New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-21
c1ERGYMEN AND OTHERS.

r1 pav DR. r. s. MACARTHUR. pastor %
Co1varv Paptist Church. 1.-The highest teaC ,
of medical practitioners is that II Is lhelf e. .
70 save and not to take life. Inc origin Vi ~ -
stul the profoundest of mysteries. blosehe'7, -.
view that living organisms can come o--S -
living parents, is still dominant along the ~
line Of scientific thinking God alone is me s The
of e only e Musician %9 or physicians may safely
he trusted as to when the recovery OF pc Alb
s Is incurabie It is the duty alike Of patients
and physicians to proong fe so Lar snabIe them
So to do. To the author Of life must De ISi' '-'e
responsibility Of taking life-
The Pew DR. & PARKES CADMAN, OF the zen.
trail CONGREGATIONAL Church, Brooklyn: / am u
the opinion that the power Of ending NE u rls
all conditions should be left in tns of n@f fSs and in
ficts capital punishment for murder
The Rev DR.. MADISON C. PETERS. pastor OF
the Baptist Church of the Epiphany: Il have conn
across many cases where the shortening OF tue
DAYS of the patients would have been an act VI
humanity have seen cases Of hoDelessly insd n
in padded cells suffering t0ptp bf nv board Of
nhyscians be freed from their suner1ngs he Nt
oe s 5o a g9y eTen authority
en- days. to one or two P physicians "o''O
afraid of the abuse of authority.
Or JOSEPH sILvERMAN. rabbi of the Temple
Emanuel: Il do not grant that any disease IS
Ipc,,rab1e A phySiCtanS duty IS 10 assist Aa0uAO
in curing disease and prolongng NE.
The Rev. DR.. CORTLAND MYERS. pastor OF the
BAPTIST Temple, Brooklyn: - Thou shalt nou KIN
is sufficient for d who believes IN God ana fiIs
revelations Mere than this humanity would sulle[
because the gate would be opened to the greatest
injustice wholesale murder"
The Rev. Dr. MINOT J. SAVAGE, of the Un1ta-
rian Church of the Messiah: III all the physicians
in the world were perfectly wise and per1ecuy
good it might be matter then 20 of affars
the discretion would be s so liable 0 an TO
The Rev. DR.. THOMAS r. SLICER, pastor or All
Souls Unitarian Church: Until physicians become
omniscient they cannot expect to be clothed WIN
omnipotence. The physician OF largest experience 3.
will be the most reluctant to think that ne Is
infalIlby sure that patient is incurable Al
though tremendous strides have been MADE ~
surgery and in diagnosis of disease these adEanceS
should be put the service of continuing human
llfe and not be regarded as equlpment LOT
suffering leaves out OF sight the fact that the
Of the ethical and spiritual nature is intima tey
associated with bodily conditions that the DECISION
people o, The RTG}Po9 "a ae
sne Gat into desire 70 put out of the way the
burden of the sick. The whole matter seems 10
me to be the result of a very superficial view OF
human nature. Pain is not the worst thing In the
world, and the ministry to its relief by the SOULS
sustaining power is far higher service tnan that
of chIoroform.'
The Rev. DR.. CHARLES HERALD, pastor of the
Bethesda Congregational Church. Brooklyn: We
do not know His plans for any Of US He can XII
and make ro9 Man ans has no @ WeVer
to take life"
The Rev. ROBERT BAGNELL, pastor Of the
Metropolitan Temple CIethodist EpiscopaD:
'I do not think it right wise to intrust
physician with such authority under any condi-
tions.
First, it would be very difficult for physicians
always to be certain that patient was incurable
Medical science. in spite of its very great ad-
vancement of recent years. is still so incomplete
that the best physicians sometimes mistaken
in their diagnosis of a case.
Second, it ought to be matter of the greatest
Importance to increase the estimate of the value
of a human life and to deepen the solemnity or
death. so that and women will increasingly
appreciate life for all that 1t stands for in oppor-
tunty and responsibility; and death IN us I ne
mendous significance. as the close or human ne
here. If the power to take life is given 70 Physl
in the lessening appreciation OF lie ana must ~
evItably result in a great many sulcldesi , LOT
are lust as painful and likely to be 1ncuraDIe
as physical malades, and that they are as good
and IL a physical disease makes death justihable
surely incurable mental trouble should also make
it Justtfable, and thus reasoning many men VIII
Third the power to take human life is a very
man ought to be intrusted with it. There would
be questions of property Heirs would be anxious Gus
wealth. Many complications would set in involy-
ing the physicians integrity, and unquestlonaoly
il would be another opportunity for crime.
FINALLY such movement is contrary to Gods
law as expressed in nature and the Bible. me
10 emphasized both in nature
and in the Scriptures. and there never can be
a time when man will have wisdom enough 10