New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-30
DIR. BRIGGS ON BIBLE STUDY
SOME EXTRACTS FROM THE LAST EDl-
TIoN OF HIS BOOK.

REVISED BY HIM TO BE IN HARMONY WITH THE
LATEST CONCLUSIONS OF CRITICISM.
Herewith are given few salient passages
from the book recently issued by Professor
Charles A. Briggs which is alleged by certain
Episcopal ciergymen to contain statements con-
trary TO the doctrinal teachings or the Episcopai
Church The title OF the book is General intro
duction TO the Study of Holy Scripture, ana
IL is published by Charles Scribner's Sons IL
was written some years ago. while Professor
Briggs was Presbyterian. but the present edi-
ton. the NINTH has been carefully revised by
him. in order 10 bring II into more complete
harmony with the latest conclusions of Biblical
criticism.
TRADITIONAL THEORIES NOT SCRIPTURE.
Holy Scripture comes down to through the
centuries enveloped In numtt rless trad''Io iona.
theories and interpretations which are 100 ol'er
COMPOUNDED with Scripture itself sometimes
these traditions expressed In the arrahse
ment of the books the titles given TO thsh IN, NV
headings of chapters and sections. anu Othei
similar editorial work upon the writings then-
selves But more frequently they envelop the
writings like mist OF pious sentiment, OF
cloud of traditional opinion. sometimes IN cur
rent literature hut oftener In the language OF
the synagogue. the Church and the school WIFI
is transmitted from father TO son. or from mas
ter to pupil. as the genuine oTthouoN 0p
page 80
TRADITION TO BE TESTED
All tradition n,ust he tested Certainly must
in some way be attained How can II be at
tanned in the opinion Of any man save by an
intuition Of God or by an infallible decision or
the Church or by the most exact. painstaking,
commemorative and thOroughgoing inVestlga-
ton? we cannot look for an intuition from
God in matters of traditional opinion Inere -
nothing to warrant II. To those who woule rest
upon the infabe authority OF the Churcn' we
may say there has been no decision Oh 'u az
Church In matters OF Biblical criucisn anu, ,hn
the divided condition of Christianity az ue
present time what Church can speak with SUI
fcient authority to decide these questions! II
the reformers would not submit 10 the declson
~ the Council OF Trent in the all-important
question of the Canon of Scripture, what couhclI
could now speak decisive word as 10 ha'teIs
OF Biblical criticism? II, ,h
way 10 certainty in these matters Is the 10,
borious pathway of scientific CRITICISM. ~, ~
let thank God for this II removes r Su scr,bes
and puts ii in the hands of the people OF "ou -.
ALI nations Here Hebrew ana Cnrlstidh mo!
work i'm the same workshop and with the sdnle
tools All the sects and divisions OF ms S
tianity and Judaism yes. all the religions OF tle
world may come to the same Bible ana sea. ,
1t with all the powers ana resources J Of
certainty whether It is the Book Of God. Pases
a. and 1S)
SCHOLARS TO BE MET WITH ARGUMENT
TIE great majority Of professional bio"cai
scholars in the various universities and theo-
logical halls of the world embracing those OF tiie
greatest learning. industry and piety demand
revision of traditional theories of the Bioe, on
account of a large induction OF new facts from
the Bible and history. These critics must oe M
with argument and candid reasoning % ~ no
facts and their Interpretation. ana cahnot us
overcome by mere cries Of alarm for the ChuISh
and the Bible. which. in their last ahalXsis
usually amount to nothing more than peru 10
u foN TO
the Holy Scriptures from more protounu CITY.
ical study of them? The SWORD or the SpIiI'
alone Will conquer in this warfare are ChrIs-
tan men afraid to put it to the test? For TINS
IA conflict after all, between true cIlicIsiil an
false criticism between the crlticlsm "n. nv h 20
the product Of the evangelical spirit OF the
Reformation and critical principles that are me
product OF deism and rationalism (Pages iio
and 116)
Jesus withheld from the twelve apostles many
,rinrs NJ vast Importance. which they could not
know then but should know hereafter. jesus
did not enter into any further cOnnict Win tne
errors of His time than was necessary lTI fiis
nurnoses OF Grace in the Gospel He exercised d
wise prudence and a ma estic reserve In matters
OF Indifference and minor Importance ana was
never premature in declaring Himself and the
principles of His Gospel There were no suH-
Gent reasons why He should correct the pre-
vailing views as TO the Old Testament DOCKS.
and Inv His authority determine these literary
questions. He could not teach error put ne
could and did constantly forbear with reference
10 errors Polygamy and slavery have been de-
Tended from the New Testament because jesus
and His APOSTLES did not declare against them
If all the views of the men OF the ilre Oh az, t
pronounce against, we shall be involved In a
labyrinth Of difficulties. page 2ol)
JESUS PRINCIPLES OF EXEGEsIs
Jesus did not lay down any principles of in
depreciation. But we may venture from the syn
thesis of His exegess 10 state the three follow
ing principles: % He recognized that the words
OF Scripture living words OF COD 10 man.
bearing upon human conduct They are 10 De
Interpreted by entering into hvlng cohlnuiIoi,
with the living God and from internal personal
relations to their author. and not by ROUNDABOUT
methods Of traditional definition and illustrative
legend. CD The divine revelation was maui ui'
the principle of accommodation TO the weak
ness Ignorance and sinfulness of man requiring
no more than he able to bear. The tempo
rary provisions are to be eliminated from the
eternal principles and the divine ideals. 90 Inc
Scriptures are an organic whole. the Gospei OF
the Messiah is the fultilment OF the Ola Iesta-
ment the Messiah and His kingdom the Key 10
the whole These were fruitful principles and
ought to have guided the Church In all time ana
preserved It from manifold errors -. Ma,
The apostles and their disciples In the New
Testament use the methods of the Lord Jesus
rather than those of the men of their time The
New Testament writers differ among themselves
James st. Jude. ST. Matthew and ST. Mark IN
cline TO use the Haggada method; ST. stephen
St Paul and St. Luke TO the more learned Hala-
cha method: St John and the Epistle to the
Hebrews TO the Sodh or allegorical method; out
in them all the methods OF the Lord Jesus pre-
vail over the other methods and ennoble them.
pages 442 and 449)
DEBRIS OF HUMAN DOGMAS.
The valleys OF Biblical truth have been filled
up with the debris OF human dogmas. ecclesias-
teal institutions. lturgical formulas. priestly
ceremonies and casuistic practices. Historical
criticism is digging through this mass OF rubbish
Historical criticism is searching for the rockbed
OF divine truth and for the massive foundations
Of the Divine Word. in order 10 recover the real
Bible Historical criticism is sitting all this rub
bish II will gather cut every precious stone
Nothing Will escape the keen eye. Like
the builders Of Nehemiah's time. every critic
has TO build with his weapons In hand; FOL
the traditionaists prefer the modern ruins to the
ancient city OF God. and they battle for every
speck Of rubbish as IL IL were the choicest gold