Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-06-18

on account OF u premature Arrangement
to adjourn by certain date will I trust
be avoided In the future. And earnest
~ hope that the Observation-Disclosures and
misrepr rtations which have prevailed
concerning the attitude of the bishops
will lea them to abolish the custom OF
sitting ordinarily with closed doors.
through which inaccurate reports pass.
repeat that had It been foreseen that the
canon would be used as IT has been used,
feel morally sure that it would not
have been accepted, and perfectly certain
that there would have been strenuous
opposition TO It's passage.
"(3) Regulated permission for ad-
dresses on special occasions by experts
on particular subjects, missionary or
philanthropic regarded entirely apart
from any question of the speakers
ministerial status, was what 1 believe
the addition to the canon was general
~ understood to provide. Such a per-
mission, or recognition of right, I am
prepared to stand by and defend, as
am opposed TO what ! believe to be a
misuse OF the permission. To treat the
| canon as giving permission under the
| designation of n Christian man, not
had been formally deposed from the
ministry of this Church because he had
become a Unitarian preacher, to give
an address in church, to consider a
special occasion as covering a week.
| ly exchange in preaching through Lent
between the rector of n parish and a
| neighboring Congregational minister,
or course of sermons through the
! i,,ic of liaa
or to authorize the sermon at the reg
ular morning service on Christmas day
being preached by a Baptist minister;
such action q say j. with all DELHI
Grafton, and with true personal respect
for the bishops concerned) Is in my
Judgment to play fast and loose with
obligations, and to make words mean
anything we please. 1t is (however
unintcnitnoally) 70 connive at the
breaking down of all discipline.
90 Moreover, anything Of this kind
is not, I am sure. really in the interest
of Christian unity. With the thought
O., conciliating those who are outside.
1t leads to and accentuates dis-union
within our own fold Devout lay peo-
pie are alienated by having such
strange. and as they have been taught
troduced into their churches. And II
in a particular parish such course
meets with general approval q doubt II
it would be lasting), 1t must be re-
membcred that We are not organized or
Congregational basis. Individual
parishes-or dioceses-have no right. mora
, or legal, to please themselves and In
dulge their own vagares, to the dis.
quetude OF their brethren,
"Once more ! have too much respect
for those who. however. mistaken I ma.
, think them, regard their ministerial posi-
ton as being MS good as ours, and theil
, general organization ana doctrine as bet
! ter (or they would not hope, be where
they are), to say TO them. you may come
, by special permission on an occasion, and
: exhort and instruct our people (prophesy
, the advocates of such a line would tern
III at n service In which you cannot b.
: allowed TO lead In prayer. and o
course you may not administe
? sacraments. Such an attitude of dis
elimination between one minister AM
t another on personal grounds, and be
6 tween one ministerial function and an
q other, can hardly he thought Of as at
| tractive or concliatory. ! may here quote
as exactly expressing my own convictions
. the words of Bishop william White. tn
first bishop of Pennsylvania. who on &C
count Of the historical position he held
! and for his personal moderation AM
/ sobriety OF judgment, will BE- recognize
n as n representative authority OF tn
$ American church. In his commentary RE
70 on the questions in the office for tn
. ordaining priests. Bishop White says.
tnAn xnyl,A 70 ~