The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-22
DIR. DE COSTA OVERCOME.
Emotion Prevented Delivery of Ser
mon Against Dr. Briggs

New York, May Prev. DR.. BENZ
F. De Costa. of the Church of St John
the Evangelist, prepared a sermon IN
answer TO Bishop Potter's action in or
daining Dr. Briggs and started TO
preach II. but after he had talked for
about five minutes he was so overcome
by emotional feeling that he passed
over the bulk OF his manuscript ana as
missed his congregation with ten min
ute sermon But after the service he
gave out his manuscript with the an
nouncement that he was unable to de-
liver il entirely. The sermon said in
part:
We live under a new dispensation-
We have reached a new epoch The
work attributed for the last eighteen
centuries is now challenged Protestants
are now engaged in rending the Bible
in pieces declaring that it is not in
fallibIe and that the Old and the New
legends At the threshold OF the TWEEN
tieth century theological teachers all
over the land are declaring that the
Bible was not made iufaIlible by the
guidance of God. the Holy Ghost 1
could not select a text from any part of
the Bible which would not be challenged
by some Protestant
This system of doubt and denial has
entered the Episcopal church and its
chief advocate has been deliberately re-
ceived into the ministry II is known as
the higher criticism This is revolu-
ton would fam turn away from the
issue but the system Of criticism under
consideration has been recognized as
allowable and within the liberty of all
by the official action of the diocese of
New York This precedent must be ac-
cepted by the body at large
There is now no question about the
future attitude of the Episcopal church
IN respect TO the Bible The Scriptures
are no longer to be enforced as an Il
fallible guide The church has relaxed
the appearance of authority and its in
terpreuatiOns may now be governed by
r5GTIIf nj
from former issues. ending with the
Brooks case. Another case has now
been literally forced upon the church,
arrayIng the students in two hostile
camps Hitherto sacred places are il
lumined by the reflected light of pagan
altar fire. Belief in the Bible as the in
spired word of God is a fundamental
doctrine If this doctrine is impugned,
50 are the doctrines generally of the
whole church
1t is affirmed broad in the General
Introduction TO the Study of the Holy
Scriptures CDr. Briggs book, that
what We call the Bible is not really the
Bible; that the earlier manuscripts have
been lost. and that the real Bible is
yet to be discovered But I wish to
show that the scheme of criticism ad-
vOcated by the distinguished author of
the above strikes at what the Episcopal
church ever held sacred and fun6amen-
tai
We still have the ancient authors but
these are valuelesS for the reason that
writing which. as our author says. are
covered over with the debris of traditional
interpretations On this testimony We
have no reliable authority for apostolic
orders. all of belief in which is a fuuda-
mental doctrine
Every fundamental doctrine and teach
ing OF the church is undermined and strip
ped of authority The facts of the case
are perfectly evident and it is in vain that
any man haughtfly undert1@.s TO bring
!rnaHes-s We know Wat hat the B f saTs
and what the prayer book declares. and
We should not fear to face the issue or
point oct the nature of this attack upon
the Bible and the church
1T has been well said that the higher
critics now bivOuacking around the
smouIiering camp fires Of Tom Paina-