and the reason. and does
not accept the doctrine of the inerrancy of
the Scriptures. but believes the Bible is
the word Of fallibie men subject 10 the final
test and solvent OF human reason to be &C
cepted or rejected as divine truth.
DIR. Briggs argues for n construction of
the confession so broad and elastic that
under il one can doubt the verbal infalli-
bility Of the Scriptures: can make reason
equal to the letter of the Scriptures as an
suthority in matters of faith and rs a dis
coverer Of truth. DIR. Briggs would even
question the eternal damnation of the ION
elect. Now. DIR. Briggs may BIO entirely
right in his new opinions. but they are
certainly not Presbyterianism. The ques-
ton before the assembly is a practical me-:
Either DIR. Briggs must go or We must
.arow over the creed and accept the new
creed Of Briggsism. The church has not
the courage, even If it had the desire, to
throw overheard its creed, so it will IN
soubtedly be forced to throw overheard
FIR Rrirgs