Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-09-02
RESOLUTE MACQURARY.
READY TO APPEAL FOR AID TO TgE CIVIL
COURTS.
Es Explains Bis Plans FOR Action Ihsr The Rxpira-
lion Of Bis Suspension Next EOnth-fhs
Whole Matter Likely TO Be Reduced TO
Bread and-BuHsr Question.
Hs Will Fight

of the Association for the Advancement
of Science. He has passed several weeks
among the mountains Of Virginia for hi:
health, his nervous system having beer
seriously impaired by hard study and
the ecclesiastical difficulties through
which he has passed during the last
year. He is now much better. Being
asked by a reporter concerning his &C.
cleSiastical status, he said:
'The case stands thus: Three OF the
FIVE members Of the court that tried me
for heresy voted that I should be sus-
pended from the ministry for six
months. The other TWO members voted
for absolute acquittal. My suspension
ends the middle Of next month, and am
now on my way back TO Canton to reOp-
en- the case on a new issue"
''What is that iSsue?'
"The court made a grave mistake in
their sentence. The laws OF the Church
provide that a minister convicted OF
violation of those laws may be admon-
ished, suspended, or depOsed. Each
penalty is distinct in itself,an only one
penalty may be imposed for one Ofense.
The court. however, most unaccOunt-
ably decreed that I should be suspended
for six months, and if at the end Of that
time 1 should refuse TO promise not to
teach nor publish my view Of our Lords
birth and resurrection I sh Ould be de-
posed. In other words, they imposed a
double sentence on mo. IL is as though
q civil court should sentence a man to
Imprisonment for a certain period, with
the condition that at the expiration OF
his Imprisonment he should be hanged
if be did not promise not 70 commit the
offence again. OF course no such absurd
sentence would be given or hold good.
Neither can my sentence be sustained.
As the imprisonment OF a man by the
civil law would be all the punishment
that could be inflicted upon him for one
offence, SO my suspension is all that can
be lawfully imposed on me. The New
York Cburchmdn, the leading paper in
the Church, was the first to point out
the uucaaOnical character OF the SEN
tenCe, while approving my condemna-
tion. This led me 10 consult high
ecclesiastical authorities on the QueS-
ton, and having got the confirmation OF
the Churchman'S views, l propose to
serve out my term Of suspension and
then demand restoration to the minis
try.
Suppose Bishop Leonard refuses to
restore you unless you comply with the
of restoration recommended,
what will you dO?'
81 am sorry to say that the Bishop
has already taken the position that the
sentence is thoroughly canOnical, and
has expressed his determination to en-
force il in full. hope further conSid-
Grafton Of the question with the Chan
cellor OF the diocese will lead him 20 re-
verse his opinion and do me justice. II,
however, he persists in his present
course, / shall, of course, appeal to the
law for protection. This is no mere
personal affair; il affects every clergy
manin the church, for If clergymen can
be uncanonically deposed, what is the
use OF the church'S laws? l may adopt
one of two methods Of procedure. The
case may be taken into the House OF
Bishops, or the Bishops of Ohio may be
snioined by civil process from en-
forcing the uucanOnical part of the SEN
tence. The latter is the simpler and
more effective method"
Ion what grounds could the civil
court take cognizance Of such a caseY
"On this: In the eyes Of the civil law
nv relation 10 the Church is that OF a
servant corporation, and my engage
ment with the Church is of the nature
of a contract. II, now, the chief exeCu-
tive of this ecclesiastical corporation at
tempts 10 violate the terms Of our con-
tract, l can restrain him by law from
doing so, for il thus becomes question
of simple equity, a matter OF bread and
butter to me. l shall be very sorry to
be forced 20 resort to such extreme
measures, and sincerely hope that may
not have 10 do it. I have claim
ed from the beginning that
great Injustice has been done
me. I am more and more convinced Of
this, and, as great principles are in
volved, I don't propose to finch just at
the crisis. With the exercise of little
common sense and common Christianity
the whole deplorable difficulty might
have been avoided. and it is not too late
yet to repair the injury done the Church
and myself; but fear that partisan
spirit will precipitate us into deeper and
deeper trouble.
1T is great pity that the Church
can't find better employment than the
prosecution Of its members for thinking
and trying to reEder her effective Serv-
ice. shall leave here for Canton and
begin formal proceedings"
"What are your plans for the future?"
Sufficient unto the day is the evi !
thereof I really don't know what
shall do. ! will not know until my case
with the Church is finally settled. I
occupy q most unenviable position.
Having been educated for the ministry,
I am to a great extent untitled by that
education for any other sort Of work
III should be restored to the ministry
I would have great difficulty in getting
q parish, simply because I have been so
grossly Slandered that most Christians
consider me a demon in human form,
whose very mans is odiOus. This is the
good work of the religious press. A
politicians path is strewn with flowers
compared 10 that of a hereto. The
Church papers are far more
virulent, unjust, and slanderouS
in such case than the secular
papers are. I have been asked to enter
the Unitarian Ministry, but the few
sermons have preached before Uni
tarians have not been radical enough
for them and 1 very much doubt that
NV orthodoxy would satisfy them. At
any rate have not been and don't ex-
,,ac+ IN no called to q Unitarian Church.