Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-15
GUIDANCE OF
THE HOLY SPIRIT

New York, May 15.-In the church of
st. John the Evangelist last night Rev.
DR.. Benjamin F. De Costa spoke on the
Guidance of the Holy Spirit in it's bear
ings upon the principles Of the "high
criticism" as expounded by DR.. Briggs
from the words 1.-The spirit of truth will
guide you into all TRUTH
"The church,, he said, 'is not to stand
still, but age upon age rise to higher and
fuller conceptions of the mind Of Christ.
Yet there is a danger here for individuals
who by an abuse of the thought. come to
be conceited and confound their own mo-
tions, whims and eccentricites with the
voice of the spirit Nothing is more evil
dent in the New Testaments than that
persons who claim to be led by the spirit
church for examination and criticism.
It is not enough that the candidate him
self be persuaded Of his call, the church
must be convinced. Yet, with all the pre-
cautions, bishops often lay hands sud-
denly on the wrong persons, men who
have no interior call, who deliberately
perjure themselves, seeking the office Of
priest for personal advantage, for emol-
ument, social position and vantage
ground for teaching. The church abounds
with these men. who have never been
called by the Holy Ghost, and many
bishops have yet to answer before God
for their action in laying hands suddenly
in cases of men seeking the ministry with
lie upon their lips for selfish ends.
'Then there is the case of the priest
Ix,,Lr T., 10
to the church and the Scripture an the
ground of superior illumination by the
spirit. Manifestly the greatest danger
exists in this direction. and the spectacle
of a bishop deliberately ordaining men
who deny plain statements of the bap-
tsmal Office naturally fills the church
with deep concern. What must be the
end of all this unbridled individualism?
In connection with scripture, it means
the taking away of all real authority
from the word of God. Men demand au-
thorty in chemistry and astronomy, and
why not in theology? The world Graves
authority and if men cannot find it in the
Episcopal church it still exists close at
hand.
eve have always depended upon an
lllIalllDlG lolDle. lue last pdpal enCy-
clical QS93) holds clearly to the necessity
of the church basing itself upon the in
fallible word. This thought is not ex-
clusively a Protestant thought, yet
Professionalism needs it more than Roman
Catholic, and as much as the Protestant
ecclesiastical system is weaker than
the Roman, so much the more does it
need the supporting power of an infalli-
BILE word. Bishops in our own church are
now pra actically indorsing higher criti-
cism, telling us thereby that there is no
, infallible Bible, and as we have now come
to the conclusion that they themselves
are not infallibe, it is clear that we shall
soon be obliged to look around for foun-
dations If we are going to have any. Men
can not recognize any Holy Ghost speak
ing through any conceited Individual
They want that Interpretation of holy
writ that has been accepted by all holy
men in all ages and everywhere. and if
this does not satisfy them nothing will.
PrOtesfants had better realize before they
go any further that the issue is, authority
or nothing. do not, however, believe
that authority is dead. 1t may be dead
in this diocese, but in this Catholic and
apostolic church it is alive"