The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1899-03-18
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
AND THE BIBLE.
Communicated.

The Presbyterian church is EN-
inent the world over for its cduca
ted ministry. Ityields precedence
to none. This church in the Unit
ed States has in a recent Pastora
Letter spoken with authority on
the subject of the Scriptures. The
Assembly appointed committee
to draw up this letter warning the
people against a number of errors.
The committee consisted of Revs.
q. b. Strickler, ID. d., l.. l.. D.,
Professor in Union Theological
Seminary, Benz, NJ, Palmer, D. d.
LII, d., and j B. StrOtton, d.
D., Of Natchez, Miss. On the
question of inspiration the letter
reads:
II, The numerous assaults
now made on the Scriptures make
it very important that their divine
origin and plenary inspiration
should be clearly proved to all our
Congregations, The views that
men entertain as to their origin,
necessarily determine tnoir views
on all other religious subjects. If
they regard them as the produc-
tions of mere men, they will attach
to their teachings no more value
than may be ascrihed to human
speculahons. If they regard them
as made up of divine and human
elements, and SO as composed of
truth and an error in unknown
and unascertainahle proportions,
they will exercise an eclecticism
in reference to their doctrine that
will make human reason the final
arbiter of truth and duty, But if
they regard them as q revelation
from God, written by holy men
as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost, they will accept them as
ian infallible rule of faith and
practice" and in all matters of
religious belief and duty will bow
to their sovereign and rightful
authority, Nothing Is more i'm
portant, then, than that all our peo-
pie should he thoroughly convinced
that they are just what they claim
to be-the word of God. The
arguments on which our church
has always relied to establish ii;n u tnis /
Clam I'M, II should be shown, HAVE
NOT IN THE sLlGHTIIt DEGREE
REEH INvALlDATED. THE heaven
illness of their matter; the majesty |
of their style;'' the nnlty of all
their parts, although Wlitten byI
SO many different authors; the
numerous prophesies which they
contain, all of which have been full
filIedi in so far as up to the present |
time their fultllment has been
called for; the perfect principles
of morality which they ipculcate; !
the fNll discovery they make of
mans moral and spiritual condl-
tion, and the perfect provision
they make for all his wants; the |
character, teachings and works of |
Christ there portrayed, the almost
innumerable spiritual phenomena
they present that cannot be salts
factoriIy accounted for except on
the suppositlon that they are a
from God; the benef-
cent effects they have wrought in
the world-these and many other |
arguments, it should be made
clear, demonstrate that they furn-
ish foundation on which men
may rest the whole weight of their
eternal interests without any mis-
givings that their hopes shall at
last ''go up as dust. " Only when
a congregation is thoroughly per
suaded that the Scriptures are to
them the voice of God, is the way
fully open for a successful incql.
cation amongst them OF their
great truths. "
INTERFERENCE RESENTED.
NJ. No,Ir NTorob 10