The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-07
DE COSTA GIVES REASONS
FOR LEAVING "THB DIM. TANGLED,
ANGLICAN WILDWOODD


The Rev Dr. Benjamin +. De Costa gave to the
newspapers yesterday an extended staten g mt
q, Ills reasons for going over from the
Protestant Episcopal TO tho Roman Catholic
Church His statement, the chief pnrts OF
which follow, DR. he Costa entitled The Place
oftue Holy Scr ptures in the Catholic Church"
III, saws:
with profound gratitude acknowledge the
groat goodness Of God. who mercifully light
.ned my ruth, giving grace to overcome tho
deem prejudice implanted by false education :
and has now led me. not without trial. vet with
n shephords gentle hand. 10 the fold OF the
Catholic church. Faith IL the gift Of God. and.
vh.t.y.r ppsn,s may be employed. primarily
Il Is God the Hoy Ghost sanctiHer Of the
fa,,b,rI who must he our guide. Ny course
,horsfore IN entering the Cath lilo Church may
M, no nscrihed to any more human impulse /:
and We, must indicate the mode OF thought
,h,, s.,nda connected with 40 great a change.
~ , l., ,,,,, "a, wort of dav or n vcor
I'M" 'h'hEe J. NV w , ' " " ''
The r"Ocass he-ua very ionR ago.
The sad, fallen estate Of post Reformation
belief has forced uron me recohsidoratioh OF
pFYNnlos. the result OF RECOMMENDATION oelng
the conviction thl. the Reformation was not
,,s,d uron INV true foundations
pas'u uioh "'' rue ''u"'"''0o. 81,
The issun precIritateu III connection with
the Biblical criticism forms only one OF many
sin,,,,I,io. =, ,b. pro,es,ant aitun,ion. md I
difcu''es OF tue lro'es'an' stuauon' anu 1
caro- TO recognize the Reformation OF tho SIX
ee"." ..N, ',u,' r.rn,,,,,on IN TO-,
monumental .a''"'V' .'S,I 90, '"e''
"Newmau's Apologize and Iyes's Trials OF a
,,,. ii. 80, =, bi,.a , ,a,h ,hro,,h
IN, 4 M tangled Anglican wildwood but they
poworfuy convince many Of the legitimate
nature Il the call to accept the Roman
-. 'ira.
"tn, m5ribund theoIogian may not be aware
% '"' ,.'so W "Aotvt' '"V"s"'' ~. Wv
les. when tho curtain OF the twentieth CEN
fury rises. men OF alert sense and Ingenious
,'In =, ,r,,, r,oor,,I., =, nov vii I,vin,
"'u'' wa So ~ ~" I ''."s
TS,, " c"o."ous Of tho os,aaI rsstous c,nsI
tons rh's is one exclamation OF tho Higher
whole Reformation system is in peril. propos-
inc 10 NEE. the emergency by the use OF 70.
constructive criticism which forms simply
sop t. thu Gel trrls Of unbe,tel. STRENGTHENING
mund Tor ,ti'l more rr"pos,cruLs PROPOSITIONS.
and pilug am atty upon iticulty.
ogS fnr H'r'iuG IL" Catno ic Church. stand
lug r IT," ., .ds' ut moicrn religious systcms
t0pplrG 20 their ia.l ike columns in the Tenn
ags,y.luG a '!rm aud unehaSen Catholic faith.
slI not enter upon Argument, or sceS TO de-
IA reasons for rendering ali'gIance to Rome.
hut wall speak IN a general way on one branch
Of he general subject. namely: The Position
Of 'hc Holy scripture in the Teaching System
oitte Ca nol.c Church.
The Chuich o. Rome stands before English
spyak .nG people. uud lso. stauts everywhere.
a. the UNIQUE aud solitary de ender Of the
Blb'c IN its integrity and ruti ~nty.
There are. a., errhe,-ss. those who tell US
narratives. for instance those Di Jonah aud the
Flood, ana used III IN "a He use, III. parallels
however. fails. in h.s ga. 70 recognize the
fact that eighteen centuries tho Church has
accepted the para es as parallels. while: on
the 9th T hand. shr has accepted the Old Tes-
lament !lu STATIONS a. facts. and AS standing
ia the rank OF facts with thu Illustrations
tn whole Christian world has always under
stoo our Lord IN these case ~ drawing upon
IN apired history. OF this there was never any
doubt; ye' 4 He had made no reference
10 the oil Testament. these passages
10 tn s!Ger, writings might perhans
and mor,,. But the use made OF them by
no Sny.9pr 9pens up consideIat!3ns re-
ton IN the very highest sense Involving Faith;
II. our Lord eth knew 81 "a net know thu,
ana nnhisiorlE.!. lie neNerthtless knew that
and accep, them a. historian which is seen 20
Dc the case. on the other hand. u He did, not
know hem to be the unhi;toglg things VIII. ch
H"d N Gcnying that pert ction OF lncarnnuon
~ WIN tne pN,Me logs was made neSh.
in : neral.
" 'lns connection a scholar should not
allow Ms MIND TO become beiosged The Issue
~ no, simply one OF science or mp.c inter-
pfrtat"h. H"rineneutics may b. Involved.
mu,' r. marty. y Is me mystery OF The lncarne-
uph that criticism puts on trial: Tho case Is
uo. marc IL means revision OF the lncnrna-
tri2E 10 acGc9mmcdatG revision q the Billie.
NJ me holy Hthoi!c Church Will never np-
prov IL p.' IN IN. thy s,iShtes, d.Sree pro5an.e
th.t ne va hIoS her children u believe that
on messei lnfi was ignorant Of the real
Charhc,er ~ me sacred writings or that win
'uI khVWleuEe OF th"St Writings, lie stopped
~ ~" most sprmh CONNECTIONS 10 me trivial
iIcS ann literary urroinmooations OF the or
alhary Eastern teacher. deliberately sending
iot,m % a hsen hctlgn as iic', syil Using the
emu .'- a. IN I'VE hnt th,lEht q the InthoIc
,nIt.h WIN tii"E"cv ana !"grn >, leaving an
hto..leteIw 1liH 70 wake rom u long Oriental
nt"hln hhl feh,iLe thht human thought. through
~" ass hh2 b-,n slnp.y thr subject ot nm
ebL r.hnhs. 100 closely the nataro Of world
Eng =" .ald that the catholic Church
"a,thh ~" rlgLt ana recosn'2es IN" duty OF FIX
dhs We ihttlnTctttgn OF hoiy scrip ure. am
a. hLaW hht th!s IL, also true. and that
IN ~ amos Sh"rev.r IN" Bible IL read II may be
uMnefslo2I ny al, substantially in The one and
Sa S"hse' among Catholics the Bible forms
u" WWShIrfsa, c,,,.,,. r,.,.. -