Evening journal., 1923-01-20


ed publicly and solemnly VIII you
then give your faithful diligence al
ways so to minister the doctrine and
sacraments and the Disciples OF
Christ as the Lord hath command
ed, and as this church hath receiV-
ed the same, according TO the COM
mandments of God. so that you may
teach the people committed TO your
care and charge with all diligence
10 keep and observe the same II
you cannot now conscientlously ac-
cept and teach the Christian faith
as contained in the Apostles Greed,
I It is plain that you cannot con-
slstently continue to hold your COM
mission as a minister and teacher in
| the Protestant Episcopal Church.
One of Two Courses Open.
Tn my judgment, therefore, you
are called upon to follow one OF
/ two courses. You should at once
publicly correct the impression Civ
en- by your recent sermon and state
/ clearly that you do accept the faith
! of the church as set forth in the
Greed, or IL you do not accept this
faith you should voluntarily resign
from the ministry OF this church.
This IS no way restricts or con-
nicts with your personal liberty of
your freedom or thought. You are
at liberty TO teach whatever you be-
ieve. but you are not at liberty 10
deny the faith for which the Prot
estant Episcopal Church stands and
at the same time TO continue as one
of her ministers. It is ineSJnbent
upon all Of us TO follow what we
believe to be the truth wherever
It may lead us and II Il leads you
outside the Episcopal Church Il is
your duty couraseously and honest
" to follow It there. but so long as
you elect to remain minister OF
this church loyalty to It's Greed is
binding obligation upon you. II
you do not believe in Jesus Christ |
as God and Saviour you are |
restricting your own freedom and /
injuring yourself by remaining in !
your present position.
The question involved IL one. not |
only of theology, but OF honor and |
good faith. According to your own /
statement, Il appears that you have
not only given up belief in this or |
that less important doctrine, but that |
you have lost your belief in the |
Saviour Himself as He is presented |
TO us in the -Four Gospels and in the !
Apostolic Greed. You will say that |
this Church allows great liberty of |
Interpretation as TO the meaning ,
of the articles of the Creed. That is |
quite true, and / rejoice in the great I
liberty Of thought which this Church
allows and desire to uphold it to the |
utmost limit that is lawful and |
right
But Interpretation OF a fact or
a truth IS one thing and denial OF /
1t is another. Interpretation means |
reasonable explanation of n fact on |
the basis OF it's acceptance as true. /
To call that Interpretation which IS. |
in fact, denial, is a misuse OF lam
guage. There Is great liberty or
thought and expression IN the Epis- !
copal Church. but this does not glve I
her ministers the right 10 deny the |
essential faith for which the |
Church stands.
Quotes Bishop Potter
I'm n great charge to the conven-
ton OF this diocese, entitled, Law
and Loyalty. which ! would gladly
make i-y own. Bishop Henry c.
Potter said; This Church has her
standards OF faith embodied in the J
creeds and offices and articles,
which, taken together with Holy
Scriptures, are her rule of faith. In
The Interpretation OF these there al
ways has been and there always will
be. certain latitude OF Interpretation
for which every wise man will be
devoutly thankful. But that that
latitude exists is no more certain
than that II has its limits. and that
the transgression OF these limits, by
whatever ingenuity It has been ac-
complished, has wrought only evil in
lowering the moral tone OF the
Church, and in debilitating the in
dividual conscience Is. 1 think. less
certain. d. Out OF all the con-
slict and clamor of opinion above
all the vagaries of individual senti-
ment, or inclination, there rises
that thing which we call loyalty.
to God. or our country, OF
our mother, the Church.
Hints at Heresy Trial
'I do not believe IN heresy trials
II these can possibly be avoided.
They ought never TO be necessary in
tho church where the spirit Of love
and patience and fellowship should
reign. II any man knows that he
cannot fulill the terms upon which
he holds his office in the ministry
he should voluntarily retire from It.
But, to quote again the words of
Bishop Potter. Federation In a Body
which processes TO hold and teach
Truth, must have its limits
Il call upon Sou to correct unmis-
takably the impression which you
have publicly given OF your disbelief
in our Lord Jesus Christ as God and
Saviour, or, II It Is not possible for
you to do so, then 10 withdraw from
the ministry OF this church"
Faithfully yours.
WILLIAM T. MANNING.
p. S.-"As the situation, which
your widely published statement has
created is ono OF much concern to
the church. 1 am giving copies of
this letter to the newspapers"
After DR.. Grant delivered his SEN
sational sermon last Sunday Bishop
Manning would make no comment,
although prominent churchmen all
over the country, and particularly
in New York. felt that some action
was bound 10 follow. The radi-
calism of his Sunday afternoon
forum. his attack on the divorce
laws. his love poetry and unconven-
tional utterances have brought him
uuder severe criticism, from, 4fp,o col