New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-27
THE BIBLE CONTROVERSY.


One curious result Of Professor Brggs's With
drawal from the Presbyterian Church has not,
we believe been noted 1t has caused so wide
spread a reaction in that Church against libertl-
ism that should Professor McGiffert now De
tried his condemnation would almost certainly
follow. Presbyterians who were conspicuous
in claiming at least liberation for the views OF
the Bible which DR.. Briggs advocates now as
sure each other that the Old Bible Is good
enough for them This reaction Is partly due
TO resentment against the Union professor for
leaving his apologists in The lurch by entering
another communion and partly to the belief
that the further growth OF liberalism at the
present time would probably disrupt the Church
1t is not to be supposed, Of course, that the ear
nest men who identified themselves with the
progressive wing of the Church have been sud
denly converted to the other view. But many
Of them are convinced that the time is mop
Fortune for the discussion of Biblical criticism,
and they believe that the truth as to the issues
raised will be gradually recognized If the mat
ter Is held In allegiance, whereas 1t would be
lost sight of If made the basis Of an ecclesias-
teal controversy.
In the mean while sort OF go as you please
guerilla warfare over the Bible is going on In
the Episcopal Church, the moving cause being
the ordination Of Professor Briggs. That lively
little periodical Church Defence" is turning
all its batteries against the Broad Church men,
some of whom, like DR.. Heber Newton, profess
to be amused by It, and say that 1t Is helping
liberalism by its extravagant advocacy OF the
| traditional view. However this may be- It's
mode of warfare is decidedly aggressive, and
so are its correspondents. 1t quotes Bishop
| Walker as declaring that the higher criticism
| IS rampant" evil and "will-o'-the-wisp."
A correspondent from Maryland thinks that
"our lot has fallen on evil times" and that evil
is rampant" Another correspondent, from
| Watertown, y. Y, declares that conjugal in
fidelity is rampant because of the higher
| criticism But he is comforted by his faith in
the final overthrow of those who seek the
young childs life to destroy It," Another, from
Kilbourn, Wis, says: "The Presbyterian
preacher here told me he sorry we had
taken Briggs" "Sacerdos" OF Buffalo, says
that the text and language Of DR.. Briggs are
"seemingly orthodox and reverent, and, to the
superficial nearer, perfectly In accord with
"Catholic theology" But that is all blind.
mot one lot or title Of his damnable heresy,
| "to use apostolic words has he recanted, but
| 'with audacous GOODNESS he continues TO pour
forth the poison" etc Therefore, the only
thing TO do Is TO beat our ploughshares into
swords and our pruning hooks into spears.
DR.. Thomas Richey the distinguished professor
OF the General Theological Seminary, in this
city, lifts the discussion into the calm region
OF clustered scholarship by declaring that the
higher critics of the Bible are In reality only
"tin gods on wheels" who through sheer i'm
'pudence have imposed upon the credulity OF
"the unlearned."
Whether arguments like these will help OF
hurt the cause OF the conservatives we cannot
undertake TO say. But we may venture the as
sertion that they will not convert any Of the
great Biblical scholars in the Church, like
Cheyne. Sunday, Driver, Ryle, Westcott or A.
V. G. Allen, who are doing so much to promote
liberalism in the Church. The inarticulate cries
Of children who are hurt or think they are