The New York herald., 1844-09-10
NEW YORK HERALD.
Bishop Onderdonk's Extraordinary Epistlc
to tho Churches OF PcnnsyIvania.

10 tfle churches OF IcHusylsanAns
We publish on our first page, to-day, one Of the
most lexraordnsry--indeed, we believe, the mos!
extraordinary epis,le which ever emanated from
the pen Of any ecclesiastical dgnitary, in any
church, or in any age OF the world since Chris
tianity was established on the ruins Of Judaism.
IL is the defence of Bishop Onderdonh against
the charges recently preferred against him. A
more appropriate finale could not well be con-
ceiyed TO the proceedings of convention which
began by making violent, intolerani, and indis-
Greet attack upon the liberty of the press. and has
resulted in making a practical and perfectly sails
factory settlement of that profound question, Can
a Church exist without BishopP Dr. Potts and
DR.. Wainwright exhausted reams OF paper IN dis
cusspg this question, and finally became altogether
exhausted without throwing the least light upon it,
But this Convention, with as much ease as child
blows soap-brbble, have shown the world that
Church can exist, for all useful purposes, perfectly
well without Bishop.
The Bishops letter iscertalnly one of the most
original and curious documents we have ever met
with. 1t is the most elaborate, entertaining and
convincing dissertation on that text contained in
the Epistle of Paul to Timothy, in which the
OF good wine is recommended for the sake OF
bad stomach, with which the world has ever been
sessed of all the qualifications necessary for the
elucdaton of this interesting portion of the Scrip
ture With his acquaintance with the science OF
medicine, with ethics, with the analogy OF Scrip
ure and the analogy which brandy aud water
bears to the wine recommended by the vener.
able Apostle of the Gentiles, it certainly was
not unreasonable to expect that this disquis-
tien of the Bishop would be something extraordi-
4. u.l~.
we are surprised and astonished beyond measure
at the triumphantly able mannerin in which this work
has been executed. The minuteness Of detail
the cearness OF the style-the quaint simplicity of
manner-the profound and discriminating acquaint-
ance with morals, medicine, ethics, and the vau-
able science of compounding with ones conscience,
displayed in this sermon, or epise, or episcopal
address, are altogether unparalleled In fact, when
consider the present state Of the clerical pro-
iession, we may properlyFregard this document as
containing the " Marrow OF Modem Divinity"
1t is clear that the Bishop regards brandy and
water-or to speak more accurately, "burnt BRAN
dy"-as precisely identical with the swine" allu-
ded to by the Apostle Paul. This Interpretation is,
in our opinion. quite correct. The term "wne''
was used by Paul merely as generic term, and
will thus include not only ''burned brandy" but hot
Of the Bishops Episcopal brethren in that part of
the United Kingdom called Ireland, have enjoyed
avery high reputation Besides, the salutary effects
produced by the use Of the Bishops panacea afford
strong corroborative evidence Of the soundness of
his reading Of the sacred text A blessing, it ap-
pears, invariably attended the use Of the sburned
brandy" II reached the affected spot with
the rapitiiy Of guardian angel rushing to
IF hafo nd - ,s
also worthy of notice, that the episcopal du-
ties were uniformly discharged with remarka-
BILE vigor and JUNCTION after the practical
adoption by the Bishop Of the judicious advice of
the Apostle to his beloved son, Timothy. What
profane scoffer can for one moment dare to doubt
the justness of the Bishops Interpretation Of the
text, and the propriety Of his close adherence to it,
in the very spirit and letter! We have, indeed,
heard of diyines sticking to the text but certainly
never knew another instance of such unde-
viating--such resaute-such unflinching tenacity
TO the sacred scriptures, as has been manifested by
Bishop Onderdonk. He sticks to his text, morning,
noon, and night-on weekday and Sabbath-day--
in summer and in winter-at home and abroad-in
no circumstances does the Bishop desert his chosen
text-the darling text, to whose elucidaton he
has devoted his cpiscopate, his reputation, his life,
this imperishabe illustration and defence Of the
efficacy of "burned brandy" in subduing the "epis-
copal cholic," which means the world, the devil,
and the flesh.
Would that we had space to expatiate on the
artess eloquence-the unstudied terms of grateful
eulogy-the pious language Of devotion-with
which the Bishop speaks Of the miraculous eff
cacy OF the treatment recommended by the apos-
toc physician. Suffice it to say, that if
this certificate OF the sovereign efficacy of
"burned brandy" in enabling the clergy
successfully to maintain the conflict with the
powers of darkness, had been in his possession,
three years ago, Gil Davis, Esquire, the illustrious
Governor of Concy Island, justly considers that he
would by this time have realized prncely fortune
by the sale OF the article amongst the holy min
istry.
Seriously, the letter presents another dark page
of sin and shame in the history of these times
We have here another sad sad instance of
clerical delinquency-an evil which has done
more to impede the progress of christianity than
all the combined efforts of all the infidels of this
age. We had occasion, not long since, to dwell
at some length on this topic, and we do not
deem 1t necessary to repeat the remarks we then
offered. But we cannot allow this opportunity to
pass, without again directing attention to the grow.
ing progress of immortality amongst the clergy. No
sect or denomination is free from this terrible evil
We have had several melancholy cases Of clerical
turpiude amongst the Baptists and Methodsts A
Catholic priest in illinois is at this moment conn-
ed in the State prison for infamous crimes And
now we have Bishop of the Episcopal church-a
church which has always turned up Its nose at other
secs, arrogating to itself superior sancty-exhibit
ed in the most painful light guilty of gross i'm
mcralities. All this is indeed alarming. The
moral influence of the clergy appears to be all
but obliterated. Where it has not been des-
troyed by immortality, wicked and unchris-
tian intolerance-like that of DIR. Tying, for
instance,-has rendered it utterly valueless. In
such state Of things, the only guardian OF