Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-20
THE MACQUEARY VERDICT.
What the Suspended Clergyman Has to s
About His Sentence.

THE MACQUEARY VERDICT.
What the Suspended Clergyman Has to Say
About His Sentence.
The following il part Of the official docu-
ment received by Rev. Mr.. MacQueary, the
Canton. O., clergyman convicted Of heresy:
After referring to the finding of the court the
bishop decides as follows:
Now, therefore. we, william Andrew
Leonard, D. NJ, Of Divine permission exercis-
ing ecclesiastical and spiritual jurisdiction in
this diocese of Ohio. do hereby pronounce upon
the Rev. Howard MscQueary sentence of sus-
pension from the exercise of the functions Of
the holy ministry in all and every particular.
and in accordance with the above cited opinion
of the ecclesiastical court for the period of six
month, now following this 18th day of March,
1891.
And furthermore that if at the expiration
OF six months from the 18th day of March, 1891
he shall not have retracted and given evidence
that he will no longer teach his errors of doc
trine. of which under the presentment aforesaid
he has been found guilty. he shall be thereupon
deposed from the priesthood of the church"
CONSIDERS IT UNREASONABLE
Mr.. MacQueary when asked not at all
backward in expressing his opinion of the vcr-
dict. Il think it both unreasonable and un-
just" he said. 1T is unreasonable because it
rests or the absurd superstition that a man who
has devoted years of earnest, prayerful study
to theological problems may alter his opinion
In six months at the dictation of ecclesiastical
power in order to retain position in church
which does not want him. 1t should have been
a clean cut deposition or acquittal.
This sentence is simply an eXpedient adopted
to extricate the church from a dilemma and in
order to win for the church reputation for
leniency and charity: but every one who is
familiar with ecclesiastical proceedings and has
read the denunciation of me by the religious
press during the last year can see the hollow
ness of such pretense.
WILL NOT RETRACT.
"Retract, indeed! Why should I? What has
been said or done to convert me from nv
alleged errors? I have been denounced and
prosecuted and condemned. That method of
converting heretics has proved futile for CEN
turtles. 1t is an anachronism.--a contradiction
OF the great principles OF the reformation of
the sixteenth century. which established right
Of private Judgment in religious matters-and
1t is return to the darkness of the middle ages.
mo. the old doctrines lack facts and reason
to support them and therefore can never be-
lieve them. The verdict is unjust for several
reasons; first, it violates the fundamental doc
trine of the Protestant Episcopal church,
which teaches that the creeds must be inter-
preted by the Scripture. not the Scriptures by
the creeds. This contention of mine was adj
the court have not Interpreted the creeds by the
Scriptures. II they had they could not have
found me guilty, since the prosecutor did not
lmpugn the passages of Scripture l cited In
support of my Interpretation Of the creed.
Secondly. if this verdict be correct. the
bishop, the prosecutor, the judges, and all the
clergy in the church are heretics None OF them
believe In the literal meaning OF the article in
the creed on the resurrection of the body
The prosecutor admitted this contention also.
No into hnlIa hot
body which has lost leg or an arm. for in
stance, will at the last day be resurrected with
out its arm or leg. Yet, if the creed be liter
ally construed, we must believe that the very
body that was buried will be resurrected.
If this verdict is correct, the church should
set up an inquisition to hunt out the heretics
and bring them to justice. The woods are full
OF them, including the bishops and ecclesiasti
cal dignitares who reject our material resur-
rection. This verdict condemns honesty and
candid speech and will foster hypocrisy.
DOGMA NOR TRUTH CONSIDERED, HE SAYS.
"And why have been condemned? Not be-
cause l denied the truth. for the prosecutor
took particular pains to impress upon the court
that its duty not to consider the truth of
my views but simply their conformity to dog
mas formulated In an age of superstition and
ignorance"
WIN you submit to the discipline and remain
In the Episcopal ministry" was asked.
ignation tharefrom and will send it to the
bishop Immediately"
What church will you enter? 1t is rumored
that you will ente! the Unitarian church.
Il am not strictly Unitarian" said Mr..
MacQueary, that is l do not deny the divinity
OF Christ, but that is one of the few churches
which allow liberty of thought and speech.
shall enter any church that will give me work
and liberty to preach the Gospel of Christ ac-
cording to the dictates Of conscience and reason
and not require me to believe the exploded
traditions Of the elders. Next Sunday preach
In the Independent Congregational Church in
jamestown, n. y, the following Sunday rather
expect to be i'll Toronto, Canada, and on tine 5th
and 18th of April will preach i'll the Unitarian
Church Of the Messiah In Chicago"
MR.. QUEARY RESIGNS
Mr. MacQueary has written to Bishop Leon
ard. rendering his resignation from the ministry
of the Episcopal church OF the United States, and
asks that 1t be accepted and that steps be taken
at once for his deposition. He wrote: There
is not the slightest probability of my retracting
my alleged errors On the contrary l have
every reason to believe that further investiga-
tlon will simply confirm my present convic-
tons"