Evening journal., 1923-01-15
blow to the indwelling deity.

blow to the indwelling deity.
The power of the priests to per
form such an act with such conse-
quences is due to the theory which
is still held by the Roman Catholic
Church and by the high churchmen
in the Episcopal Church, that
through what is called the apostolic
succession where line of bishops
unbroken from Christ to Bishop
Manning are supposedly gifted with
miraculous powers. Through the
so-called apostolic succession, the
clergy and priesthood Of the present
day have received miraculous pow
ers from Jesus Christ, who received
them from God.
Now, of course, very few clergy
men today who have been educated
in the large universities-by which
] mean places where science as well
as classics and mathematics are
taught-accept the idea that-Jesus
had the power OF God. He doubtless
did miracles. as they were regarded,
in His day, but as NJ. Coue points
out, many of them were acts Of auto
suggestion. and would fall under
well-known categories clearly and
well classified by psychologists to-
day Science understands them.
They are not miracles.
The educated classes today. IN
Guiding clergymen and priests. do
not accept miraculous powers OF the
priesthood. They do not SEQ the
propriety Of taboo upon a church
building that serlouly interferes
with Its high purpose.
Let us say this purpose Is the
worship of God and the service OF
mankind; or, as Professor Carver OF
Harvard has put it. the problem Of
the human race is to help the living
The priestly idea Of the mirac-
ulous has penetrated other instltu-
tions beside that Of the church as
an ediiice. 1t has laid It's hands upon
certain ideas OF life and called them
sacraments. Again the relation of
the Chuch to these things Is re-
garded as miraculous, wonder
working.
Take the matter OF marriage. Fl.
baptism, the sacrament Of the
Lords supper. extreme unactlon,
etc. Anybody can see advantages in
high relationships from giving them
the general atmosphere of nobility.
of expectation, of high vision: but,
again, II we clearly understand that
priests have no power TO make mar
rlage more than II is, its sacredness.
we perceive comes not from a priest.
hut from its essential characteristics
which have to do with the attitude
and lives of the people involved and
cannot he preserved as something
Independent OF their feeling. will
and behavior.
LAS the poet James Russell
Lowell said. The miracle i des out
OF conservation. Our task consists
in finding a golden light in the heart
OF human life and divine, without
the aid of the miraculous. so that
when the miracle fades we have
more enduring, some
thing more wonderful than the
which won't fade. The
beauty and growth in the soul.
The preacher then read a news I
paper clipping which related that |
Bishop William Lawrence, head OF
The Protestant Episcopal Diocese OF /
had taken in charge /
a movement TO raise the standard OF 4,
the industry.
Bishop Lawrence Of Massachu- /
setts. who is interested in the Cam |
bridge Episcopal Theological School. |
wants to raise the standard OF the |
DIR. Grant went on. III /
the ministry is a mechanical service /
Of the sacraments by people who be- I
Iiovc in their miraculous origin and 1
power. any plow boy can take the /
Job; in fact, that is the source from I
which to recruit the ministry for /
heir ignorance and credulity would
-asily persuade them to the miracu-
Gus character of the ministry,
THE unintellectual quality OF the
ask would require nothing more
han they bring from the fields.
THE trouble with the ministry is
rot TO he attributed 10 their scholar-{
ship. They have had the best edu-
alton the country can give. The
rouble is the repression OF their best
hought and study by comfort-lov-
ng congregations. which do not
want to be stirred up by the pro-
ems OF the day; also. the trouble
With the clergy is the repression by
,hicials in ecclesiastical authority
Who call halt upon freedom OF
hought in the pulpit.
a man of wide experience told
ne a day or two ago that lawyers
nd other intelliccnsa who repre-
ent the mental strength in most
owns and cities are superior to that
II the clergy. My own opinion is
hat it is not question OF mental
trength but of freedom.
The pulpit is the worst place in
which to get acquainted with the
lergy. In his clubs. on his vsca-
ions. at a dinner table. he prob
bly, is himself. And feeling free
o express his private views with
ut molestations. he will surprise
lis hearers by the breadth and
trength of his thoughts.
I'm the pulpit, on the contrary.
@ often feels between hostile forces
hat would enjoy his ruin. As the
hrase is, he plays safe.
This is no more than what poll
icians and business men are doing
II the time.
"A man. when he goes into the
ulpit, ought to feel as free as Vol
aire did when he sat down to write
that nothing should bother his
nind except the shortcomings of
is own power of thought.
"Hs - TO break away from his