Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05
EPISCOPAL PERIODICAL
DISCUSSES DOCTORS"
Living Church Declares That Clerg,
of That Denomination Are Put
Mt Disadvantage.
SAYS DEGREE IS EASY TO GET
Sympathizes With Faithful, IntclIi-
gent College Graduate Who Must
Go Through Life as Plain "N1istcr,"
Surrounded by Doctors.

Under the heading. Doctors in Divin-
ity." the Living Church. an organ Of
the Episcopal Church. published in
Milwaukee. Wis has n tart editorial
concerning the title Doctor" as ap-
piled to ministers. In part, the edito-
rial follows:
Something must he done by the
church. and that something had best he
done very soon. Plain Mr. Brown. or
that horrid. ungrammatical Rev.
Brown of the country newspaper. puts
the clergy of tho Episcopal Church at
humiliatinG disadvantage. They live
in communities where every sort of n
clergyman and some sorts of prea CHI
crs sport titles and walk about in sol
emn state as Doctors 1t is true that
the title is not difficult To secure. There
are in this part of the country owls
consin) several incorporated institu-
lions. OF no reputation IL is true, and
living TO some extent on what candi-
dates for degrees will pay them. who
VIII register. with great show of for.
msiity, the name of the candidates for
degree. lists of books will be sent
which may be read or may not. cxami-
nation papers which man can All out
In the peace of his study. with books
at hand: or thesis may he required
which is. proba bly,. never read: for
who was ever turned down, If he could
pay the fee for registration, parchment
expressing, etc. etc?
mill" BASES CHARGE
on APPLICANTS SALARY
What the degree costs. is, in one
mill at least. dependent on the aplount
of the salary the applicant receives
for the faculty want all they can
get and yet are willing. for the sake
of business, to take what the Doctor
to-he VIII pay, But these degrees
serve the purpose quite as we'll as de-
grees earned by hard work, and arc
Just as good as the honorary degrees.
ID. d. and D. G. l.. and LII. D.. conferred
on men because they have become bish-
ops or have n friend at court.
What's the use Of protcstinCo Let
a man laugh TO himself and sport his
ID. II serves his purpose. It's n
little stool to raise him an inch or
two above plain 'Mistcrs' in the min
istry. and the people no longer think
the Episcopal minister a man of less
consequence than his brother down the
street. ID or Del. or LII. D. Cantab,
or OXon. would not serve his purpose
better
IN view OF the present distress. no
one objects to calling man by the
title by which he wishes to be called
unless 1t be an editor OF u Church AL
manac. But the DID. who does not
read through in a year any closely
reasoned treatise on the theology: the
Del who has never read through the
Canons OF the General Councils. and
who would not know the recension and
collection OF Canons made by Photius
Patriarch OF Constantinople. from a
leather apron. and who would be sure
that YOU were amusing yourself by
asking conundrums If you sought in
formation about the Concordia Discor-
dantium Canonnm: the LII. d. who
could not keep his face straight when
he heard himself described as we'll
learned In the law: must not ask the
world TO take their cminence too Sc
riously nor too evidently take them
selves very seriously The hard COM
mon sense Of the average man, give
him time to get over his surprise. calls
a blum. every time. and communities
In time give man about what is his
due-degree or no degree
ONLY SENSE OF HUMOR
PREVENTS DEPRESSION
Seriously. one cannot but sympa-
thize with the faithful. intelligent
priest. possibly college graduate
theological seminary. who has too
much pride to set in motion any ma
chincry TO secure an honorary DID
from reputable Institution or too
much conscience to run a Grist through
n degree mill. and who has therefore
humbly TO say TO every other man he
meets, You have made 4 mistake:
I'm no Doctor. I'm only plan Mr.
Brown
Possibly saving sense OF humor
may be compensation 10 some men
who have no t!;le and who are only
Mister TO their par!shione-s. y good
laugh may save them from serious
depression"