New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-15
GUIDANCE OF THE HOLYGHOST
THE BISHOPS ATTITUDE IN THEIR PAS
TORAL LETTER.


toria on episcopal pastoral letter in your issue
~ January 20 as also the letters OF President Nor
ton and Churchmar. and your brief answers 10
the same in the issues OF January rs and 81. re-
spectively.
i Although late In time venture 10 address TO
YOU few words the same subject. cannot
but feel that you do not represent quite fairly the
claims OF the bishops to speak under the guidance
OF the Holy Ghost" which you define as meaning
that bishops claim. In effect. the same authority
az the Pope In your answer to President MOT
toms objection to such a definition you leave him
the alternative OF regarding the words as mere
formula without meaning THE guidance OF the
HOLY Ghost IL an idea common to all Christians.
All Christians pray to God that He will give them
the guidance and assistance OF His Holy spirit.
and believe that they obtain such guidance anu
assistance both for tho general conduct OF their
lives and also for those special functions In the
Church or state to which they may be appointed
/ When the Episcopallan is confirmed. the bishop
lays his hands or his head and prays Goa 10 give
him the Holy Spirit for the general guidance ana
direction OF his life Christian "hen man
rs ordained to any function or office IN the 'hui'"'
hands are laid upon his head and prayer Is mace
that the Holy Spirit may be vouchsaied 10 suue
and direct him In the special work TO which ne IS
ordained. In the Introduction TO the pastoral let
ter the bishops merely assert their behei that' Hc
coriing TO their office. they also have the guidance
Of the Holy Spirit This is not an empty formula
!
real but 4 does not mean that those who are thus
guided by the Holy Ghost are infallble We recos-
nize all human beings liable to error. even wheh
they have sought and obtained The guidance OF the
Spirit
Tcchnicallv the only claim OF infalllbilty which
is made by the highest churchman is the claim
of the jnfalliblty o. the Church as whole Ac-
cording TO him the Church is infallibe wheh II Is
undivided and hence only when and so long as
it spoke in the general councils. where the bishops
OF the whole Church we're assembled. The utter
ances OF bishops OF provinces. although 10 be
treated with respect are not TO he regarded as the
views Of the Church According to the constitu-
ton OF The Protestant Episcopal Church IN the
United States of America. the Views OF the bishols
alone are binding in any point OF doctrine
The constitution. the articles the liturgy ana the
canons OF the Church were adopted by the con-
current voice OF the House OF Bishops and the
lower house, which consists in equal parts OF rep
resentatives OF the second order OF the ministry
and Of the lai;y. No change can be made In the
constitution articles. canons or liturgical formulate
excepting by the concurrent action OF those TWO
houses An expression o, opinion on the part OF
the bishops in regard TO doctrine Is OF great moral
weight but has no legal obligation. The clergy are
not even obliged 10 read in their churches this
present pastoral letter.
In your editorial you say that in this letter 1.-THE
traditional doctrines concerning the Divinity OF
Christ His incarnation. His miraculous virgin
BIRTH and the inspiration OF the Bible. are cehheh
and affirmed In the most Incorporating way.
As far as the Divinity OF Christ. HIS incarnation
and His miraculous virgin birth are concerned this
is perfectly The object OF the pastoral letter
has not been TO present argument FOR the virgin
birth, appealing the reason. but TO set forth
what has been the belief OF the Church in this re-
gard from the earliest times down to the present
and in doing this the bishops have undertaken to
make a sort of catena commencing with the creeds
and ending with the nturgcal formulate of the
Reformation period. They are not appealing to
those who need to be reasoned with as to the fact
or the philosophy of the virgin birth OF Christ
but merely endeavoring. as they themselves ex-
plain to state what has been believed which is
the greatest argument OF all to precisely those
| persons to whom they address themselves.
But so far az the doctrine OF the inspiration OF
the Bible is erned your statement Is incorrect,
for the that there is no traditional doctrine
| Of the inspiration of the Bible in the Protestant
! Episcopal Church. there is OF the doctrine OF
| the incarnation and the virgin birth OF Christ As
! the letter itself says: THE Church in her creeds
| and standards has confined herself TO a positive
assertion of the fact OF the inspiration OF Holy
| Scripture. without any definition OF It's mode or
the exposition OF any theory concerning It, The
statement OF the bishops OF the English and Amer
lean churches at the Lambeth conference Of 1858
that the Holy Scriptures contain all things
necessary to salvation and are the rule ana It'll.
mate standard Of faith" and the present letter Of
the American bishops is not meant to conflict with
that definition of the nature and function Of the
Bible
| the only lawful function OF Biblical study Is TO
s@dy the nf fashions in %hc they were
etc. But the letter does not say or imply that
| II mentions il as one function of that study. In
| fact the passage which you here quote logically
spiration urging the comparison Of passages for
the avoidance or elimnaton OF errors Of individual
Of "the fashions " in which the separate portions
III er nf hD nd cpesm Of the aro
/ documents in the Bible IN order 10 undcrstand
That is. II sets the, seal of approval upon the
| higher criticism of the Bible. to use technical
oosy of et the letter. pr'e It is true that the bishops
condemn with much emphasis The rashness OF
many critics. both within and without the Church,
but on the other hand. SO far from asserting that
the divine sspra,on Of every word In the Scrip scrip
dcated fact" they admit and affirm the right OF
Which 'f have cone through the isbors Of the
! Of critical methods implies a lack of faith
| cannot help thinking that your criticisms are
! the word inspiration as used by the bishops.
| The inspiration which they claim for the the, Bible
| the Church. 1t lies in the whole rather than in
ss Of ne e t4s na Of 'nf h o
Spirit, human error was not eliminated from their
ton Of the inspiration Of the Bible therefore
should take issr. with your statements; and say
in advance that they put themselves on record as
Of ana to 's d% Of crc
! appliance which the providence OF God may
the and
may reveal am ready to confess that the Ian,
81 ae to ms Shef II
! much about TIE dangers of rash criticism; but.
theught cannot but appreciate the eonserSasm
which has maSHea Oe% Chgrch Leaders
| pressing for the abandonment OF Jewish rites and
e ,ne preaeh Cbrs m WIZ G
the council OF the leaders OF the Church at Jeru-