The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-23
DENOUNCED CRITICISM.
De Costa Makes an Emotional Attack on
Briggs.


New York, May 22-Rev De Costa of
the Church of st. John the Evangelist,
prepared sermon in answer to Bishop
Potters action in ordaining DR.. Briggs
and started to preach it, but after he had
talked for about five minutes he was
overcome by emotional feeling that he
passed over the bulk of his manuscript
and dismissed his congregation with a
Commute sermon. But after the service
he gave out his manuscript with the an
nouncement that he was unable to deliver
it entirely The sermon said in part:
1--WE live under a new dispensaton. We
have reached new epoch. The work at
tributed for the last Is centuries is now
challenged. Protestants are now en-
gagged in rending the Bible in pieces. de-
claring that 1t is not infallible and that
the Old, and New Testaments abound
in myths and legends. At the threshold
of the Goth century theological teachers
ali over the land are declaring that the
Bible was not made infallhle by the guild
apce of God, the Holy Ghost.
IT could not select text from any part
of the Bible which would not be chal-
lenged by some Protestant This system
of doubt and denial has entered the Epis-
copal church, and its chief advocate has
been deliberately received into the min
istry 1t is known as the higher criti-
cism.' This Is evolution. I would fain
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 accepted 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 infallbIe
guide The church has relaxed the APP
pearance of authority, and its interpreta-
tons may now be governed by individual
caprice. This result follows from former
issues. ending with the Brooks case.
another case has now been literally
forced upon the church. arraying the stu
dents in two hostile camps. Hitherto sa-
cred places are illumined by the reflected
light of pagan altar fire. Belief in the BIZ
BILE as the inspired word of God is fun
damental doctrine If this doctrine is i'm
pugned so are the doctrines generally of
the whole church. 1t Is affirmed broadly
in the general introduction to the study
OF the Holy Sculptures CDR. Briggs
bcck) that what we call the Bible is not
really the Bible: that the earlier manu-
scripts have been lost and that the real
Bible is yet to be discovered. But / 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 fundamental
We still have the ancient authors but
these are valueless for the reason that
they relied upon insufficient scripture
writings, which, as our author says. are
covered over with the debris of tradi-
tioral interpretations On this testimony
we have no reliable apostolic orders, all
belief in which is fundamental doctrine
Every Fundamental doctrine and teaching
OF the church is undermined and stripped
of authority.
ident and it is in vain that any man
haughtily undertakes to bring the charge
of Ignorance, much less malice We
know what the Bible says and what the