The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-18


BISHOPS GUARDING THE PURITY OF THE CHURCH,
We apprehend that the action of the House
Of Bishops, in refusing to restore to his episco-
pal functions a deposed and degraded bishop,
will commend itself to the judgment of all
right thinking persons, whether within or
without the pale of that communion, excepting
always those lay and clerical delegates to the
New York Diocesan Convention who recon-
mended his restoration. We alluded yesterday
to the fact telegraphed by our special reporter
at Richmond, that the House of Bishops had.
by vote of over three to one, refused to coun-
tenance such q scandal and wrong to the
church; and to-day we print the petition and
other papers in the case, so that its merits may
be fully canvassed and understood.
Here was bishop, one whose holy Office
and advanced years insured him respect and
confidence, who dishonored both his age and
his Office by course Of lascivious and libidi-
nous conduct, who brought disgrace upon the
church, who was by two-thirds vote Of the
House of Bishops adjudged to be unworthy Of
retaining his position or exercising clerical
functions, and who now, after fifteen years Of
submission to his sentence, has the effrontery
to come forward and ask to be reinstalled in the
high and holy Office which he so dshOnored.
And here are reverend and pious men in the
dioccss, the pastors and the pillars of tho
church, men who are looked up to as
patterns of virtue and morality, and
who are supposed to be the types and
representatives Of all the Christian virtues,
coming forward in the face of men and Of an
gels, and declaring their opinion that bishop
whose habits, tastes and life were q byword in
the community was nevertheless fit and pro-
per person to wear the episcopal robes and 10
preside over the diocess.
But the House of Bishops has given to him
and them severe and well merited rebuke.
We are glad of it, and the church, not only here,
but throughout the Christian world, will re-
joice at it. If Onderdonk had been restored
the Protestant Episcopal church would have
thereby inflicted upon itself q fatal wound. BY
his degradation fifteen years ago it purged it.
self of the dishonor which his acts brought
upon it; by his restoration to-day it would
have assumed to itself the infamy of such acts.
Had Bishop Onderdonk been inspired by tho
slightest regard for the good of the church he
would never have sought for restoration to
he high Office he once held, nor accepted it If
rendered to him. Had the several hundred
clergymen and laymen Of this diocess who
recommended his restoration been truly yir
| tuous and good men, they would never have
meditated bringing 30 foul blot upon the
church and upon Christianity. If unchaste and
| ibidinous conduct be no offence in a bishop.
apiori, 1t can be no offence in the subordinate
clergy or their flocks and these clergy and the
three or four hundred other clergymen Of this
city might as well at once ornament their
churches with pictures and statues, after tho
style Of the Venus, at which many Of them take
stolen peep occasionally, in the Dusseldorf
Gallery. The few bishops who sustained the
movement ought equally to be ashamed OF
themselves. The community is gratiHed how
ever, that the movement has 30 signally failed,
and that the church has escaped the scandal
which OnderdonkA restoration would have
brought upon II.