ive challenge thrown before
Presbyterians who hold views popularly termed "Higher Criticism." It
is a declaration of war to the knife on the part of those who oppose
the revision of the Westminster Confession, and who cherish ancient
thought. Nor is the opposition led by Dr. Briggs disposed to yield
what is believed to be the only truth consistent with an intelligent
conception of a just, loving, and wise God. The immediate cause of
this determined conflict is found in Professor Briggs' recent address
on the authority of the Holy Scriptures, delivered at his inaugural as
Professor of Biblical Theology in the Union Theological Seminary of
New York. In this notable address he maintained that there were three
great fountains of divine authority, the Bible, the Church, and
Reason, any one of which was capable of leading persons to God. He
instanced the following cases: Cardinal Newman was led to God through
the Church of Rome; Spurgeon, through the Bible, and the philosopher
Martineau through Reason. He further asserted "that no one could get
at the Bible unless he forced his way through human obstacles, which
he tabulated as follows: (1) Superstitious reverence for the book
itself. (2) The belief in the verbal inspiration of the Bible. (3) The
authenticity of the Scriptures. Traditions from the dead church assign
authors to all the books of the Bible, but higher criticism pronounces
these traditions fallacies and follies. (4) The doctrine of the
inerrancy of the Bible. Historical criticism again pronounces that
there are errors in the Bible, but they are in circumstantials, not in
essentials. (5) The miracles are in violation of the laws of nature,
and keep men away from the Bible. (6) The failure of minute prophecy."
Dr. Briggs further expressed belief in the ultimate salvation of
mankind, declaring that redemption was not limited to this world, but
continued through the vast period of time preceding the resurrection.

[10] Dr. Philip Schaff, than whom there is no abler or
more renowned biblical scholar in the New World, has in
a recent paper in the New York _Herald_ defended Dr.
Briggs. That journal aptly says: In his paper, he
defines in the most trenchant language, the apparent
inconsistency of the New York Presbytery in practically
avowing, eighteen months ago, the same principle for
which Dr. Briggs, it declares, must now stand trial. He