“When I was ordained a deacon, and then a priest, I took vows which would appear to be literally conflicting. Compelled to choose between these vows, I accept that as supreme which I made when I affirmed that I would teach nothing which I should be persuaded might not be concluded and affirmed by the Scripture. The Creeds were derived from the Scripture—not the Scripture from the Creeds. As an individual among a body of Christians I am powerless to change either the ordinal vows or the Creeds, I am obliged to wait for the consensus of opinion. But if, on the whole, I can satisfy my conscience in repeating the Creeds and reading the service, as other honest men are doing—if I am convinced that I have an obvious work to do in that Church, it would be cowardly for me to abandon that work.”
Her eyes lighted up.
“I see what you mean,” she said, “by staying in you can do many things that you could not do, you can help to bring about the change, by being frank. That is your point of view. You believe in the future of the Church.”
“I believe in an universal, Christian organization,” he replied.
“But while stronger men are honest,” she objected, “are not your ancient vows and ancient Creeds continually making weaker men casuists?”
“Undoubtedly,” he agreed vigorously, and thought involuntarily of Mr. Engel's phrased fatty degeneration of the soul. “Yet I can see the signs, on all sides, of a gradual emancipation, of which I might be deemed an example.” A smile came into his eyes, like the sun on a grey-green sea.
“Oh, you could never be a casuist!” she exclaimed, with a touch of vehemence. “You are much too positive. It is just that note, which is characteristic of so many clergymen, that note of smoothing-over and apology, which you lack. I could never feel it, even when you were orthodox. And now—” words failed her as she inspected his ruggedness.
“And now,” he took her up, to cover his emotion, “now I am not to be classified!”
Still examining him, she reflected on this.
“Classified? Isn't it because you're so much of an individual that one fails to classify you? You represent something new to my experience, something which seems almost a contradiction—an emancipated Church.”