The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-29
Troublesome Clsrgvmsn.

The Episcopal church IS having q good
deal Of trouble With some Of her clergymen.
The trial Of the Rev. Mr.. MacQueary Of
Canton, o., on the charge OF heresy at
tracted great OF attention, and the decis-
ion Of the ecclesiastical court suspending
him for six months, and expelling him if he
does not retract in that time, has not been
accepted without protest from prominent
clergymen of the church. Mr.. MacQueary
regards himself as out of the cnurch, be-
cause be has no intention of retrActlng.
But he Is much more popular man now
than he was before his trial He has just
been invited to deliver a lecture before the
Century Club in New York, aud there is no
doubt that he will be soon, If be has not
been already, offered desirable appointments
in the Unitarian church This readiness to
protest against the action Of the church does
not show, of course, that the church that
refused to retain him within her fold any
longer acted unwisely, but it does seem to
show that there is a growing hostility to
creeds and canons.
And the trouble that has just sprung up
in the diocese Of New York emphasizes this
hostility. Two of the most popular Episco-
pal clergymen in New York city. the
Rev. DIR. RaInsford. Of st. Georges church,
and the Rev. DR.. Heber Newton, of All
Saints Memorial church, have recently
violated the canon which provides
that clergymen Of other denominations
shall not occupy pulpits of the Episco-
psi church. 1t cannot be said that DIR.
Rainsford and DR.. Heber Newton have
acted in ignorance of the canon in question.
Their attention has been called to it by pro
tests, and very emphatic ones, and yet they
have gone on violating it
There is nothing morally wrou g, of
course, in what they are doing, and no one
doubts that their intentions are good, but
have they not bound themselves to be
guided by the creed Of the church, and have
they not promised to obey its canonsl If
they are permitted to follow their own
will with regard to the church's canons,
why should not the Rev. Mr.. MacOueary
be permitted TO follow his Judgment with
regard to the church's creedg And why
should not other clergymen do as they
please with regard to other matters con-
corning which they may differ with the
church!
These are questions which Episcopal
clergymen in New York and elsewhere are
asking, and they are waiting for answers.
The Rev. Thomas Richey, professor of
celestial history in the General Theologi
cal Seminary speaking of the action Of Drs.
Rainsford and Heber Newton, said: THAT
sort of thing is only one phase of what l
call religious quackery, aud the clergyman
who go in for it, no matter how worthy
their motives and how great their abilities.
are acting unprofessionally Just as much as
doctor would be who advertised his cures
in the newspapers In resorting to these
sensational methods they are taking an uu-
fair advantage Of us, their brother clergy
men, who regard ourselves as honorably
bound to eschew such practices"
This sort Of talk is calculated, of course, to
arouse unpleasant feelings between clergy
men, and also congregations, and the right
thing to do is to strike at the cause of it. And
it is a matter Of wonder that Bishop Potter
has said nothing about the trouble so far as
the public knows. That he does not lack
courage is certain He was the first to de-
mand that the Rev. Mr.. MacQueary should
be called TO account, and 1t is not probable
that he will overlook the shortcomings of
clergymen in his own diocese. The only
thing for him to doif he wants to check the
trouble is to require the offending clergy,
men TO respect the canon they have been
violating. If they refuse they should be
dealt with just as tho Rev. Mr.. MacOueary
was. The creed should be taught and the
canons obeyed. If they contain errors, let
the church correct them. If each individual
clergyman is permitted to set up his judg>
ment and will against those of the church
there will soon be an end of the church.