The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-06-24
REV. H|GBYS LATEST SERMON.
Pastor of ST. PauI's Church Declares He Will
Leave Denomination When it Ceases
to Grant Right of Liberty.

Bonal liberty and issues foremost W
fore the American public.
While his sermon was really :. de-
Tense of his position on the wet
and dry question he cautiously
avoided any direct reference to it.
Incidentally, Rev. Highly made caus-
tic reply to some of his ministerial
and laymen critics, citing instances
of their so-called inconsistency.
when the Episcopal church ceases
to grant the right of personal liberty
then shall cease to be clergyman
in this church." he declared. Rev.
Highly said:
ION page SIS of the prayer book
may be found the vows which a
priest of this church takes when he
is ordained. l call your attention to
three of them because I think that
very possibly the average church
member is liable to form an opinion
about what a clergyman of this
church should do, or should not do,
founded not on the pledges made by
the priest himself, but founded rather
on various opinions held by Chris
tians outside of this particular church.
The first one of these VOWS is
found at the top of page 51S and
reads: Are you persuaded that the
Holy Scriptures contain all doctrine
required as necessary to salvation
through faith in Jesus Christ? Are
you determined, out of the said Scrip
lures to instruct the people committed
to your charge; and to teaching moth
ing, as necessary to eternal salvation
but that which you shall be persuad-
ed may be concluded and proved by
the Scripture? Answer, l am per
suaded, and have so determined, by
Gods grace.
This church, you see, takes her
stand on Scriptural ground, and
whatever fails of proof when tested
by the Scriptures as interpreted by
this church, a clergyman of this
church, may not teach as doctrine
necessary to salvation.
History plays a very important
part in the doctrinal teaching of the
Episcoapl church. What has been al
lowed in one age of the church's life
as innocent in itself, cannot be con-
demned as immoral in another age.
This makes the church conservative;
a true conservatism naturally belongs
with a true libeTality. Thus the
Episcopal church has stood through
many a conflict as the exponent of
liberal conservatism.
Perhaps this may have been
brought home TO our church members
in the matter of Card-playing and
dancing more strikingly than in any
other connection. We have been
abused and villifed to the extent of
exhausting the English language, be-
cause we would not taketthe attitude
of some other religiOniSts concerning
card-playing and dancing. | have in
my study some very interesting clip
pings from hysterical preachers who
have roundly denounced the Episco-
pal church, and have shamefully
abused it's members, and have called
its ministers reprObates and instru-
ments of the devil, all because we
would not legislate against card-play-
ing and dancing.
And what is the result of this
abuse and vitupeTation? Why the
very churches which have INDUCED
in it, and have themselves been very
bitter against what for the time be-
ing seemed to them to be the most
sinful thing on the earth, are now al
lowing their own members to indulge
in these very things themselves. |
have known one Methodist church
board to vote to suspend their book
OF discipline for the purpose of admit
ting a man and his wife to member
ship in that congregation who re-
fused to unite with them unless they
could be released from the obligations
of the discipline of that church. A
Of
ly, yet it was actually done by the
Methodist congregation in Momence,
Illinois.
The dance hall and all the evils
that go with it have been pictured in
the most rhetorical terms and the
Episcopal church has been charged
with being in some degree responsible
for those evils, and held to be in
league with satan and his angels TO
uphold and perpetuate the incidental
evils of dancing and card-playing.
Il have made many a fight in sup
port of the liberty which ouc church
members have to indulge in these
amusements, and have done so when
some people in the congregation
would take the contrary side and say
we ought to join with the denomina-
tions who oppose these things. We
point out, however, that card playing
and dancing are largely a matter of
good company, time, place, intention
and temperance.
THE dance halls are no doubt evils,
especially as they exist in some of
+Our large cities, but it does not fol
low that ell dancing and all card
playing should be forbidden by law
just beause certain low characters
abuse those things. Thus we stood
steaG-fast in maintaining personal lib
erty for our church members; not
because we ourselves like to dance
and play cards, but because we be-
lieve that Scripture cannot be con-
strued to actually forbid those special.
things.
1--WE teach our people 20 guard
against the evils incident to the in
dulgence in those things, but never
for a moment has this church CON
Oidered the advisability of legislat-
ing against them. Personally. | am
too awkward to dance, and, apparent
ly, too stupid TO play cards; chess and
checkers are about the only games in
which | care to indulge; but never
Tor a moment does a clergyman of
This church consider mis- own personal
likes and dislikes in a question of
this kind; he defends the principle
involved, and teaches that insofar as
the matter has a religious aspect, IL
Is a personal matter. TO be decided
n. f,a1 nnI N an II