The New York herald., 1845-01-10
The Church without a bishop At Last.
To THE EDITOR OF THE New YoRK HERALD

To THE EDITOR OF THE New York HERALD
The following communication written for
publication in one Of our local p.pers, but the
writer upon further reflection has changed his in
tention, and now forwards it for publication in your
widely circulated Journal-the only one IN New
York that has openly and manfully opposed itself
TO the torrent OF calumnv and abuse, with which
has been sought TO overwhelm our Bishop and
trample him in the dust, in order TO CRAFTY the
malevolent spirit of party bgotry and personal re-
venge, and this too for the most shameless rea.
but for their theological differences, the recent pro-
ceedlngs would not have been resorted TO. II Will
be seen, that there are references in the communl
cation to some important facts, to which the public
generally are strangers. Yours, &c.
BISHOP ONDERDoNk.
When this eminent prelate announced to his dio.
cese few weeks since that ne had been made the
subject Of canonlcal presentment, and called up
IN The people of his diocese to suspend their opin-
ions on the subject until the result of the invest
CATION should be known, it would seem as II COM
mon justice, IT not common decency, would have
restrained the conductors OF the public press--and
especially OF those pressesunder the control of pro-
fessed members of the church-from prostituting
their columns by the publication Of articlesevi-
denty intended to forestall public opinion against
the Bishop, and pander to the absurd prejudiccs that
are well known 10 exist against him,ln consequence
OF the occurrences that took place Just previous to
and during the session of the diocesan convention
of l843 During the investigation, however,
before the House of Bishops, the editors
Journals, have discovered little regard in this
case for individual character and high station in
the church, as il they had been canvassing the de-
merits OF some ambit GUS aspirant to political dis
tlnctlOn, and were pandenng 10 the bad taste of
their readers, by ejectlng, according to custom on
such occasions, the usual quantity Of rbaldry and
slime, by which their trail is in general so well de-
fined. 1t is perhaps very NATURAL that the Editor of
the Courier, should take deep interest in the mat
ter, a. his theological investigations have been pur
sued with great industry and research, ever since
mlsh doctrine Of ndulgences, so far as IT relates to
the remission OF temporal penalties, by referring to
the remission Of them in the Editor of the Corier's
own case by the late Governor Seward.
The unfair course pursued by these papers to-
wards the Bishop, while the investigation OF
the charges against him was going on, renders
i an act OF common justice only TO. state
for the information of his numerous pr rsonal friends
in this part of the diocese that the charges agains,
him were few in number. and of stale and COM
paratlvely livilous character no real CLAIM
to the grave consequence that has been attached to
them-and that they may fairly be regarded In
connexiOn with the motives and influences thar
are believed to have instigated these proceedings,
as the result OF g secretly organized conspiracy,
designed to sacrifice him to the fell spirit Of party
blgctry and personal revenge, by assailing his pr
vate character, since its contrvers had been foiled
in the more open and manly mode of attack that
had hitherto been relied upon
q Ii report be true, some OF those in high Places
who claim to be the especial advocates of the
right OF private judgment, have discovered spirit
OF intolerance in the course of the recent investi
CATION, that would not have disgraced the charac
ter and claims of the Grand Inquisitors of past
davs.
The verdict that has been rendered in this
case will create no little surprise in the dio.
cese, and must produce a very general feel
ing OF deep sorrow and Indignation, that
the Bishop should be suspended from his Of
fice In consequence OF the presentation of
three charges, relating TO occurrences alleged to
have taken place years since and which have only
grown into Importance since the ordination of the
late Mr.. Carey-charges from persons, some of
whom it is said proved to have been urgent in
ssbs qdcntiy TO the perod OF the alleged cccuuen
ces-and from others whose strict regard truth is
said TO have been placed In very questionable
light.
Six Of the Bishops, including Ives, Deancey,
Doane, and others of the highest character and
standing in the church, were tor acquittal-lhree
were for suspension, and eight for degradation
Among those:who voted for degradation, were seve.
raj who said to PROFESSIONALLY inimisal to Bishop
.Oonderdonk and the greater part of them are be-
llevcd 10 have been dcslrous of bringing hun tc
Irill and deposing him, for having ordained the
Rev. Mr.. Carey. Thus circums,anced, the six
who believed him innocent were obliged to unite
with the three who voted tor suspension, in order
to save him from the immediate sentence OF de-
gradation.
Reports in circulation, from sources entitledto to
credit, that like lntoerant and prosecuting spirit
was displayed in the case OF Bishop Onderdonk of
Pennsylvania that nine of the Bishops enter
ed their solemn protest against the whole proceed
ing on that occasion, as uncanonical illegal, and
nnrlghteous The Bishop OF Pennsylvania, it will
be recolleced, offered his resi-. to the Dioce
san Convention, upon the ground of i'll health, and
inability to perform his official dutesstating very
frankly, IN the communication IN which he prot
tered his resignation, that his lntirmles had COM
PEELED him TO use stmulants in somewhat large
quantities, but never 10 inebraton, as had been
charged. Finding, however, that the Convention
were about placing their acceptance OF his resg-
nation on other grounds than those upon which he
had, distinctly placed 1t, he at once attempted 10
withdraw 1t, and demanded trial, if other and in
JuIlous reports to his reputation were to be made
the reasons for accepting his resignation. The
onventlon, however, decided that the resignation
could not be Withdrawn. although il had not been
acted upon, and proceeded to accept it, without
granting his demand for a trial-and the action of
the House OF Bishops IS reported to have been
grounded upon these proceedings alone-the sen
ience of suspension having been passed upon him
without even going through the form of a trial!
1t must be obvious to all thinking persons that
in an age and In a country when an enlightened
puDllc opinion exercises controlling influence and
sway over the minds OF men, that II will never an
swer for a few men who have been called to pre-
side over the general interests OF the numerous and
enlightened body composing the Episcopal Church
in the United States, to resolve themselves into
secret conclave. after the fashion OF that which
meets in Rome. and then secretly, and without ap-
peal, depose from The exercise of their high func-
tIons, Bishops OF Independent dIoceses, without
submitting their reasons and the circumstances of
the ca se 10 the judgment OF the whole church. As
tIlcy CldlIi no tHcoIy, IL VIII never
answer for them to it in practice and hold
themselves above and beyond the judgment OF
those by whom they have been elected to their
stations.
The Episcopal church is evidently in a false posi-
ton, and it its unity is to be preserved, and the
church TO retain its aim to general respect, It's con-
stitution must be 80 tar modified TO prevent
bare majority Of its Bishops in secret concave,
from suspending or degrading its high dgnitares,
who may thus be sacriied to the vndictive spirit
of party, and personal animosity Since we nei-
ther have nor can have any sole executive head,
the operation Of tie qualifiedveo, exercised by
the head of the civil government, should be secu.
red for the protection of all against whom any ex-
treme sentence may be pronounced, by requiring
the assent of two-thrds OF their numberto the va
lidity of such sentence.
The diocese of Virginia appears to have perform
both as accuser and judge-Bishop Meade ofiicia-
ting of the presenters, and his assistant
one Of the iudrea