New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-25
4 QUESTION or cLEEIcAL HONESTY.

4 QUESTION or fLIHItdL HONESTY
| In the last issue Of 1.-THE Churchman the
Rev. Or. :. u. Mcconnell has an interesting and
! lucid article on the obligations Of clerical sub
| scripion. 1t Is avowcdly IN answer 10 the
charges Of disloyalty and dishonesty which
Bishop Seymour has been making against Ger
tain Broad Church Episcopal clcrgymcn But his
article will have an interest for Christian min
| listers generally. since exactly the same charges
have been made against liberal clcrgvmcn in
other denominations. The Prcsby terrain clergy
men, for instance, who agree with the views
of Professor Briggs are told that they are dis
honest in remaining in the ministry OF Il Church
whose doctrines they do not hold.
Addressing himself TO this question SO far rs
it refers 10 Episcopal Clergymcn. DR.. Neon
nell asks what they have subscribed TO and
what Is involved in such subscription. The an
swcr 10 these questions calls for IL consideration
of the nature of the ministerial office one
theory Of that office is that the minister Is an
advocate retained by his client, the Church BY
accepting n retainer from this client he has
diycstcd himself of all right to question the
rightncSS or wrOngncss Of the cause he is re-
tanned to defend. Another theory Is that the
Church is Il club Of which ministers at their
ordination become officers IT, therefore, IA min
pathy with the policy or methods Of the club, it
is his duty TO Withdraw from 1t. \ third theory
Is that the ministerial office rests upon a con-
tract. The Church and the minister are the
two parties TO the contract. from which 1t fol-
lows that when either party fails To observe
the terms Of the contract the other party may
declare it vacated.
DR.. Mcconnell dismisscs the first two theories
as inadequate, and gives Il limited assent TO
the last The element Of contract Is certainly
present in the ministerial office. An Episcopal
minister promises conformity 10 the doctrine
discipline and worship of his Church In re-
gard to The last two Of these there is compare
lively little difficulty. because the regulations
relating 10 them are tangible, measurable
things But the question as to doctrine is mucu
harler 10 settle What are the doctrines OF
Church? The answer is, of course, its crceds
But crccds are symbols. as to the precise mean
ing of which there may be. and Is, wide differ
pncc OF opinion. 70 condemn man for IN hon
est, though possibly erroneous. Interpretation
of a creed would be TO condemn him for Il lack
Of lucdty--that Is to say, for n purely intel
lcctual fault; and no one proposes to do that
What is really meant" says DIR. Mcconnell,
is that there are number Of doctrines over
and above the crccds which are bounden
upon the ministry OF this Church, because OF
the terms Of the contract. They are such "a the
scholastic philosophy Of the Trinity, the
piatory doctrine of the Atonemcnt the AI-
gustnan doctrines Of Anthropoogy, the &C.
clesastical doctrine of the future state" While
DR.. Mcconnell personally thinks that these doc
trnes are nominated In the bond, he main
tains that honest and loyal Churchmen hold
the opposite opinion. And such being the case.
he asks: What right have |, or any other
man, 10 Insist that n document Is so plain that
only knave or n fool can doubt Its force
when see that those who are neither knaves
nor fools DO find In It q meaning different from