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 Gc\6<s. . 
 
 / 
 
 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 
 
 AGAINST 
 
 THE REV. CHARLES A. BRIGGS, D. D. 
 
 Cj . 0\ ."Bnclos ( CM 
 
 D EPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF PROSECUTION, 
 WITH CHARGES AND SPECIFICATIONS SUB¬ 
 MITTED TO THE PRESBYTERY OF NEW YORK, 
 OCTOBER 5TH, 1891, BY THE COMMITTEE OF 
 PROSECUTION. 
 
 George W. F. Birch, D. D., 
 Joseph J. Lampe, D. D., 
 Robert F. Sample, D. D., 
 John J. Stevenson, 
 
 John J. McCook, 
 
 
 Committee 
 
 of 
 
 Prosecution. 
 

 
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 
 
 AGAINST 
 
 THE REV. CHARLES A. BRIGGS, D. D. 
 
 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF PROSECUTION, 
 WITH CHARGES AND SPECIFICATIONS SUB¬ 
 MITTED TO THE PRESBYTERY OF NEW YORK, 
 OCTOBER 5TH, 1891, BY THE COMMITTEE OF 
 PROSECUTION. 
 
 George W. F. Birch, D. D., 
 Joseph J. Lampe, D. D., 
 Robert F, Sample, D. D., 
 John J. Stevenson, 
 
 John J. McCook, 
 
 Committee 
 
 of 
 
 Prosecution. 
 
J OHN C. RANKIN CO., PRINTERS, 
 34 CORTLANDT ST., NEW YORK. 
 
New York, October 5th, 1891. 
 
 To the Presbytery of New York: 
 
 The Committee of Prosecution, in the case of Dr. 
 Briggs, appointed in compliance with Section 11 of the 
 Book of Discipline, at the meeting of Presbytery in 
 May last, report as follows: 
 
 Inasmuch as four of their number were absent in the 
 performance of their duties as commissioners at the 
 session of the General Assembly held at Detroit, and as 
 Dr. Briggs had sailed for Europe, to be absent until 
 autumn, they made a report of progress at the meeting 
 of Presbytery in June, indicating their intention of 
 presenting the charges and specifications at the meeting 
 of Presbytery in October. 
 
 The Committee have decided to base charges and 
 specifications upon what is contained in Dr. Briggs’ 
 inaugural address alone. Their reasons for adopting 
 this course are as follows: 
 
 I. By direction of the Presbytery, the inaugural 
 address was the original subject of inquiry by the Com¬ 
 mittee of Presbytery appointed on April 13, 1891, and 
 it was upon the report of that Committee that a judicial 
 investigation was instituted. 
 
 II. Because of the recent publication of the inaugural 
 address. In this way any objection which might be 
 made, under the limitation of Section 117, of the Book 
 of Discipline, as to the length of time which has elapsed 
 since the publication of earlier works, has been avoided. 
 
 III. Because the inaugural address may be regarded 
 as the most deliberate and emphatic expression of 
 Dr. Briggs’ doctrine, and therefore representing most 
 
4 
 
 fairly his position with respect to those doctrines 
 upon which the charges and specifications are based. 
 Since the inaugural address was first delivered an 
 published, it has been widely criticised, but in . spite 
 of these criticisms, a second edition has been published, 
 in which all the doctrines set forth in the first edition 
 are presented without modification, being rather re¬ 
 affirmed and emphasized in a preface and in an appendix. 
 
 IV. Because of the vital importance of the doctrines 
 with which the inaugural address deals. 
 
 V. Because the address was delivered as an intro¬ 
 duction to a course of lectures on Biblical theology, and 
 is therefore to be taken as a formal declaration of the 
 Professor’s attitude with respect to some of the moi e im¬ 
 portant subjects in his new department. 
 
 It has been decided by your Committee that it is 
 neither necessary nor advisable to embrace in the list of 
 charges all the doctrinal errors contained in the inaug¬ 
 ural address, and, while its teachings respecting mil 
 acles, the original condition of man, the nature of sin, 
 race redemption and Dr. Briggs’ scheme of Biblical 
 theology in general, are not in harmony with the Sciip- 
 tures, and are calculated to weaken confidence in the 
 Word of God, and to encourage presumption on the 
 clemency and long-suffering of God, yet in order that we 
 may avoid an undue extension of the trial, and the confu¬ 
 sion of thought that might follow an attempt to compass 
 all the errors contained in said address, we have deemed 
 it best to confine attention to a few departures from the 
 teachings of the Scriptures which are fundamental to 
 the entire discussion. 
 
 Furthermore, your committee is not unmindful of 
 the fact that the erroneous and ill-advised utterances of 
 Dr. Briggs in the inaugural address have seriously 
 disturbed the peace of the Church and led to a situation 
 full of difficulty and complication, and have produced 
 such widespread uneasiness and agitation throughout 
 the Church as to cause sixty-three Presbyteries to over- 
 
5 
 
 ture the General Assembly with reference to the same, 
 yet for the reasons above given we have determined 
 not to include this grave offence against the peace of 
 the Church in the list of formal charges. 
 
 The committee present the following charges and 
 specifications, which, in compliance with the provisions 
 of Section io, of the Book of Discipline, it becomes 
 their duty to prosecute in the name and by the author¬ 
 ity of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of 
 America. 
 
 CHARGES AND SPECIFICATIONS. 
 
 Charge I. 
 
 The Presbyterian Church in the United States of 
 America charges the Reverend Charles A. Briggs, 
 D. D., being a Minister of the Presbyterian Church, 
 and a member of the Presbytery of New York, with 
 teaching doctrines which conflict irreconcilably with 
 and are contrary to the cardinal doctrine taught in the 
 Holy Scriptures and contained in the Standards of the 
 Presbyterian Church, that the Scriptures of the Old 
 and New Testaments are the only infallible rule of faith 
 and practice. 
 
 These hurtful errors, striking at the vitals of religion, 
 and contrary to the regulations and practice of the 
 Presbyterian Church, were promulgated in an inaugu¬ 
 ral address which Dr. Briggs delivered at the Union 
 Theological Seminary in the city of New York, January 
 20th, 1891, on the occasion of his induction into the 
 Edward Robinson Chair of Biblical Theology, which 
 address has, with Dr. Briggs’ approval, been published 
 and extensively circulated, and republished in a second 
 edition with a preface and an appendix. 
 
 SPECIFICATION I. 
 
 Dr. Briggs declares that “ there are historically three 
 great fountains of divine authority—the Bible, the 
 
6 
 
 Church and the Reason ”—thus making the Church and 
 the Reason each to be an independent and sufficient 
 fountain of divine authority. 
 
 INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
 
 Page 25, “ The majority of Christians from the apos¬ 
 tolic age have found God through the Church. Mar¬ 
 tyrs and saints, fathers and schoolmen, the profoundest 
 intellects, the saintliest lives, have had this experience.’" 
 
 Page 26, “ Nevertheless, the Church is a seat of 
 divine authority, and the multitudes of pious souls in 
 the present and the past have not been mistaken in their 
 experience when they have found God in the Church.” 
 
 Page 26, “ Another means used by God to make 
 Himself known is the forms of the Reason, using Reason 
 in a broad sense to embrace the metaphysical categories, 
 the conscience and the religious feeling. Here, in the 
 Holy of Holies of human nature, God presents himself 
 to those who seek Him.” 
 
 Page 28, “ We have examined the Church and the 
 Reason as seats of divine authority in an introduction 
 to our theme, the Authority of the Scriptures , because 
 they open our eyes to see mistakes that are common to 
 the three departments. Protestant Christianity builds 
 its faith and life on the divine authority contained in 
 the Scriptures, and too often depreciates the Church 
 and the Reason.” 
 
 Page 86, “ But preferring to use my limited time in 
 opposing the depreciation of the Church and the Reason,, 
 too often characteristic of Protestants; and in an 
 effort briefly to state, as a fact of history, that these 
 are sources of divine authority.” 
 
 These declarations are contrary to the Scripture : 
 
 Isa. viii. 20. To the law and to the testimony: If 
 they speak not according to this word, it is because 
 there is no light in them. 
 
 Ps. cxix. 96. I have seen an end of all perfection: 
 but thy commandment is exceeding broad. 
 
7 
 
 Gal. i. 8, 9—8 But though we, or an angel from 
 heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that 
 which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 
 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man 
 preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have re¬ 
 ceived, let him be accursed. 
 
 Matt. iv. 4, 7, 10.—4 But he answered and said, It is 
 written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every 
 word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 7 Jesus 
 said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt 
 the Lord thy God. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get 
 thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship 
 the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 
 
 Matt. v. 19. Whosoever therefore shall break one 
 of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, 
 he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: 
 but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall 
 be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 
 
 Matt. vii. 24. Therefore whosoever heareth these 
 sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him 
 unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. 
 
 Matt. xxii. 29, 31, 36, 40.—29 Jesus answered and said 
 unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor 
 the power of God. 3 1 But as touching the resuri ection 
 of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken 
 unto you by God, saying, 36 Master, which is the great 
 commandment in the law ? 40 On these two com¬ 
 
 mandments hang all the law and the prophets. 
 
 Mark vii. 7, 13.—7 Howbeit in vain do they worship 
 me, teaching fot doctrines the commandments of men. 
 13 Making the word of God of none effect through 
 your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many 
 such like things do ye. 
 
 Acts. vii. 38. This is he, that was in the church 
 in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in 
 the mount Sina, and with our fathers : who received the 
 lively oracles to give unto us. 
 
 Acts xvii. 11. These were more noble than those 
 
8 
 
 in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all 
 readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, 
 whether those things were so. 
 
 i Pet. iv. n. If any man speak, let him speak as the 
 oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as 
 of the ability which God giveth; that God in all things 
 may be glorified through Jesus Christ: to whom be 
 praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 
 
 1 John v. io. He that believeth on the Son of God 
 hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God 
 hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the 
 record that God gave of his Son. 
 
 Luke i. 3, 4.—3 It seemed good to me also, having 
 had perfect understanding of all things from the very 
 first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theo- 
 philus, 4 That thou mightest know the certainty of 
 those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. 
 
 2 Pet. i. 19, 21.—19 We have also a more sure word 
 of prophecy : whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, 
 as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day 
 dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. 21 For 
 the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: 
 but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the 
 Holy Ghost. 
 
 Gal. iii. 8 to 16.—8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that 
 God would justify the heathen through faith, preached 
 before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all 
 nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith 
 are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10 For as many as 
 are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it 
 is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in 
 all things which are written in the book of the law to 
 do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in 
 the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live 
 by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith : but, The man 
 that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ hath re¬ 
 deemed us from the curse of the law, being made a 
 curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that 
 
9 
 
 hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham 
 might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that 
 we might receive the promise of the Spirit through 
 faith. 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; 
 Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be con¬ 
 firmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16 
 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. 
 He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, 
 And to thy seed, which is Christ. 
 
 John v. 39. Search the Scriptures, for in them ye 
 have eternal life: and they are they which testify of 
 me. 
 
 Deut. iv. 2. Ye shall not add unto the word which I 
 command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, 
 that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your 
 God which I command you. 
 
 Deut. xii. 32. What thing soever I command you, 
 observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor 
 diminish from it. 
 
 Rev. xxii. 19. And if any man shall take away from 
 the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take 
 away his part out of the book of life, and out of the 
 holy city, and from the things which are written in this 
 book. 
 
 Jer. xxiii. 22. But if they had stood in my counsel, 
 and had caused my people to hear my words, then they 
 should have turned them from their evil way, and from 
 the evil of their doings. 
 
 Jer. viii. 8, 9.-8 How do ye say, We are wise, and 
 the law of the Lord is with us ? Lo, certainly in vain 
 made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. 9 The 
 wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken. lo, 
 they rejected the word of the Lord ; and what wisdom 
 is in them ? 
 
 Rom. iii. 2. Much every way: chiefly, because 
 that unto them were committed the oracles of God. 
 
 Acts xviii. 28. For he mightily convinced the Jews, 
 and that publicly, shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus 
 was Christ. 
 
10 
 
 These declarations are contrary to our Standards, 
 
 Confession of Faith, Chap. I., Secs. I., II., VIII., X. 
 
 I. Although the light of nature, and the works of 
 creation and providence, do so far manifest the good¬ 
 ness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inex¬ 
 cusable ; yet they are not sufficient to give that 
 knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary 
 unto salvation ; therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry 
 times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to 
 declare that his will unto his church; and afterwards, 
 for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, 
 and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the 
 church against the corruption of the flesh, and the 
 malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same 
 wholly unto writing; which maketh the Holy Scripture 
 to be most necessary ; those former ways of God’s re¬ 
 vealing his will unto his people being now ceased. 
 
 II. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the word 
 of God written, are now contained all the books of the 
 Old and New Testament, which are these: 
 
 OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 
 
 Genesis. 
 
 II. Chronicles. 
 
 Daniel. 
 
 Exodus. 
 
 Ezra. 
 
 Hosea. 
 
 Leviticus. 
 
 Nehemiah. 
 
 Joel. 
 
 Numbers. 
 
 Esther 
 
 Amos. 
 
 Deuteronomy. 
 
 Job. 
 
 Obadiah. 
 
 Joshua. 
 
 Psalms. 
 
 Jonah. 
 
 Judges. 
 
 Proverbs. 
 
 Micah. 
 
 Ruth. 
 
 Ecclesiastes. 
 
 Nahum. 
 
 I. Samuel. 
 
 The Song of Songs. 
 
 Habakkuk. 
 
 II. Samuel. 
 
 Isaiah. 
 
 Zephaniah. 
 
 I. Kings. 
 
 Jeremiah. 
 
 Haggai. 
 
 II. Kings. 
 
 Lamentations. 
 
 Zechariah. 
 
 I. Chronicles. 
 
 Ezekiel. 
 
 Malachi. 
 
 OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 
 
 TheGospels accord- Matthew. Luke, 
 
 ing to Mark. John. 
 
The Acts of the 
 Apostles. 
 
 Paul’s Epistles to the 
 Romans. 
 Corinthians, I. 
 Corinthians, II. 
 Galatians. 
 Ephesians, 
 Philippians. 
 
 Colossians. 
 Thessalonians, I. 
 Thessalonians, II. 
 To Timothy, I. 
 
 To Timothy, II. 
 To Titus. 
 
 To Philemon. 
 
 The Epistle to tl 
 Hebrews. 
 
 The Epistle of 
 James. 
 
 The first and second 
 Epistles of Peter. 
 The first,second and 
 third Epistles of 
 John. 
 
 The Epistle of Jude. 
 The Revelation. 
 
 All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the 
 rule of faith and life. 
 
 VIII. The Old Testament in Hebrew, (which was the 
 native language of the people of God of old,) and the 
 New Testament in Greek, (which at the time of the 
 writing of it was most generally known to the nations,) 
 being immediately inspired by God, and by his singular 
 care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore 
 authentical; so as in all controversies of religion the 
 church is finally to appeal unto them. But because 
 these original tongues are not known to all the people 
 of God who have right unto, and interest in the Script¬ 
 ures, and are commanded, in the fear of God, to read 
 and search them, therefore they are to be translated 
 into the vulgar language of every nation unto which 
 they come, that the word of God dwelling plentifully 
 in all, they may worship him in an acceptable manner, 
 and through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may 
 have hope. 
 
 X. The Supreme Judge, by which all controversies 
 of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of 
 councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, 
 and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose 
 sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy 
 Spirit speaking in the Scripture. 
 
 Larger Catechism, 2 and 3. 
 
 Q. 2. How doth it appear that there is a God? 
 
 A. The very light of nature in man, and the works of 
 God, declare plainly that there is a God ; but his word 
 
12 
 
 and Spirit only, do sufficiently and effectually reveal him 
 unto men for their salvation. 
 
 Q. 3. What is the word of God? 
 
 A. The holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testa¬ 
 ment are the word of God, the only rule of faith and 
 obedience. 
 
 Shorter Catechism, 2. 
 
 Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may 
 glorify and enjoy him ? 
 
 A. The word of God, which is contained in the Script¬ 
 ures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule 
 to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him. 
 
 SPECIFIC A TION II. 
 
 Dr. Briggs affirms that, in the case of some, the Holy 
 Scriptures are not sufficient to give that knowledge of 
 God and His will, which is necessary unto salvation, 
 even though they strive never so hard ; and that such 
 persons, setting aside the supreme authority of the word 
 of God, can obtain that saving knowledge of Him 
 through the Church. 
 
 INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
 
 Page 25, “ But what shall we say of a modern like New¬ 
 man, who could not reach certainty, striving never so 
 hard, through the Bible or the Reason, but who did find 
 divine authority in the institutions of the Church.” 
 
 Page 28, “ Spurgeon is an example of the average 
 modern Evangelical, who holds the Protestant position, 
 and assails the Church and Reason in the interest of the 
 authority of Scripture. But the average opinion of the 
 Christian world would not assign him a higher place 
 in the kingdom of God than Martineau or Newman.” 
 
 These declarations are contrary to the Scripture: 
 
 2 Tim. iii. 15 to 17.—15 And that from a child thou 
 hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to 
 make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is 
 
13 
 
 in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspira¬ 
 tion of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, 
 for correction, for instruction in righteousness : 17 That 
 
 the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished 
 unto all good works. 
 
 James i. 18. Of his own will begat he us with the 
 word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of 
 his creatures. 
 
 Ephe. ii. 20. And are built upon the foundation of 
 the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being 
 the chief corner stone. 
 
 Ps. cxix. 105, 130.—105 Thy word is a lamp unto my 
 feet, and a light unto my path. 130 The entrance of 
 thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto 
 the simple. 
 
 Luke xvi. 31. And he said unto him, Son, thou 
 art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 
 
 John xiv. 6. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: 
 and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my 
 feet ? 
 
 John xx. 31. But these are written, that ye might 
 believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and 
 that believing ye might have life through his name. 
 
 2 Tim. i. 9, 10.—9 Who hath saved us, and called ns 
 with a holy calling, not according to our works, but 
 according to his own purpose and grace, which was 
 given us in Christ Jesus before the world began; 
 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our 
 Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and 
 hath brought life and immortality to light through 
 the gospel. 
 
 2 Thess. ii. 13. But we are bound to give thanks 
 always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, 
 because God hath from the beginning chosen you to 
 salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief 
 of the truth. 
 
 1 Thess. ii. 13. For this cause also thank we God 
 without ceasing, because, when ye received the word 
 
14 
 
 of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the 
 word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word or God, 
 which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 
 
 John vi. 45. It is written in the prophets, And 
 they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore 
 that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, 
 cometh unto me. 
 
 These declarations are contrary to our Standards, 
 Confession of Faith, Chap. I., Secs. I., V., VI., VII. 
 
 I. Although the light of nature, and the works of 
 creation and providence, do so far manifest the good¬ 
 ness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inex¬ 
 cusable ; yet they are not sufficient to give that 
 knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary 
 unto salvation ; therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry 
 times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to 
 declare that his will unto his church; and afterwards, 
 for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, 
 and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the 
 church against the corruption of the flesh, and the 
 malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same 
 wholly unto writing; which maketh the Holy Scripture 
 to be most necessary ; those former ways of God’s re¬ 
 vealing his will unto his people being now ceased. 
 
 V. We may be moved and induced by the testimony 
 of the church to an high and reverent esteem for the 
 Holy Scripture ; and the heavenliness of the matter, 
 the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the 
 consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole, (which 
 is to give all glory to God,) the full discovery it makes 
 of the only way of man’s salvation, the many other in¬ 
 comparable excellencies, and the entire perfection 
 thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly 
 evidence itself to be the word of God ; yet, notwith¬ 
 standing, our full persuasion and assurance of the in¬ 
 fallible truth, and divine authority thereof, is from the 
 
i5 
 
 inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and 
 with the word in our hearts. 
 
 VI. The whole counsel of God, concerning all things 
 necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and 
 life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by 
 good and necessary consequence may be deduced from 
 Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be 
 added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or tra¬ 
 ditions of men. Nevertheless we acknowledge the in¬ 
 ward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary 
 for the saving understanding of such things as are re¬ 
 vealed in the word; and that there are some circum¬ 
 stances concerning the worship of God, and government 
 of the church, common to human actions and societies, 
 which are to be ordered by the light of nature and 
 Christian prudence, according to the general rules of 
 the word, which are always to be observed. 
 
 VII. All things in Scripture are not alike plain in 
 themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things 
 which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, 
 for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in 
 some place of Scripture or other, that not only the 
 learned but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary 
 means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of 
 them. 
 
 SPECIFIC A TION III. 
 
 Dr. Briggs affirms that some (such as James Marti- 
 neau, who denies the doctrines of the Holy Trinity, the 
 Incarnation, the Atonement, the Resurrection of the 
 Body, the personality of the Holy Ghost, who rejects 
 the miracles of the Bible and denies the truth of the 
 Gospel narratives, as well as most of the theology of 
 the Epistles), to whom the Holy Scripture is not suffi¬ 
 cient to give that knowledge of God, and of His Will, 
 which is necessary unto salvation, may turn from the 
 Supreme Authority of the Word of God and find that 
 knowledge of Him through the Reason. 
 
i6 
 
 INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
 
 Page 27, “ Martineau could not find divine authority 
 in the Church or the Bible, but he did find God en¬ 
 throned in his own soul. There are those who would 
 refuse these Rationalists a place in the company of the 
 faithful. But they forget that the essential thing is to 
 find God and divine certainty, and if these men have 
 found God without the mediation of Church and Bible, 
 Church and Bible are means and not ends ; they are 
 avenues to God, but are not God. We regret that these 
 Rationalists depreciate the means of grace so essential 
 to most of us, but we are warned lest we commit a 
 similar error, and depreciate the Reason and the 
 Christian consciousness.” 
 
 Page 28, “ Spurgeon is an example of the average 
 modern Evangelical, who holds the Protestant position, 
 and assails the Church and Reason in the interest of the 
 authority of Scripture. But the average opinion of the 
 Christian world would not assign him a higher place in 
 the kingdom of God than Martineau or Newman. May 
 we not conclude, on the whole, that these three repre¬ 
 sentative Christians of our time, living in or near the 
 world’s metropolis, have, each in his way, found God 
 and rested on divine authority?” 
 
 These declarations are contrary to the Scripture: 
 
 1 John v. 10. He that believeth on the Son of God 
 hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God 
 hath made him a liar ; because he believeth not the 
 record that God gave of his Son. 
 
 John xiv. 6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, 
 the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, 
 but by me. 
 
 Acts iv. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other: 
 for there is none other name under heaven given among 
 men, whereby we must be saved. 
 
 Acts viii. 32 to 35.-32 The place of the Scripture 
 which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the 
 slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so 
 
i7 
 
 opened he not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his 
 judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his 
 generation ? for his life is taken from the earth. 34 And 
 the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of 
 whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some 
 other man? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and 
 began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him 
 Jesus. 
 
 Acts x. 43. To him give all the prophets witness, 
 that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall 
 receive remission of sins. 
 
 1 Cor. ii. 13, 14. — 13 Which things also we speak, not 
 in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which 
 the Holy Ghost teacheth ; comparing spiritual things 
 with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not 
 the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness 
 unto him : neither can he know them , because they are 
 spiritually discerned, 
 
 Eph. ii. 20. And are built upon the foundation of 
 the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the 
 chief corner stone. 
 
 Romans xvi. 25, 26.-25 Now to him that is of power 
 to stablish }^ou according to my gospel, and the preach¬ 
 ing of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the 
 mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 
 26 But now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures .of 
 the prophets, according to the commandment of the 
 everlasting God, made known to all nations for the 
 obedience of faith. 
 
 James i. 18. Of his own will begat he us with the 
 word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of 
 his creatures. 
 
 Matt. xxii. 29. Jesus answered and said unto them, 
 Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power 
 of God. 
 
 1 Cor. i. 19 to 21. —19 For it is written, I will destroy 
 the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the 
 understanding of the prudent. 20 Where A the wise? 
 
i8 
 
 where is the scribe? where is the ciisputer of this 
 world ? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this 
 world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the 
 world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the 
 foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 
 
 These declarations are contrary to our Standards, 
 
 Confession of Faith, Chap. I., Secs. I., V., VI., VII. 
 
 I. Although the light of nature, and the works of 
 creation and providence, do so far manifest the good¬ 
 ness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inex¬ 
 cusable ; yet they are not sufficient to give that 
 knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary 
 unto salvation; therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry 
 times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to 
 declare that his will unto his church ; and afterwards, 
 for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, 
 and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the 
 church against the corruption of the flesh, and the 
 malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same 
 wholly unto writing; which maketh the Holy Scripture 
 to be most necessary ; those former ways of God’s re¬ 
 vealing his will unto his people being now ceased. 
 
 V. We may be moved and induced by the testimony 
 of the church to an high and reverent esteem for the 
 Holy Scripture ; and the heavenliness of the matter, 
 the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the 
 consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole, (which 
 is to give all glory to God,) the full discovery it makes 
 of the only way of man’s salvation, the many other in¬ 
 comparable excellencies, and the entire perfection 
 thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly 
 evidence itself to be the word of God ; yet, notwith¬ 
 standing, our full persuasion and assurance of the in¬ 
 fallible truth, and divine authority thereof, is from the 
 inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and 
 with the word in our hearts. 
 
 VI. The whole counsel of God, concerning all things 
 necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and 
 
19 
 
 life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by 
 good and necessary consequence may be deduced from 
 Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be 
 added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or tra¬ 
 ditions of men. Nevertheless we acknowledge the in¬ 
 ward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary 
 for the saving understanding of such things as are re¬ 
 vealed in the word; and that there are some circum¬ 
 stances concerning the worship of God, and government 
 of the church, common to human actions and societies, 
 which are to be ordered by the light of nature and 
 Christian prudence, according to the general rules of 
 the word, which are always to be observed. 
 
 VII. All things in Scripture are not alike plain in 
 themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things 
 which are necessary to be known, believed and observed, 
 for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in 
 some place of Scripture or other, that not only the 
 learned but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary 
 means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of 
 them. 
 
 SPECIFIC A TION IV. 
 
 Dr. Briggs asserts that the temperaments and envi¬ 
 ronments of men determine which of the three ways of 
 access to God they may pursue. 
 
 INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
 
 Page 28, “ May we not conclude, on the whole, that 
 these three representative Christians of our time, living 
 in or near the world’s metropolis, have, each in his way, 
 found God and rested on divine authority ? May we not 
 learn from them not to depreciate any of the means where¬ 
 by God makes Himself known to men ? Men are in¬ 
 fluenced by their temperaments and environments which 
 of the three ways of access to God they may pursue.” 
 
 This statement is contrary to the Scripture: 
 
 1 Pet. i. 23, 25.—23 Being born again, not of corrupti¬ 
 ble seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, 
 
20 
 
 which liveth and abideth for ever. 25 But the word of 
 the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word 
 which by the gospel is preached unto you. 
 
 1 Gal. i. 8, 9.-8 But though we, or an angel from 
 heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that 
 which we have preached unto you, let him be accuised. 
 g As we said before, so say I now again, If any viau 
 preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have 
 received, let him be accursed. 
 
 John xiv. 6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, 
 the truth, and the life : no man cometh unto the Father, 
 but by me. 
 
 This statement is contrary to our Standards, 
 
 Confession of Faith, Chap. 1 ., Secs. I., VI. 
 
 I. Although the light of nature, and the works of 
 creation and providence, do so far manifest the good¬ 
 ness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inex¬ 
 cusable ; yet they are not sufficient to give that 
 knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessai} 
 unto salvation; therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry 
 times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to 
 declare that his will unto his church; and afterwards, 
 for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, 
 and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the 
 church against the corruption of. the flesh, and the 
 malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same 
 wholly unto writing; which maketh tfre Holy Scripture 
 to be most necessary ; those former ways of God’s re¬ 
 vealing his will unto his people being now ceased. 
 
 VI. The whole counsel of God, concerning all things 
 necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and 
 life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by 
 good and necessary consequence may be deduced from 
 Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be 
 added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or tra¬ 
 ditions of men. Nevertheless we acknowledge the in¬ 
 ward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary' 
 
21 
 
 for the saving understanding of such things as are re¬ 
 vealed in the word ; and that there are some circum¬ 
 stances concerning the worship of God, and government 
 of the church, common to human actions and societies, 
 which are to be ordered by the light of nature and 
 Christian prudence, according to the general rules of 
 the word, which are always to be observed. 
 
 SPECIFICATION V. 
 
 Dr. Briggs makes statements in regard to the Holy 
 Scriptures which cannot be reconciled with the doc¬ 
 trine of the true and full inspiration of those Scriptures 
 as the “ Word of God written.” 
 
 INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
 
 Page 30, “ The Bible, as a book, is paper, print and 
 binding—nothing more. It is entitled to reverent 
 handling for the sake of its holy contents, because it 
 contains the divine word of redemption for man, and 
 not for any other reason whatever.” 
 
 Page 31, “There is nothing divine in the text—in its 
 letters, words or clauses. There are those who hold 
 that thought and language are as inseparable as body 
 and soul. But language is rather the dress of thought. 
 A master of many languages readily clothes the same 
 thought in half a dozen different languages. The same 
 thought in the Bible itself is dressed in different literary 
 styles, and the thought of the one is as authoritative as 
 the other. The divine authority is not in the style or 
 in the words, but in the concept, and so the divine 
 power of the Bible may be transferred into any human 
 language. The divine authority contained in the 
 Scriptures speaks as powerfully in English as in Greek, 
 in Choctaw as in Aramaic, in Chinese as in Hebrew. 
 We force our way through the language and the letter, 
 the grammar and the style, to the inner substance of 
 the thought, for there, if at all, we shall find God.” 
 
 Page 34, “ It is not a pleasant task to point out errors 
 in the sacred Scriptures. Nevertheless, Historical Crit- 
 
 \ 
 
 1 
 
22 
 
 icism finds them, and we must meet the issue whether 
 they destroy the authority of the Bible or not.” 
 
 Pages 35-36, “ I shall venture to affirm that, so far as 
 I can see, there are errors in the Scriptures that no one 
 has been able to explain away ; and the theory that they 
 were not in the original text is sheer assumption, upon 
 which no mind can rest with certainty. If such errors 
 destroy the authority of the Bible, it is already destroyed 
 for historians. Men cannot shut their eyes to truth and 
 fact. But on what authority do these theologians drive 
 men from the Bible by this theory of inerrancy? The 
 Bible itself nowhere makes this claim. The creeds of 
 the Church nowhere sanction it. It is a ghost of modern 
 evangelicalism to frighten children. The Bible has 
 maintained its authority with the best scholars of our 
 time, who with open minds have been willing to recog¬ 
 nize any error that might be pointed out by Historical 
 Criticism ; for these errors are all in the circumstantials 
 and not in the essentials ; they are in the human setting, 
 not in the precious jewel itself; they are found in that 
 section of the Bible that theologians commonly account 
 for from the providential superintendence of the mind 
 of the author, as distinguished from divine revelation 
 itself. It may be that this providential superintendence 
 gives infallible guidance in every particular ; and it may 
 be that it differs but little, if at all, from the providen¬ 
 tial superintendence of the fathers and schoolmen and 
 theologians of the Christian Church. It is not impor¬ 
 tant for our purpose that we should decide this question. 
 If we should abandon the whole field of providential 
 superintendence so far as inspiration and divine author¬ 
 ity are concerned and limit divine inspiration and au¬ 
 thority to the essential contents of the Bible, to its relig¬ 
 ion, faith, and morals, we would still have ample room 
 to seek divine authority where alone it is essential, or 
 even important, in the teaching that guides our devo¬ 
 tions, our thinking, and our conduct.” 
 
 Page 95, “ I have not taken a brief to prove the 
 errancy of Scripture. Conservative men should hesi- 
 
23 
 
 tate before they force the critics in self-defence to make 
 a catalogue of errors in the Bible. It is not my place 
 to distinguish between the essential and the non-essen¬ 
 tial contents of the Bible. The errors are in the only 
 texts we have, and every one is forced to recognize 
 them.” 
 
 These statements are contrary to the Scriptures : 
 
 Heb. i. 1,2.— i God, who at sundry times and in divers 
 manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the 
 prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by 
 Jus Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by 
 whom also he made the worlds: 
 
 Acts i. 16. Men and brethren, this Scripture must 
 needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the 
 mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which 
 was guide to them that took Jesus. 
 
 Acts iii. 18. But those things, which God before 
 had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ 
 should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 
 
 1 Cor. ii. 13. Which things also we speak, not in 
 the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the 
 Holy Ghost teacheth ; comparing spiritual things with 
 spiritual. 
 
 2 Pet. i. 20, 21.—20 Knowing this first, that no proph¬ 
 ecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation, 
 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will 
 of man : but holy men of God spake as they were moved 
 by the Holy Ghost. 
 
 2 Tim. iii. 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration 
 of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for 
 correction, for instruction in righteousness. 
 
 Rom. ix. 17. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, 
 Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that 
 I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might 
 be declared throughout all the earth. 
 
 Mark xii. 36. For David himself said by the Holy 
 Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my 
 right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. 
 
24 
 
 Acts vii. 38. This is he, that was in the church in 
 the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the 
 Mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the 
 lively oracles to give unto us. 
 
 Acts xxviii. 25. And when they agreed not among 
 themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken 
 one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the 
 prophet unto our fathers, 
 
 2 Sam. xxiii. 2. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, 
 and his word was in my tongue. 
 
 Ps. xix. 7. The law of The Lord is perfect, con¬ 
 verting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, 
 making wise the simple. 
 
 Ps. cxix. 142, 160.—142 Thy righteousness is an ever¬ 
 lasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. 160 Thy 
 word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy 
 righteous judgments endureth for ever. 
 
 Dan. x. 21. But I will shew thee that which is 
 noted in the Scripture of truth: and there is none that 
 holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your 
 prince. 
 
 * 
 
 Num. xxiii. 19. God is not a man, tnat ne should 
 lie ; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath 
 he said, and shall he not do it f or hath he spoken, and 
 shall he not make it good ? 
 
 Luke i. 1 to 4.— 1 Forasmuch as many have taken in 
 hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things 
 which are most surely believed among us, 2 Even as 
 they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning 
 were eye-witnesses, and ministers of the word ; 3 It 
 
 seemed good to me also, having had perfect understand¬ 
 ing of all things from the very first, to write unto thee 
 in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4 That thou 
 mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein 
 thou hast been instructed. 
 
 John xvii. 17. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy 
 word is truth. 
 
25 
 
 Rom. xv. 3, 4.— 3 For even Christ pleased not him¬ 
 self ; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that 
 reproached thee fell on me. 4 For whatsoever things 
 were written aforetime were written for our learning, 
 that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures 
 might have hope. 
 
 1 Thess. ii. 13. For this cause also thank we God 
 without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of 
 God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the 
 word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, 
 which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 
 
 Matt. v. 17 to 19.— 17 Think not that I am come to 
 destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to 
 destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till 
 heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no 
 wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whoso¬ 
 ever therefore shall break one of these least command¬ 
 ments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least 
 in the kingdom of heaven : but whosoever shall do and 
 teach them , the same shall be called great in the kingdom 
 of heaven. 
 
 Heb. xii. 27. And this word , Yet once more, sig¬ 
 nified the removing of those things that are shaken, as 
 of things that are made, that those things which cannot 
 be shaken may remain. 
 
 Gal. iii. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were 
 the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of 
 many ; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 
 
 John x. 34 to 36.—34 Jesus answered them, Is it not 
 written in your law, I said, Ye are gods ? 35 If he called 
 them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the 
 Scripture cannot be broken; 36 Say ye of him, whom 
 the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, 
 Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of 
 God ? 
 
 Isa. viii. 20. To the law and to the testimony : if 
 they speak not according to this word, it is because there 
 is no light in them. 
 
26 
 
 I Pet. i. 23, 25.—23 Being born again, not of corrupti¬ 
 ble seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which 
 liveth and abideth for ever. 25 But the word of the 
 Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which 
 by the gospel is preached unto you. 
 
 Acts xxiv. 14—14 But this I confess unto thee, that 
 after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the 
 God of my fathers, believing all things which are writ¬ 
 ten in the law and in the prophets. 
 
 These statements are contrary to our Standards, 
 Confession of Faith, Chap. I., Secs. I., II., IV.,V.,VIII.,, 
 IX.; Chap. XIV., Sec. II. 
 
 I. Although the light of nature, and the works of 
 creation and providence, do so far manifest the good¬ 
 ness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inex¬ 
 cusable ; yet they are not sufficient to give that 
 knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary 
 unto salvation ; therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry 
 times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to 
 declare that his will unto his church; and afterwards,, 
 for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, 
 and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the 
 church against the corruption of the flesh, and the 
 malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same 
 wholly unto writing; which maketh the Holy Scripture 
 to be most necessary; those former ways of God s re¬ 
 vealing his will unto his people being now ceased. 
 
 II. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the word 
 of God written, are now contained all the books of the 
 Old and New Testament, which are these: 
 
 OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 
 
 Genesis. 
 
 II. Chronicles. 
 
 Daniel. 
 
 Exodus. 
 
 Ezra. 
 
 Hosea. 
 
 Leviticus. 
 
 Nehemiah. 
 
 Joel. 
 
 Numbers. 
 
 Esther. 
 
 Amos. 
 
 Deuteronomy. 
 
 Job. 
 
 Obadiah. 
 
 Joshua. 
 
 Psalms. 
 
 Jonah. 
 
27 
 
 Judges. 
 
 Proverbs. 
 
 Micah. 
 
 Ruth. 
 
 Ecclesiastes. 
 
 Nahum. 
 
 I. Samuel. 
 
 The Song of Songs, 
 
 Habakkuk. 
 
 II. Samuel. 
 
 Isaiah. 
 
 Zephaniah. 
 
 I. Kings. 
 
 Jeremiah. 
 
 Haggai. 
 
 II. Kings. 
 
 Lamentations. 
 
 Zechariah. 
 
 I. Chronicles. 
 
 Ezekiel. 
 
 Malachi. 
 
 OF 
 
 THE NEW TESTAMENT. 
 
 TheGospels accord¬ 
 
 Corinthians, II. 
 
 The Epistle to the 
 
 ing to 
 
 Galatians, 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 Matthew. 
 
 Ephesians. 
 
 The Epistle of 
 
 Mark. 
 
 Philippians. 
 
 James. 
 
 Luke. 
 
 Colossians. 
 
 The first and second 
 
 John. 
 
 Thessalonians, I. 
 
 Epistles of Peter. 
 
 The Acts of the 
 
 Thessalonians, II. 
 
 Thefirst, secondand 
 
 Apostles. 
 
 To Timothy, I. 
 
 third Epistles of 
 
 Paul’s Epistles to the 
 
 To Timothy, II. 
 
 John. 
 
 Romans. 
 
 To Titus. 
 
 The Epistle of Jude. 
 
 Corinthians, I. 
 
 To Philemon. 
 
 The Revelation. 
 
 All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the 
 rule of faith and life. 
 
 IV. The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which 
 it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon 
 the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon 
 God, (who is truth itself,) the author thereof; and there¬ 
 fore it is to be received, because it is the word of God. 
 
 V. We may be moved and induced by the testimony 
 of the church to an high and reverent esteem for the 
 Holy Scripture; and the heavenliness of the matter, 
 the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the 
 consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole, (which 
 is to give all glory to God,) the full discovery it makes 
 of the onty way of man’s salvation, the many other in¬ 
 comparable excellencies, and the entire perfection 
 thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly 
 evidence itself to be the word of God; yet, notwith¬ 
 standing, our full persuasion and assurance of the in¬ 
 fallible truth, and divine authority thereof, is from the 
 
28 
 
 inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and 
 with the word in our hearts. 
 
 VIII. The Old Testament in Hebrew, (which was the 
 native language of the people of God of old,) and the 
 New Testament in Greek, (which at the time of the 
 writing of it was most generally known to the nations,) 
 being immediately inspired by God, and by his singular 
 care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore 
 authentical; so as in all controversies of religion the 
 church is finally to appeal unto them. But because 
 these original tongues are not known to all the people 
 of God who have right unto, and interest in the Script¬ 
 ures, and are commanded in the fear of God, to read 
 and search them, therefore they are to be translated 
 into the vulgar language of every nation unto which 
 they come, that the word of God dwelling plentifully 
 in all, they may worship him in an acceptable manner, 
 and through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may 
 have hope. 
 
 IX. The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture 
 is the Scripture itself; and therefore, when there is a 
 question about the true and full sense of any scripture, 
 (which is not manifold, but one,) it may be searched and 
 known by other places that speak more clearly. 
 
 Chap. xiv. Sec. ii. By this faith, a Christian believeth 
 to be true, whatsoever is revealed in the word, for the au¬ 
 thority of God himself speaking therein: and acteth differ¬ 
 ently, upon that which each particular passage thereof 
 containeth ; yielding obedience to the commands, trem¬ 
 bling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of 
 God for this life, and that which is to come. But the 
 principal acts of saving faith are, accepting, receiving, 
 and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctifica¬ 
 tion, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace. 
 
 SPECIFICATION VI. 
 
 Dr. Briggs asserts that Moses is not the author of the 
 Pentateuch, and that Isaiah is not the author of half of 
 the book which bears his name. 
 
2 9 
 
 INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
 
 Page 33, “ It may be regarded as the certain result 
 of the science of the Higher Criticism that Moses did 
 not write the Pentateuch.” 
 
 Page 33> “ Isaiah did not write half of the book that 
 bears his name.” 
 
 These statements are contrary to Scripture : 
 
 Ex. xxiv. 3, 4.-3 And Moses came and told the 
 people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments : 
 and all the people answered with one voice, and said. 
 All the words which the Lord hath said will we do. 
 4 And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose 
 up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the 
 hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes 
 of Israel. 
 
 Num. xxxiii. 2 And Moses wrote their goings out 
 according to their journeys by the commandment of the 
 Lord : and these are their journeys according to their 
 goings out. 
 
 Deut. xxxi. 9, 22.—9. And Moses wrote this law, and 
 delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare 
 the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and unto all the 
 elders of Israel. 22 Moses therefore wrote this song 
 the same day, and taught it the children of Israel. 
 
 Josh. i. 7, 8.—7 Only be thou strong and very cou¬ 
 rageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all 
 the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee : turn 
 not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou 
 mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book 
 of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou 
 shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest 
 observe to do according to all that is written therein : 
 for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then 
 thou shalt have good success. 
 
 Josh. viii. 31 As Moses the servant of the Lord 
 commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the 
 book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over 
 
30 
 
 which no man hath lifted up any iron: and they offered 
 thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed 
 peace offerings. 
 
 1 Kings ii. 3 And keep the charge of the Lord 
 thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and 
 his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimo¬ 
 nies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou may- 
 est prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever 
 thou turnest thyself. 
 
 2 Kings xxi. 8 Neither will I make the feet of 
 Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their 
 fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all 
 that I have commanded them, and according to all the 
 law that my servant Moses commanded them. 
 
 Ezra iii. 2, 6.—2 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jo- 
 zadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the 
 son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar 
 of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it 
 is written in the law of Moses the man of God. 6 From 
 the first day of the seventh month began they to offer 
 burnt offerings unto the Lord. But the foundation of 
 the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. 
 
 Ezra vi. 18 And they set the priests in their di¬ 
 visions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service 
 of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the 
 book of Moses. 
 
 Neh. i. 7, 8.—7 We have dealt very corruptly against 
 thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the 
 statutes,nor the judgments,which thou commandedst thy 
 servant Moses. 8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word 
 that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, if ye 
 transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations. 
 
 Neh. viii. 1, 14, 15.—1 And all the people gathered 
 themselves together as one man into the street that was 
 before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the 
 scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the 
 Lord had commanded to Israel. 14 And they found 
 written in the law which the Lord had commanded 
 
3i 
 
 by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in 
 booths in the feast of the seventh month : 15 And that 
 
 they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and 
 in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto to the mount, and 
 fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle 
 branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, 
 to make booths, as it is written. 
 
 Neh. x, 29 to 39.—29 They clave to their brethren, their 
 nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to 
 walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the ser¬ 
 vant of God, and to observe and do all the command¬ 
 ments of the Lord our Lord, and his judgments and 
 his statutes; 30 And that we would not give our 
 
 daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their 
 daughters for our sons: 31 And if the people of the 
 land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to 
 sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, 
 or on the holy day : and that we would leave the seventh 
 year, and the exaction of every debt. 32 Also we 
 made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly 
 with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house 
 of our God ; 33 For the shewbread, and for the con¬ 
 tinual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, 
 of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and 
 for the holy things , and for the sin offerings to make an 
 atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house 
 of our God. 34 And we cast the lots among the priests, 
 the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to 
 bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of 
 our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn 
 upon the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in 
 the law : 35 And to bring the flrstfruits of our ground, 
 
 and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, 
 unto the house of the Lord : 36 Also the firstborn of 
 
 our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, 
 and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring 
 to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister 
 in the house of our God : 37 And that we should bring 
 
 the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the 
 
32 
 
 fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the 
 priests, to the chambers of the house of our God ; and 
 the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same 
 Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our til¬ 
 lage. 38 And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with 
 the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Le¬ 
 vites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house 
 of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house. 
 39 For the children of Israel and the children of 
 Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new 
 wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the 
 vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, 
 and the porters, and the singers: and we will not 
 forsake the house of our God. 
 
 Neh. xiii. 1 On that day they read in the book of 
 Moses in the audience of people ; and therein was found 
 written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not 
 come into the congregation of God for ever. 
 
 1 Chron. vi. 49 But Aaron and his sons offered 
 upon the altar of the burnt offering, and on the altar of 
 incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place 
 most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, accord¬ 
 ing to all that Moses the servant of God had com¬ 
 manded. 
 
 Dan. ix. n, 13.—11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed 
 thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey 
 thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and 
 the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant 
 of God, because we have sinned against him. 13 As it 
 is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon 
 11s : yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our 
 God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and under¬ 
 stand thy truth. 
 
 Matt. xix. 7, 9.—7 They say unto him, Why did 
 Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, 
 and to put her away ? 8 He saith unto them, Moses 
 
 because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to 
 put away your wives: but from the beginning it was 
 not so. 
 
33 
 
 Mk. vii. io. For Moses said, Honour thy father and 
 thy mother ; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let 
 him die the death : 
 
 Luke xxiv. 27, 44.—27 And beginning at Moses and 
 all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the 
 Scriptures the things concerning himself. 44 And he 
 said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto 
 you while I was yet with you, that all things must be 
 fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and 
 in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 
 
 Luke xx. 28, 37.—28 Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto 
 us, If any man’s brother die, leaving a wife, and he die 
 without children, that his brother should take his wife, 
 and raise up seed unto his brother. 37 Now that the 
 dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when 
 he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God 
 of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 
 
 John i. 45. Philip findeth Nathaneal, and saith 
 unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the 
 law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the 
 son of Joseph. 
 
 John v. 45 to 47.—45 Do not think that I will accuse 
 you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even 
 Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed 
 Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 
 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye be¬ 
 lieve my words ? 
 
 John vii. 19, 23.—19 Did not Moses give you the law, 
 and yet none of you keepeth the law ? Why go ye about 
 to kill me? 23 If a man on the sabbath day receive cir¬ 
 cumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken ; 
 are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every 
 whit whole on the sabbath day ? 
 
 Romans x. 19. But I say. Did not Israel know ? 
 First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by 
 them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will 
 anger you. 
 
 Acts iii. 22. For Moses truly said unto the fa¬ 
 thers, A Prophet shall the Lord vour God raise up 
 
34 
 
 unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye 
 hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 
 
 Acts vii. 37, 38.-37 This is that Moses, which said 
 unto the children of Israel, A Prophet shall the Lord 
 your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto 
 me; him shall ye hear. 38 This is he, that was in the 
 church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to 
 him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who re¬ 
 ceived the lively oracles to give unto us: 
 
 Acts xv. 21. For Moses of old time hath in every 
 city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues 
 every sabbath day. 
 
 Matt. xii. 17, 18.—17 That it might be fulfilled which 
 was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 18 Behold 
 my servant, whom I have chosen ; my beloved, in whom 
 my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit upon him, 
 and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 
 
 Luke iii. 4.—As it is written in the book of the words 
 of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying 
 in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make 
 his paths straight. 
 
 Luke iv. 17, 18.—17 And there was delivered unto 
 him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had 
 opened the book, he found the place where it was writ¬ 
 ten, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he 
 hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he 
 hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliv¬ 
 erance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the 
 blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. 
 
 John xii. 38, 41.—38 That the saying of Esaias the 
 prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who 
 hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of 
 the Lord been revealed ? 41 These things said Esaias, 
 when he saw his glory, and spake of him. 
 
 Rom. x. 16, 20.—16 But they have not all obeyed the 
 gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our 
 report? 20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was 
 found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest 
 unto them that asked not after me. 
 
35 
 
 These statements are contrary to our Standards, 
 Confession of Faith, Chap. I., Secs. VIII., IX. 
 
 VIII. The Old Testament in Hebrew, (which was the 
 native language of the people of God of old,) and the 
 New Testament in Greek, (which at the time of the 
 writing of it was most generally known to the nations,) 
 being immediately inspired by God, and by his singular 
 care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore 
 authentical; so as in all controversies of religion the 
 church is finally to appeal unto them. But because 
 these original tongues are not known to all the people 
 of God who have right unto, and interest in the Script¬ 
 ures, and are commanded, in the fear of God, to read 
 and search them, therefore they are to be translated 
 into the vulgar language of every nation unto which 
 they come, that the word of God dwelling plentifully 
 in all, they may worship him in an acceptable manner, 
 and through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may 
 have hope. 
 
 IX. The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture 
 is the Scripture itself; and therefore, when there is a 
 question about the true and full sense of any scripture, 
 (which is not manifold, but one,) it may be searched and 
 known by other places that speak more clearly. 
 
 SPECIFICATION VII. 
 
 Dr. Briggs teaches that predictive prophecy has been 
 reversed by history, and that much of it has not and 
 never can be fulfilled. 
 
 INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
 
 Page 38, “ Another barrier to the Bible has been the 
 interpretation put upon Predictive Prophecy , making it a 
 sort of history before the time, and looking anxiously 
 for the fulfillment of the details of Biblical prediction. 
 Kuenen has shown that if we insist upon the fulfillment 
 of the details of the predictive prophecy of the Old 
 Testament, many of these predictions have been reversed 
 
3 6 
 
 by history; and the great body of the Messianic predic¬ 
 tion has not only never been fulfilled, but cannot now 
 be fulfilled, for the reason that its own time has passed 
 
 forever.” 
 
 These statements are contrary to the Scriptures : 
 
 Ps. cv. 8. He hath remembered his covenant for 
 ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand gen¬ 
 erations. 
 
 Matt. ii. 5, 6, 17, 18,23.-5 And they said unto him, 
 In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the 
 prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, 
 art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of 
 thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people 
 Israel. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken 
 by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there 
 a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great 
 mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would 
 not be comforted, because they are not. 23 And he 
 came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might 
 be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall 
 be called a Nazarene. 
 
 Matt. v. 17, 18.—17 Think not that I am come to 
 destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to 
 destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, 
 Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in 
 no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 
 
 Matt. xxi. 4, 5 *—4 All this was done, that it might be 
 fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 
 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh 
 unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the 
 
 foal of an ass. 
 
 IVIatt. xxiv. 15* When ye therefore shall see the 
 abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the 
 prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him 
 
 understand.) 
 
 Dan. xii. 11. And from the time that the daily 
 sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that 
 
37 
 
 maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two 
 hundred and ninety days. 
 
 Matt. iii. 3. For this is he that was spoken of by 
 the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in 
 the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make 
 his paths straight. 
 
 Matt. xxvi. 54, 56.—54 But how then shall the Script¬ 
 ures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? 56 But all this 
 was done, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be 
 fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. 
 
 Matt, xxvii. 9, 35.—9 Then was fulfilled that which 
 was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they 
 took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that 
 was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did 
 value; 35 And they crucified him, and parted his gar¬ 
 ments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was 
 spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments 
 among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 
 
 Mark xv. 28. And the Scripture was fulfilled, 
 which saith, And he was numbered with the trans¬ 
 gressors. 
 
 Luke iv. 21. And he began to say unto them, 
 This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears. 
 
 Luke xvi. 17. And it is easier for heaven and 
 earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. 
 
 Luke xviii. 31. Then he took unto him the twelve, 
 and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, 
 and all things that are written by the prophets concern¬ 
 ing the Son of man shall be accomplished. 
 
 Luke xxi. 22. For these be the days of vengeance, 
 that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 
 
 Luke xxiv. 26, 27, 44.—26 Ought not Christ to have 
 suffered these things, and to enter into his glory ? 27 
 
 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he ex¬ 
 pounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things con¬ 
 cerning himself. 44 And he said unto them, These are 
 the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with 
 
38 
 
 you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written 
 in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the 
 psalms, concerning me. 
 
 John xviii. 32. That the saying of Jesus might be 
 fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should 
 die. 
 
 John xix. 24. They said therefore among them¬ 
 selves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it 
 shall be: that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which 
 saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for 
 my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore 
 the soldiers did. 
 
 John xii. 16. These things understood not his 
 disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then 
 remembered they that these things were written of him, 
 and that they had done these things unto him. 
 
 1 Pet. i. 10, 11.—10 Of which salvation the prophets 
 
 have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied 
 of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching 
 
 what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which 
 was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand 
 the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 
 
 Act. iii. 18. But those things, which God before 
 had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ 
 should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 
 
 2 Pet. i. 19. We have also a more sure word of 
 prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as 
 unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day 
 dawn, and the daystar arise in your hearts. 
 
 These statements are contrary to our Standards, 
 
 Confession of Faith, Chap. I., Secs. IV., V. 
 
 IV. The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which 
 it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon 
 the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon 
 God, (who is truth itself,) the author thereof ; and there¬ 
 fore it is to be received, because it is the word of God. 
 
 V. We may be moved and induced by the testimony 
 of the church to an high and reverent esteem for the 
 
39 
 
 Holy Scripture; and the heavenliness of the matter, 
 the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the 
 consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole, (which 
 is to give all glory to God,) the full discovery it makes 
 of the only way of man’s salvation, the many other in¬ 
 comparable excellencies, and the entire perfection 
 thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly 
 evidence itself to be the word of God ; yet, notwith¬ 
 standing, our full persuasion and assurance of the in¬ 
 fallible truth, and divine authority thereof, is from the 
 inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and 
 with the word in our hearts. 
 
 Shorter Catechism, 4. 
 
 Q. 4. What is GOD ? 
 
 A. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, 
 in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, 
 and truth. 
 
 Charge II. 
 
 The Presbyterian Church in the United States of 
 America charges the Reverend Charles A. Briggs, D.D., 
 being a Minister of the Presbyterian Church and a 
 member of the Presbytery of New York, with teaching 
 a doctrine of the character, state and sanctification of 
 believers after death, which irreconcilably conflicts 
 with and is contrary to the Holy Scriptures and the 
 Standards of the Presbyterian Church. 
 
 SPECIFIC A TION. 
 
 In the said inaugural address, delivered, published, 
 extensively circulated and republished as above de¬ 
 scribed, Dr. Briggs teaches as follows: 
 
 INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
 
 Pages 53, 54, 55, “Another fault of Protestant theology 
 is in its limitation of the process of redemption to this 
 world, and its neglect of those vast periods of time 
 which have elapsed for most men in the Middle State 
 
40 
 
 between death and the resurrection. The Roman Cath¬ 
 olic Church is firmer here, though it smears the Biblical 
 doctrine with not a few hurtful errors. The reaction 
 against this limitation, as seen in the theory of second 
 probation, is not surprising. I do not find this doctrine 
 in the Bible, but I do find in the Bible the doctrine of a 
 Middle State of conscious higher life in the communion 
 with Christ and the multitude of the departed of all 
 ages; and of the necessity of entire sanctification, in 
 order that the work of redemption may be completed. 
 There is no authority in the Scriptures, or in the creeds 
 of Christendom, for the doctrine of immediate sanctifi¬ 
 cation at death. The only sanctification known to ex¬ 
 perience, to Christian orthodoxy, and to the Bible, is 
 progressive sanctification. Progressive sanctification 
 after death, is the doctrine of the Bible and the Church ; 
 and it is of vast importance in our times that we should 
 understand it, and live in accordance with it. The 
 bugbear of a judgment immediately after death, and the 
 illusion of a magical transformation in the dying hour 
 should be banished from the world. They are conceits 
 derived from the Ethnic religions, and without basis in 
 the Bible or Christian experience as expressed in the 
 symbols of the Church. The former makes death a 
 terror to the best of men, the latter makes human life 
 and experience of no effect; and both cut the nerves of 
 Christian activity and striving after sanctification. 
 Renouncing them as hurtful, unchristian errors, we look 
 with hope and joy for the continuation of the processes 
 of grace, and the wonders of redemption in the com¬ 
 pany of the blessed, to which the faithful are all hasten¬ 
 ing.” 
 
 Inaugural Address, Appendix, 2d ed., pages 107, 108, 
 “ Sanctification has two sides—a negative and a positive 
 —mortification and vivification ; the former is manward, 
 the latter is Godward. Believers who enter the middle 
 state enter guiltless; they are pardoned and justified; 
 they are mantled in the blood and righteousness of 
 C 1 rist; a nd nothing will be able to separate them from 
 
4i 
 
 His love. They are also delivered from all temptations 
 such as spring from without, from the world and the 
 devil. They are encircled with influences for good 
 such as they have never enjoyed before. But they are 
 still the same persons, with all the gifts and graces, and 
 also the same habits of mind, disposition and temper 
 they had when they left the world. Death destroys the 
 body. It does not change the moral and religious 
 nature of man. It is unpsychological and unethical to 
 suppose that the character of the disembodied spirit 
 will all be changed in the moment of death. It is the 
 Manichean heresy to hold that sin belongs to the physical 
 organization and is laid aside with the body. If this 
 were so, how can any of our race carry their evil 
 natures with them into the middle state and incur the 
 punishment of their sins ? The eternal punishment of a 
 man whose evil nature has been stripped from him by 
 death and left in the grave, is an absurdity. The Ply¬ 
 mouth Brethren hold that there are two natures in the 
 redeemed the old man and the new. In accordance 
 with such a theory, the old man might be cast off at 
 death. But this is only a more subtile kind of Mani- 
 cheism, which has ever been regarded as heretical. Sin, 
 as our Saviour teaches, has its source in the heart—in 
 the higher and immortal part of man. It is the work of 
 sanctification to overcome sin in the higher nature.” 
 
 This doctrine is contrary to the Scripture: 
 
 John i. 29. The next day John seeth Jesus coming 
 unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which 
 taketh away the sin of the world ! 
 
 Luke xvi. 22, 26.—22 And it came to pass, that the 
 beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abra¬ 
 ham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried ; 
 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a 
 great gulf fixed : so that they which would pass from 
 hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that 
 would come from thence. 
 
 2 Cor. v. 1 to 10.— 1 For we know that, if our earthly 
 house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a 
 
42 
 
 building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal 
 in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly de¬ 
 siring to be clothed upon with our house which is from 
 heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be 
 found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do 
 groan, being burdened: not for that we would be un¬ 
 clothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swal¬ 
 lowed up of life. 5 Now he that has wrought us for the 
 selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the 
 the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always 
 confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the 
 body, we are absent from the Lord : 7 (For we walk 
 
 by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and 
 willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be 
 present with the Lord. 9 WTerefore we labour, that, 
 whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 
 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of 
 Christ; that every one may receive the things done in 
 his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be 
 good or bad. 
 
 Matt. xxvi. 41.—41 Watch and pray, that ye enter 
 not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but 
 the flesh is weak. 
 
 1 John iii. 2, 9, 10.—2 Beloved, now are we the sons 
 of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: 
 but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be 
 like him ; for we shall see him as he is. 9 Whosoever 
 is born of God doth not commit sin: for his seed re- 
 maineth in him : and he cannot commit sin, because he 
 is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are 
 manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever 
 doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that 
 loveth not his brother. 
 
 1 Tim. iv. 7, 8.-7 But refuse profane and old wives’ 
 fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 8 For 
 bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profit¬ 
 able unto all things, having promise of the life that now 
 is, and of that which is to come. 
 
 Rev. iii. 4, 5.—4 Thou hast a few names even in Sar- 
 
43 
 
 dis which have not defiled their garments; and they 
 shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 
 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in 
 white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of 
 the book of life, but I will confess his name before my 
 Father, and before his angels. 
 
 Rev. vii. 9, 13, 14. —9 After this I beheld, and, lo, 
 a great multitude, which no man could number, of all 
 nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood 
 before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with 
 white robes, and palms in their hands; 13 And one of 
 the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these 
 which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came 
 they ? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. 
 
 And he said to me, These are they which came out of 
 great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and 
 made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 
 
 Rev. xiv. 13. And I heard a voice from heaven say¬ 
 ing unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in 
 the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that 
 they may rest from their labours; and their works do 
 follow them. 
 
 Rev. xix. 8. And to her was granted that she 
 should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white : for the 
 fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 
 
 Heb. xii. 23. To the general assembly and church 
 of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God 
 
 the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made 
 perfect. 
 
 Eph. v. 26, 27.—26 That he might sanctify and cleanse 
 it with the washing of water by the word. 27 That he 
 might present it to himself a glorious church, not hav- 
 ing spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it 
 should be holy and without blemish. 
 
 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52.—51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; 
 We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 
 
 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last 
 trump : for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall 
 be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 
 
44 
 
 i Thess. iv. 16, 17.—16 For the Lord himself shall 
 descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of 
 the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the 
 dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are 
 
 alive and remain shall be caught up together with them 
 in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall 
 we ever be with the Lord. 
 
 Eph. iii. 15, 16.—15 Of whom the whole family in 
 heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant 
 you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strength¬ 
 ened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. 
 
 This doctrine is contrary to our Standaids, 
 
 Confession of Faith, Chap. XXXII., Sec. I. 
 
 I. The bodies of men, after death, return to dust, and 
 see corruption; but their souls (which neither die nor 
 sleep), having an immortal subsistence, immediately 
 return to God who gave them. The souls of the 
 righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, , are 
 received into the highest heavens, where they behold 
 the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full 
 redemption of their bodies : and the souls of the wicked 
 are cast into hell, where they remain in toiments and 
 utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great 
 day. Besides these two places for souls separated from 
 their bodies, the Scripture acknowledgeth none. 
 
 Larger Catechism, 86. 
 
 Q. 86. What is the communion in glory with Christ , 
 which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately 
 after death ? 
 
 A. The communion in glory with Christ, which the 
 members of the invisible church enjoy immediately 
 after death, is in that their souls are then made perfect 
 in holiness, and received into the highest heavens, 
 where they behold the face of God in light and glory; 
 waiting for the full redemption of their bodies, which 
 even in death continue united to Christ, and rest in their 
 graves as in their beds, till at the last day they be again 
 united to their souls. Whereas the souls of the wicked 
 
45 
 
 are at their death cast into hell, where they remain in 
 torments and utter darkness; and their bodies kept in 
 their graves as in their prisons, until the resurrection 
 and judgment of the great day. 
 
 Shorter Catechism, 37. 
 
 Q. 37. What benefit do believers receive from Christ at 
 their death ? 
 
 A. The souls of believers are at their death made per¬ 
 fect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; 
 and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in 
 their graves till the resurrection. 
 
 Your Committee recommend that in compliance with 
 the provisions of Section 19 of the Book of Discipline, a 
 copy of the charges and specifications be now served 
 upon Dr. Briggs, and that a citation, signed in the name 
 of the Presbytery by the Moderator or Clerk, be per¬ 
 sonally served upon Dr. Briggs, citing him to appear 
 and plead to said charges and specifications at an early 
 day. 
 
 All of which is respectfully submitted. 
 
 In behalf of the Committee, 
 
 G. W. F. Birch, Chairman . 
 

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