New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-28
TEE BISHOPS PASTORAL.
THINKS IT DOES Nor PITT THE CHURCH IN
FALSE POSITION

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: H. the editorial article in your issue OF to-
day. headed the Episcopal Pastoral Letter. there
are .,mc statements which seem 10 me so IiahIe
70 create false impression that though the sub
irct i- ono outsll- of NY department. feel
called upon 20 bring 10 % your attention.
Trus I nnI In your article the following; 1t Is
indeed lrH.ul' ~ SEQ how any clergyman who is in
touh, as o., these doctrines any longer remain IN
fh. Episcopal Church. unless TIC bishops ar" mu'n
mistaken ln declaring. they 30. that in"y speak
under tho guidance OF the Holy spirit Tho au-
thoriy under which taoy thus assume to act IS. IN
erc-i 'he sumo as thli which tho Pope claims 10
c,,fr..c. ari BE- must hc presumed that AL good
l.rl.rDttiins vii recognize tho fact
I'll. words quoted in your article az above from
fAo pasior.i letter Il. o.. under the guidance OF
mo Holy Gho.t'p are not there used in such con
ner,ion or with such fore" and meaning as you
give ihem T~ioy are found only ~ tho Opening OF
ne letter and IN tho following context We your
D..h0,s having been assembled 20 take ordcr.
under the guidance " the Holy Ghost, FOR the ex-
tension ~ the kingdom u cod etc.
This is on us face formula %. opening form APP
propraic ana proper enough IN It's own place nut
quiic misplaced n used as cIAim OF "'reo' III
sp.ratlou and infllbility.
Moreover such an Interpretation Is entirely at
variance with the spirit Of the whole letter. In
which the bishops refer to themselves as Simply
expressing and defining the doctrines Of the Chnrch
as they have been held continuously from apostohe
times Thus they say partly In the words o. the
Apostle Paul and partly IN their own: "Ihat "hch
we also received deliver We unto you our soie IN
qnlry u.s. what does this church teach? what Is
the declaration u Gods Holy Word?
believe myself 90 | may say soD to be good
Eplscopalnn." but | certainly not prepared 10
recognize the fact" OF papa lnfaliibiity ana pen
AIRY inspiration existing In the House Oh p.snoPS
OF th, Proiestant Episcopal church Of the VnIted
ip 1
pastoral letter calls for any such recognition
Again I find I'm your article the following state
neu AS 20 the enunciations OF the pastoral letter
1T Is right 10 study the Scriptures but inc uNh'
inspiration Of every word In them must hr't oil an
be accepted a. adludicated truth" Now about TINS
! viii only say that not only ~ there no sue"
statement IN this pastoral letter but that the whole
spirit Of the document opposes such Ni'" anu
many passages contradict H. l, -,.h, has
Thus In one place ind. she cine 'huIVh' n's
confined herself 70 n9si,vS sssero" 81 out any
~ o ,i ~ i, ', te mode or the exposition any
theory concerning IT," This means that the Churcn
has in 30 wa" decided whether this inspiration -" rs
verbal doctrnai and leaves al tree to oer ho III
"A verbal inspiration who can accept su'n 'nVo,S
words aud I'm statements OF facts not ahec''"s
Indeed further on the letter SAYS: 1T l. the men
who were inspired and not primarily the h "1o The
And again: 1T would be faithless to thinA tnal .n
Christian religion had anything 10 Tear from ~
critical study OF Holy Scripture The Churcn ., .
home with her from The fathessly dreadeu
harvest OF criticism We devoutly thank tod tor
w., Inr f and rebuke is the TREY
erent rashness and unscentihc method pi MANY
prof.ssed critics and the irrnneous The
Dries Of the day as established results OF crlcism,
Now. II there Is ANYTHING more Conspicuous oi.', ~.
another In the light and truth when nave Toic ~
MS through the earnest abors of devout critics OF
the sacred text" 1t is the light and truth when
have rendered IN" doctrine OF yerbal ihspi' ,
un;cnable to any intelligent mind acquainted Win
the results Of such abors and hays tnus nus
had placed In the way OF every Intelligent and
thoughtfll studcn: Of the Scriptures .,o,- nas
II thus appears that the bishops ~ thelr paas
toral far from saying that the verbal inspiration
Of the Scriptures must DC nccepten rass Which
have eliminated this theory from the pathway OF
am far from desiring to present myself as the
champion Of the recent pastoral put 90 wis" ,b ,
draw attention to the fact that does not cb false
position as / was led to suppose on reading your
article prior to my perusai Of ne Pasi9rnr eyer
stevens Institute. Ioboken. Jan 90 1895.
(We de- not claim to know, as President Nor
ton does. what the bishops really meant When
they declared that they were acting under the
guidance Of the Holy Ghost The words may
be- as he SAVE. only a formula that do not mean
what they appear to mean. But II that be So
then. with all due respect. we submit that they
should not be- used The habit that many re-
ligious mon have Of using words ana phrases
emptled OF any real meaning does nuch 10
weaken the cause OF religion ana Should be dis
couraged. The bishops either were or were rot
speaking under the guidance OF the holy 'host
when they put forth this pastoral. II they were.
our statement was correct: II they were not, the
phrasc should not have been used.-EdD
COMPLAINING OF THE BROADWAY CABLE
ROAD.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: VIII you call the attention OF the Board OF
Health, through your paper. to the dangerous ana
inhuman practice of the Broadway Gable car