New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-22
TOO MUCH FOR DIR. DE COSTA
FEELINGS ovERcAME HIM IN TALKING OF THE
BRIGGS CASE.

The Rev Dr. benjamin F. De Costa OF ,he
Church OF St. John the Evangelist prepared a
sa-r,or IN answer to Bishop Potter's action IN
ordo,r,rs Dr Briggs and started to preach It yes
rerdav morning but after he had talked for ABOUT
e,,a minutes he was so overcome by emotional ree-
ing that he passed the bulk OF MS MANUSCRIPT
and dismissed his congregation with teh-h'iiiu
seruon But after the service ne gave ouI MS
manuscript with the announcement that nc was
unable TO deliver 1t entirely 1 VIII iet 'ho 10
preach IT," he said. His text was taken from
Acts fl 6: Every man heard them speak III MS
own language" He said In part
This is the feast OF the Pentecoet. It commence
rates the giving OF the law But we i've un nnoch
and we come TO the feast this year under reia, tx
able circumstances. The work att,lou.ess D. pro,es
last eighteen centuries Is now Challenged nike in
pieces declaring that il is not infal6e ana yfs
ana an on be memorable Whisunday OF 1899 Al the
threshold OF over the land are declaring that the
Bible was not made infallbe by the gTio ,Te ,or
GS my teK Rf are e declared could not a select to,
tex, II ON any part OF the Binie '" h'ch ~ou'u "O'
De THIS system OF doubt and denial has entered the
Episcopal Church and its chief advocate nas own
daIibera tev received into the ministry II is known
as the higher criticism" This is revolution
would fain turn away from the issue ou, .ne hssn
tenn of criticism under consideration mas peer 81
recognized as allowable and within the merry OF
all by the official action OF the Diocese 81 'bs hoSv
York This precedent must be accepted oy INC 0ou'
There quesSn about the rs.5e gsure to a the
Bible. The Scriptures are no LONGER 70 1899 tbe
as an infallibe guide. The Church mas reIaxeu o,s
nav now be governed by individual caprice This
result follows from former issues end hes tersy
forced upon the Church arraying me s.uue a ~
Two hostile k f S Ps.ctfd sh Of pagan altar res
Belief in the Bible as the insp.ed fhs doctrine
lmpugned. are the doctrines seheraNy VI '"e
whole Church. 49,, ,.o,,,o
-o 6r 70 A The study OF the Holy Scriptures Dr
Briggs book that what We call the Bible Is not
really the Bible that the sare b Is yst ~ be dis
covered But I wish to show that the scheme OF
criticism ADVOCATED 9y ]ne tSe Epscepai Church
ever held sacred and fundamental. We stu have
the son that they relied upon insufficient Script
ure writings which as our author says 1880, are Co.
lions on this testimony have no reliao Die au-
thority for apostolic orders, the oehef IN ~hicn Is
So we stand face 10 face with serious situation
In substance have practically the dental OF me
souls According to this higher criticism. orders
can have real foundation IN sEripsu nS ,,i,,.
trated nv MYTHS while the Word Of God affords
no standing ground except what Individual critics
"' We have no sufficient guarantee that even the
words Of our Lord IN the M d q institute n M
are correctly reported and therefore II is idle 70
study their exact sense We are no more T certain ,Sa
thar He said Go and teach all nations. baptfzing
them" . ..A,-
Thus every fundamental doctrine and teachlns
NJ the Church Is undermined and stripped OF au-
thority. The facts OF the case are perfectly EVIL
dent and u IL in vain that any man haughtily I'M
dertakes 10 bring the charge OF ignorance. much
less malice" We know what the Bible says and
what the Prayer-book declares. and we should not
fear 10 face the issue or point out the nature OF
his Joint attack upon the Bible and the Church
I. hos haAp 'ngher
are now bivouacked around the smoudertng camp
fires Of Tom Paine