The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-21

That the doctrine of apostolic sue
cession"-to-wit, that the bishops re-
ceive their spiritual commissions in an
unbrOken line from the apostles Of
Christ-posSesses great value and con-
veys notable inspiration, but that it
Is not susceptible of conclusive his
torical proof, and that in any event, it
should not be allowed to separate Pro-
testant Episcopals from other Chris
tians-such was the essence of opinions
advanced yesterday afternoon at
Christ church parish house, Fourth and
Franklin streets, during the twelfth
annual conference of the Church Clubs
of the United States.
This conference Of distinguished
Episcopalian laymen assembled yester-
day morning. Nineteen delegates
from other states and five from Mime
sofa represented nine out of the TWEEN
ty-one Church clubs. Guests from
among the clergy and the Iaity in
creased the attendance on the floor to
thirty. Many women occupied seats in
the gallery.
Speaking in the afternoon of "The
Historic Episcopate," Prof. j. H. Dill
lard, of Tulane university, New Or
leans, said, in part:
rs the strict construction Of the doc
trine of apostolic succession of such
Importance and of such a nature that
1T ought to stand as a bar to church
union?
Disagreement Is Honest.
LAS to the historical aspect of the
doctrine it cannot be denied that there
is honest disagreement among. scholars
ChIr0 haV fn OBJ
edge that it is impossible to recon-
struct the first century and a half Of
our era. No labor of antiquarians. no
projection of historical imagination, has
been able to show US the actual facts
of church history in that period We
have, for example, no jOt of proof that
any special official administered the
derance of evidence and inherent prob
ability seems to point to the fact that
the original church order was largely
congregational.
LAS to the unbrOken line we shall
never reach agreement
yet, even if the facts of the apos-
tolic succession be granted, the doc
trine which they involve - of mere
method of religious order and church
life-ought not to be set against the
spirit of fellowship and unity which is
the very heart of Christs teaching !;
unity, fellowship, brotherhood, concord
these are the words denoting what
Jesus would seem to put first among
his followers
Discussing the paper, Judge r. S.
Tuthill, of Chicago, declared: 1T isn't
in my heart to say to intelligent, con-
sistent Christians, Presbyterians or
whatever they may be-You are
frauds; you are not genuine Chris
tians.' Let those of us to whom
the doctrine of apostolic succession is
an aid and a comfort keep our views
| But I know that this doctrine prevents
the growth of the church, and it is
surely harmful to the church to insist
upon these alleged historical facts"
Proof Banishes Faith.
Maj Moses Veale, of Philadelphia
| believed the doctrine as a matter OF
| faith. "If we could prove the grounds
of our faith" he explained, I'VE should
no longer have any faith"
| Il believe in apostolic succession
| said Judge John S. Conner, of Cincfn-
| natl, president Of the conference, but
| I believe still more in Christian unity
| Bishop Samuel E. Edsall, of this do
| cese, who was invited to express his
| views, maintained that ANY person
| that deserved to go to heaven would
| go there, even if he had never heard
| of the apostolic succession" Relative
| to the historic basis of that doctrine
| the most profound students of the
/ subject had believed that reasonable