New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-23
DR.. BRIGGS ON CRITICISM
HE DEFENDS THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY
OF THE SCRIPTURES.
THE BIBLE HE SAYS HAS STOOD ALL
TESTS. AND SCHOLARS ARE MERELY
REMOVING HUMAN MlsINTER-
PRETA
NEVER CLAIMED.

1
| The Rev. DR. Charles A. Briggs occupied the
| pulpit OF the Church OF the Holy Communion
Sixth-ave. and Twenteth-st. last evening The
| church was filled and in the congregation were
| many OF Dr. Briggs's personal friends The text
selected by DR.. Briggs But the Word Of
| the Lord abideth forever" Il Peter t. 30. Dr.
| Briggs spoke in part follows:
These words Of St Peter We're cited by him
| from the Great Prophet OF the Exile isaiah
| xl. s. part Of a marvellous stanza Of comfort
| in which the prophet represents responsive
voices heralding in the wilderness the advent OF
God
"Hark ono saying Proclaim And another
saith. What shall | proclaim? All flesh is grass
and all its glory as the flower Of the field: the
grass wthereth. the flower fadeth. when the
| breath Of Yahweh hath blown upon it. surely
| the people grass The grass withereth. the
| flower fadeth; but the Word Of our God abidetn
| forever"
| The word Of God here is the prophetic word
| OF comfort, which insures the advent Of God for
| the redemption of His people even though gem
erations after generations have passed away IN
the hopeless defence Of Jerusalem and in the
| bondage OF the Exile fading the flowers and
whitening the grass.
| St Peter. writing from Rome. in the early
| days of the persecution OF the Christians there
can find no more suitable word Of comfort than
| that uttered centuries before during the affic-
| ton OF the Exile. As usual with writer's IN
| Gods word he does not quote exactly. he does
not adhere TO the literal meaning Of the passage,
| he does not hesitate to make n different appl-
cation Of it: he not restrained from making
minor mistakes in its use even though he re.
garded both the prophetic message and his own
| apostolic message alike the Word Of God
| He uses the substance Of the thought Of the
| prophet and applies it's substance accurately
! TO his time.
IAN flesh is as grass. and all the glory thereof
as the flower ~ grass. The grass withers ana
| the flower fadeth. but the word OF the LORD
abideth forever"
The word that the apostle had in mind, as he
| distinctly tells us. was the word which was
declared glad tidings: that is the Gospel OF
! Jesus Christ.
The Word OF God contained in Holy Script
ure endures forever. Notwithstanding us weak
and incapable defenders. They covered II over
with traditional interpretations which We're not
| infrequenty perversons of its meaning. IN
| capable Of understanding its deep spiritual
truth, they explained it's teachings away by
false methods of Interpretation. reducing them
to their own limited comprehension and moral
ability As Jesus said Of the Scribes and fhar-
isees, We have made void the Word OF COO be-
cause Of your tradition.
DOES NOT DIsCRFDTT THE WORD
The Pharisees Of other times act in precisely
the same way. They hide the real Word Of God
behind their traditions just az the Turks hide
the beautiful mosaic Of the Church or the ID
vine Wisdom at Constaatnople behind coal
OF plaster. They bury the Word Of God in their
traditions just the ancient jerusalem - buried
beneath the ruins Of centuries. ] do not dis
credit the Word of God itself. but / say this
do not discredit the Word Of God IN the Eng.
lish version. | am contrasting me WORD OF rYd
Itself with weak and discredited human tradi-
tons which have 50 often ntruded themselves
In place Of the Word of God.
I'nverifed human traditions coming down TO
us from former generations are 80 often aG-
cepted a substitute for the Word or Coz
But we should build our faith and life upon the
Word Of God itself. and not on human opinions
about it. Human traditions come and go as 90
all things human There is history Of human
interpretations Of the Bible. and I'm this history
there is an immense amount Of debris that mas
been thrown aside. Many 81 these lhteipie'd.
tons now in the rubbish heap. were once potent
for harm. They drove men away from study
OF Christian theology and the Bible itself ..
We have passed through this age and lett IL
behind us The Bible has stood every test ~
abides forever. fresher. moro vigorous more Nv
ing more powerful than ever.
The battlefield Of the last century Is stre"n
thickly with the rusty armOr. the worn out
weapons Of the departed poemic divines and
apologists and the dead opinions OF multtudes
~ coinbatants on all sides The friends and
foes Of the Bible have been alike men Of mortal
flesh. they have persisted with their mistakes
and blunders but the Word Of God ahdeth for
ever.
no HOSTILITY TO THE BIBLE
We are now come into age Of scientific
study Of the Bible. There is no longer any hos
tty to thu Bible among scholars in any part
of the world. so far as | know. There is a de-
termination 10 study the Bible thoroughly. with
all the approved methods and tools Of criticism
in order TO test ii in every possible way, TO
verify it and gain certainty as TO its character
teachings.
result than to bring the Bible into clearer evil
dence and more convincing power. Biblical crit
icism draws the sword of the word or GOD
forth from the scahbard Of schoasticism. in
which II is SO often kept, TO test il and WELD IL
for Christ and His church.
Biblical criticism takes the Bible forth from
the ark Of ceremonialisn in which it is SO often
, tire ensured. In order 10 make II the companion Of
ne study and the home. Why should any one
fear the Word OF God in the hands Of scholars
who search ii for the truth 1t liveth and abld-
OH
prophet and holy apostle and Holy Church. and
i'm the experience Of millions Of Christians for
hundreds and Thousands Of years. o. ye OF little
faith how dare you think that any criticism
can overthrow the Word ~ God? II has out
lasted the generations. it endureth forever.
The Bible has seen many Waterloos and
Manila Bays. but il always has been is
and eser shall be. that the enemies Of the Bible
its parasite obstructionists. who Will not study
X themselves or allow others To study it. and
presumptuous Uzzahs. who trembled for the
ark and stretched forth faithless hands to sus-
tain II. that these. and these only. lie slain It's
battlefield The Word Of God abldes ever victO-
rous ever more glorious. ever more peryading
ard ever more commanding OF the lives and
characters Of mankind
THE WORK or CRITICAL STUDY.
The critical study Of The Bible has uncovered
the Word Of God itself 70 the modern world 1t
is not too much 10 say that we have gained
Bible. The Bible itself j. the same Bible
but in our the distinction has become plain
between the Bible itself and the opinions Of men
respecting H. We are no longer compelled 10
study the Bible behind the veil Of these opin-
ions. but may study it face 10 face
This study is regarded by some as destructive
Il is destructive OF all sound human opinions
about the Bible II IL not destructive Of the
Bible Itself. on the contrary. It IL constructive
50 far the Bible Is concerned for IL removes
all obstacles from the Bible. pushes all obstruc-
tors out OF the way and lets the Bible speak for
itself 10 the modern world. The critical study Of
the Bible has gained text much nearer the
original autographs. an understanding OF its
literary forms much nearer 70 the original au-
thors. and IL has gained closer and much more
accurate view Of the history and theology OF the
Bible. but II has not In fact. In any respect i'm
paired the Biblical evidence for any Of the Off
cal doctrines and institutions OF Holy Church
The Word OF God abideth forever in the future