Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-15
WILL ADMIT NO DOUBT
Bishop Potter on the Higher
Critics and Criticism.
MAY BE HONEST DISBELIEF
Such Feeling is to Be Best Combated
by Prayer.
ALTERNATIVE OF RETIREMENT
Holds That Minister Should Not At
tempt to Reform Church Doctrines
From the Inside.
ALTERNATIVE OF RETIREMENT

In the. course of his address before the
123d annual convention of the Protestant
Episcopal Diocese of New York yesterday
Bishop Potter spoke in vein which sug
gested that he had in mind cases such as
that of Rev. DR.. a. 8. Crapsey of Roeh-
ester, N. Y, who is under charges of
heresY.
Promising that "a man in holy orders
may lose his Eold on fundamental verify,
either temporarily or permanently" the
bisnop said that lin such a case one may
wisely withdraw. temporarily, from the ex
ercise of his ministry, and seek by prayer
or study for the solution of his doubts. But
If those doubts are not resolved by such
process, then, as it appears to me, the
other alternative becomes imperative
Continuing, the bishop took the ground
that man in holy orders who rejects, for
example. the doctrine of the divinity of
Christ, or that of His miraculous birth, has
no place in the ministry Of His church and
that IF it is the minister's office Gas
he may easily believe that it is) to enamel
pate the church from so gross a super
sitltion,' then he must do so from without,
and not from within, for it is impossible, in
the minds of people who hold fast to the
principles of common honesty, to respect
either the consistency the integrity of
one who eats the church's bread, accepts
the church's dignities,. enjoys the church's
honors and inpugns the church's faith"
AS to laymen who do not hold to the
fundamental doctrines of the church,
Bishop Potter said they do not stand upon
and are not bound by identical obligations.
Action on the Congo Urged.
Two resolutions offered by Rev. Dr. John
P. Peters, rector of ST. Michael's Church,
and subsequently, adopted by the conven-
ton, caused stir among the delegates.
The first dealt with the Congo Free State
and called upon the convention to urge the
United States government to take such ac-
ton, conformity with, the European pow
ers, as will end the ''misrule and the op-
preston Of the natives there. In speaking
to the resolution, DR.. Peters said that the
conditions of the Congo Free State were
scandal Rev. DR.. J. Lewis Parks, rec
tor of Calvary Church, objected to the reso-
luton because. he said, measures of such
a nature usually needed thorough investi-
CATION. Bishop Potter then appointed a
committee headed by DR.. Parks to consider
the resolution. Amid laughter this commit
tee presently reported DR.. Peters resolu-
ton and it was adopted without question.
The second resolution asked Mayor Nc
Clellan to close the theaters which are open
for performances on Sunday night This
resolution was carried unanimously.
Corporate Evils.
cut in preaching the sermon, declared that
the church must take cognizance of corpo-
ratons and should strike boldly at the evils
evolving with their present day extension.
He referred in particular to the heartless
crushing out of competition by corpora ton
interests. He also condemned preaching to
privileged classes.
In speaking of the possible mission of the
church, Bishop Brewster said:
There is one evident need in American
life at the present day. 1t is the need of
opposing elements of society closer together
and bind them, not by any external and
mechanical adjustments. but by spiritual
bonds into genuine unity.
The church Of Christ, 1t Is true is for
men, not as rich or poor, but as men
whether rich or poor. Her clergy ought to
take good care not even to seem to be re-
tanned in the interests of any particular
privileged class.
.t'The corporation is practically new
kind of individuality. Therefore has the
church not only to deal with individual
persons, but also corporate. Christianity
cannot ignore the character and conduct of
corporate bodies of men. She has still to
on behalf of righteousness.
"She has to show how much men NAV
share in responsibility for corporate action
to bring, as it were, an X-ray to penetl ate
the tissue of soulless corporation, and, find
ing mems conSciences, to reveal personal
responsibility for dishonest dealing and ex-
action and lawlessness, for wrongs like
child labor and the INSCRIPTIONS crushing
Of opponents"