Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-01

planning the action of tho committee He would
he said. have preferred the form declaring that
the Bible, as they had it today. was the word
of God and was without error. They believed
in the Bible as they had it now. They believed
more. that as it came from God, before the
errors of transcription crept into il. il was alb
solutely without error. There he believed the
Presbyterian Church should stand today.
THE DELIvERANCE ADOPTED.
rising vote then taken on the adoption
of the deiivcrance as reported from the COM
mittee on bills and oyertures and it was
carried.
PROTEST.
DR.. Herrick johnson gave notice of a pro-
test.
The assembly them at 1880, took a recess
until 2:30 p. m.
The Deliverance.
The text of the deliverance as adopted is as
follows:
This general assembly reatfirms the doctrine
of the delivercnce OF the assembly of 1892
touching the inspiration Of Holy Scripture.
viz, that the original Scriptures of the Old
and New Testaments being Immediately in
splred of God were without error and in so
doing declares that the said deliverance enumer-
ates no new doctrine and imposes no new test
OF orthodoxy. but interprets and gives express
sion to what has always been the belief Of the
church taught in the Westminster confession of
faith"
The Text of the Protest.
During recess tho following protest, prepared
by DR.. Herrick Johnson, received a number of
signatures
The undersigned enter respectful and earnest
protest against the action of this assembly
which declares the inerrancy of the original
autographs of Scripture TO be the faith of tn @
church No az this
First. Because 1t is insisting upon certain
theory of inspiration when our standards
have hitherto only emphasized the fact of
inspiration. SO far as the original manuscript
came from God, undoubtedly it was without
error. But we have no means of determining
how far God controlled the penman in tram
scribing from documents matters purely cir
cumstantial.
Second Because it is dogmatizing on n
matter of which necessarily we can have no
positive knowledge.
Third Because it is insisting upon an inter-
probation of our standards which they never
have borne. and which on their face Is impossi-
bic. No man in subscribing to his belief in the
Scriptures as the Word of God and the only
infalble rule of faith and practice has his
mind on the original autographs.
Fourth. Because it is setting up nm imaginary
Bible as test of orthodoxy. If an inerrant
rigInal Bible is vital to faith we cannot escape
he conclusion that an inerrant present Bible is
vital to faith.
Fifth. Because it is disparaging the Bible we
have and endangering its authority under the
pressure of prevalent hostile criticism. 1t
seems like flying for shelter to an original
autograph when the Bible have in our
hands today is our impregnabIe defense
Believing these present Scriptures to be
''the very word of God" and Immediately
inspired by God kept pure in ali ages
and ''our only infalIiblc rule of fnith and
practice" Notwithstanding some apparent dis
crepancies IN matters purely circumstan-
tai, we earnestly protest against the thrusting
OF this Interpretation of our standards upon
the church to bind mems conscicuccs bv en-
forced subscription to it, terms.