New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-26
~ EPISCOPAL REHONSTRAN nee.

Tho remonstrancc now being signed by many
Episcopal cergymen Of the diocese oil NcW-lorh
will call general attention 10 the attitude OF the
Episcopal Church toward Professionalism Last
veor DR. Rainsford, of St Georges, in this city,
invited a number Of nom Episcopal clcrgymcn TO
nroocb IN St Georges at special Lcntcn services.
lie oction created n good deal of comment among
rniscopolians. but Ms it was declared that he had
asked and received the approval Of Bishop Potter
hcfore proceeding in the matter, those who OBJ
! ;ec,aJ 70 such n recognition Of non-EpiScopal
clcrgvmcn kept silence. cOnsoling themselves with
thc reflection that the distinguished preachers IN
viicd were only laymcn anyhow in the eyes oil
the Church Indeed some color was given to TINS
theory by the fact ;hnt one OF the speakers oil
the course President Low, was actually laymhn
Strictly speaking, of course the Protestant MIN
isters were not even eligible 10 appear as lay
preachers, for the Church prcscribcs that It's
lov.rcaders" shall be communicates Of the
Church, and that implies that they shall be con-
frmcd by n bishop. But the strict construction
lists shut their eyes to this inconvenient drtali
and hoped that DR. Rainsford would not do it
again.
DIR. Rainsford. however, has done it again. and
at least two other prominent Episcopal clcrgymen,
DIR. Newton Of All Souls and Dr. Stranger of Holy
toms case the offence is aggravated by the fact
that one Of the eminent non-Episcopal cergymen
who are 10 speak in his church tomorrow, Good
Friday. is DR. Robert Collyer, Unitarian. This
opprarS 10 have bcca the last straw that broke
tbc paticncc of tho good Churchmcn: and 50 the
Seminary professors, Of whom Dean Hoffman and
Professor Richcy are best known 10 the public.
prepared rcmonsnncc or manifesto, which Is
now being circulated among the clergy, in which
they protest against these acts as palpabe VIOLA
tionS Of the Church'S law.
Like every other ecclesiastical controversy this
case has two sides, and ii is not within the
province Of secular journal to say which side
is right, especially at this nchoate stage of the
proceedings. But il may he proper 10 state few
of the facts in the issue. On the one hand, the
strict Churchmcn have undoubtedly the letter Of
the law behind them. Canon II OF Title of the
Digest of Canons declares that no minister in
charge If an Episcopal congregation shall permit
any person TO oicilic therein without sufficient
evidence Of his being duly licensed ordained 10
minister in this church" That brings mp the
question, what is license to minister in the
Episcopal Church? which is answered in the
Preface TO the Ordinal. which makes the fol-
lowing declaration: 9" 40 man shall be ac-
counted, or taken to he lawful bishop, priest
or deacon III lillh iUNlfU, or SuUfIcu 10 tNftNit
any Of the said functions, except he be called
tried examined and admitted thcrcunto, accord
ing TO the form hereafter following. or hath had
Episcopal conservation or ordination These dec
larations. interpreted as they are by the I'M
broken practice Of the Church. make il perfectly
clear that it is the intent of INC Church not to
recognize the validity of non-Episcopal orders In
any way, shape or manner In lis view, all So
c.I oil Eni.onnaI mi smntV Spbc.
matte laymcn, aud the bodies which they call
Churches merely man-madc sects."
But. of course, there are many good Episcopa-
lians who do not so strictly construc the law OF
non-intcrcouIse. They take the ground either
that milder Interpretation Of whas seems TO he
harsh and Christian principle is allowable,
or else that the principle itself may be ignored in
the light of the better KNOWLEDGE and broader
charity that characterize the Church to-day.
1t will I've remembered that when the Rev. DR..
Lyman Abbott was installed as pastor OF Plymouth
Church. Phillips Brooks, of Boston. and the Rev.
DR.. Donald of the Church Of the Ascension in
this city, were present and took an official part
in the proceedings And in an address delivered
on that occasion DR.. Donald made this explicit
declaration: I'VE are here openly, and we are
ready ~ meet any competent authority which is
pleased to inquire into our right to be here and
extend as Christian ministers our greetings to
other Christian ministers. | want to say
in the most explicit terms, in words that by no
means can he twisted into something that they
do not mean, that l stand as EpiscOpalian
minister and High Churchman. If You please TO
call me so, and extend TO Or. Abbott and Mr..
Bliss my greetings ministers of the Lord Jesus
Christ. in every respect spiritually competent to
preach the Word of God, and to administer the
two sacramcnts which belong TO the Church. ="
II remains to be seen whether the Church will
modify its principles or discipline those who appear
to ignore them
Another petition against the Hill-Schaaff Rum