The evening times., 1899-05-22
DR., DE COSTA WEARY
OF DISPU2A1lONS
Stops Short a Sermon About
Doubts of the Bible.
Gives His Views to the Press for
Pub ieatiOI.
Higher Criticism Regarded ns Revo-
luton, With Devotees BivOurck-
ing About paine's Camphres.

}.
Potter's criticism of those who opposed
the ordination of the Rev. DR.. Charles a.
Briggs to the priesthood OF the Episcopal
Church, the Rev. DR.. Benjamin +. De
Costa prepared sermon. He started 10
preach it yesterday morning from the pull
pit of the Church of St. John the Evan
| geIist, but after he had spoken FOR hve
minutes he passed over the bulk or MS
manuscript and dismissed his tongresa-
| tion with a ten-minute sermon. After the
service he gave out his manuscript Tor
publication.
Il will let the press preach it," he said.
He said later that he was tired OF the
controversy, In the sermon he said. in
part:
''Protestants are now engaged in rend-
ing the Bible in pieces, declaring that 1t
is not infallible and that the Old and the
New Testament abound in myths and
| legends At the threshold OF the twen-
| tieth century, theological teachers al
over the land are declaring that the Bible
was not made infallible by the guidance OF
| God. the Holy Ghost. | could not select
| text from any part of the Bible which
| would not be challenged by some protest
ant.
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 revolution.
Il would fain turn away from the issue,
| but the system Of criticism under consid-
| Grafton has been recognized as allowable ,
and within the liberty of all by the oiiciai
action of the diocese of New York. This
precedent must be accepted by the body
at large.
There is now nc question about the
future attitude OF the Episcopal Church
| with respect TO the Bible. The Scriptures
| are no longer to be enforced as an in
! fallibie guide. The church has relaxed the
| appearance of authority. and its interpre-
| tations may now be governed by indiyid-
| ual caprice.
This result follows 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
illumined by the reflected light of pagan
altar. fires.
Belief in the Bible as the inspired word
of God is fundamental doctrine II this
doctrine is impugned so are the doctrines
generally of the whole church.
| 1T IS affirmed broadly in the General
| Introduction to the Study Of the Holy
| Scriptures 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 |
wish TO show that the scheme of criticism
| advocated 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 debris OF traditional in
| terpretations.' On this testimony We have
no reliable authority for apostolic orders,
the belief in which is Il fundamental doc
trine.
SO we stand face to face with a serious
| situation. In substance we have Draci-
cally the denial of the ability of the An
glican body to guide and teach souls. Ac-
cording to the higher criticism orders
can have no real foundation in Scripture.
| The sacraments are associated with IA
bles and illustrated by myths. while the
word of God affords no standing ground
except what individual critics may gra-
| ciously allow.
We have no sufficient guarantee even
that the words of our Lord in the institu-
ton of the sacrament Of the body and
blood-if he did institute it-are correctly
reported, and therefore it is idle 70 study
their exact sense. We are no more GER
tain that he used the words This is my
body than that he said Go and teach all
nations. baptiZing them
Thus every fundamental doctrine and
teaching of the church is undermined and
| stripped of authority. The facts Of the
case are perfectly evident, 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 prayerbook declares. and We
should not fear to face the issue or point
out the nature of this joint attack upon
the Bible and the church.
1T has been well said that the higher
critics are now bivouacked around the
smoldering campfires of Tom Paine"