Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-01-22
The New Faith and the Old Faith.

Tt is hardly possible that the trail OF
the Rev. Mr.. MacQueary can end in
any other way than by his conviction
a priest who has violated his ordina-
ton vows.
The views of the incarnation and OF
inspiration which he expressed in his
book, to which he still clings, may not
be very different from the opinions
held by many of the clergy, but when
they are tested by the spirit and the
positive declarations of all the stand
ards of the Episcopal Church and OF
orthodoxy generally, they are indis-
ecclesiastical court at Cleveland must
apply. It's function is not to decide
whether the new method of Biblical
criticism is more reasonable than the
old f, ith IN the scriptures, but wheth er
the one is consistent with the other.
The creed of the Church is not on trial,
and the court has no authority to ex-
press any opinion as to its need of
amendment in accordance with the
suggestions of Mr.. MacQueary. The
sole business of the tribunal is to deter
mine whether his teaching are in agree
ment with the creed as it stands, and
with the declarations of his ordination
vows.
Those vows were that he would
minister the Doctrine and Sacra-
ments, and the Discipline of Christ, as
the Lord had commanded, and as this
Church had received the same, accord
ing to the Commandments of God. -
His promise. therefore, was to teach
the faith as the Church proclaimed it,
and not as he himselfshoudd determine
it to be from bis private Interpretation
>f ba q oh in o1
to make the vows. because he was un-
der no obligation to enter the Episco-
pal ministry; but, having made them,
the Cleveland court must hold him to
strict obedience to their terms.
The faith received by the Church is
expressed in unmistakable language in
the creeds and prayers of the Book of
Common Prayer. There is no Episco-
pslian who has any doubts as to what
it is. The statements of it are always
clear and simple. They are that Jesus
was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Nary" that He
euffered and was buried; aud the third
Gay He rose again, according to the
Scriptures; and assembled into heaven
and sitteth on the right hand of the
Father" These declarations are re-
peated many times throughout the
liturgy, and always as statements of
b historical facts, upon which the whole
body Of theology rests, not as mere
f1gurative expressions capable OF vary
ing interpretations. What they mean
is a. clear as to the understanding as
the story of the crucifXion itself. They
are that Jesus was born of a virgin and
that God and not "a man was His faith
er; that He rose from the dead and
q HAI
spiritual vision. but as a mat erlal body.
When. therefore, Mr.. MacQueary
urgues that 'the evidence adducihle
rather seems to favor the view that
Joseph was the father of Jesus" and
that "Christ's resurrection was spirit
ual appearance" and nothing more, he
puts himself squarely in opposition 10
the fsith of the Church. He dos more
than simply reject it. He treats 1T as
mere childish superstition, fairy tale,
" which should be examined and dissl-
patcd by reason, as the old stories of
mythology have been exploded. If be
is right,uot only the Episcopal Church, !,
but all Christeudom also has been be-
lieviDg in a falsehood. Jesus as the
son of Joseph was man only, born
"along the lines of y atural generation;h
and worship of Him is mere man wor-
ship.
His prompt conviction by the Cleve-
land court seems therefore to beinevit-
able. Whether what he teaches be
true or false, there can be no more
doubt that it is not the faith received
and taught by the Church than that it
is logical deduction from: the reason
ing of the new school of Biblical critics
now 50 influential in many of our theo-
logical eminaFies.-N. Y. Sun.
Governor Russell, of Massachusetts,
ca use either hand in writing. One
hand, however, was enough to enable