The Rev. Canon John Frizzell wrote [TLC, Sept. 16] in response to Fr. Frary [TLC, Aug. 19], whose letter wondered whether persons seeking ordination might be "buying a pig in a poke" when they promised to conform to the "doctrine, discipline, and worship" of the Episcopal Church."

In his letter, Canon Frizzell says three bishops (Schofield, MacBurney and Iker), all promised to uphold the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the church at their consecrations, which occurred after the ordination of women was approved by General Convention. Thus, Canon Frizzell implies, these three bishops are reneging on their ordination vows because they do not accept the ordination of women.

When ordination of women was approved in 1976, it was not done by direct approval of the question "Can women be ordained?" Rather, the resolution before convention dealt with the question of interpreting "he" in the canons regarding ordination as specific (only referring to men) or generic (meaning "he or she"). A direct vote on the matter would have been a change in the canons and would have required the vote of two successive General Conventions. The vote actually taken was on how the canons might be interpreted. At the time, the motion to interpret "he" as generic was proclaimed by its proponents as permissive, not mandatory.

Clergy of the Episcopal Church believe an incredible array of things about any point of doctrine or worship you might care to mention. I meet clergy whose doctrine of the Trinity is modalist; that is, "we experience God in three ways," rather than the credal claim that God exists in three persons in himself, and would be three persons even if no human being existed. The resurrection is often proclaimed in such fuzzy terms that one has no idea of what the speaker means.

Practically speaking, we seem to be coming to the strange position about doctrine that one may believe anything about anything, except for the ordination of women, which must be accepted. If the Episcopal Church allows such a great diversity of belief and conviction on so many points, it should be consistent, and allow diversity of opinion on this one. Of course, that would still leave all ordinands in the position of buying a pig in a poke as they made their vows, but at least it would be even handed.

(The Rev.) Charles F. Sutton, Jr.

Trinity Church

Whitinsville, Mass.