The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-29
TWO HEATHEN BISHOPS.

with their internal affairs, their private quar-
rels, and the factional contests that bring
them into disagreeable prominence before
the public. They claim the right to fight it
it out among themselves, like the Kilkenny
cats, and affect to consider the criticism of
newspapers in particular as impertinent more
especially if such criticisms fail to see any
great fundamental principles involved in
these squabbles, but rather look upon them
as exhibitions of bad temper obstinacy, and
unchristian illiberality, that are anything
but creditable to the professed min
listers of the Gospel of Peace. This
is a very serious mistake. The public gene
rally, Christian or infdel Jew or Gentle,
has an interest in every religious denomina-
tion, which cannot be set aside, and every re-
ligious denomination has a direct RESPONSE
bility to the public. The various churches
WELD moral influence in the community,that
they themselves are eager to take advantage
of at all times; and even those who take no
thought of religion for its own sake
are willing to contribute to its support and to
outwardly give it countenance, because of the
benefits that are supposed to be conferred by
churches, clergymen, and all the appliances
of religious systems in restraining the evil
tendencies of mankind and in aiding the civil
law by inculcating principles of obedience
and rectitude. A church is a city set upon a
kill, that cannot be hid; and every person who
processes religion, and especially every cler-
gyman who makes it the business of his life
to teach and preach it, assumes responsibilities
not only to God, but to mankind at large that
! ha Of CiD
An exhibition of malice, or uncharitabe-
ness, or meanness, or bad temper on the part
of politician, a lawyer, or any other lay
man, exerts bad influence only in general
way, and it generally finds plenty who
are ready to reprove or denounce. When a
clergyman, however, makes a discreditable
exhibition of himself, direct injury is done
to the cause of religion and good morals; his
example is made an excuse for the short
comings of others who have not assumed his
responsibilities, the enemies of Christianity
are encouraged, the wicked rejoice,
and the Church is brought into
Just contempt contest is now being
carried on between two bishops of the Epis-
copal Church in this country that cannot fail
to pain those who know what the influence of
that Church might be if it was not de-
stroyed by internal dissentions, oftentimes
about matters of no practical Importance,
and that might easily be arranged if both
factions were willing to exercise a little
Christian forbearance and charity towards each
other. 1t seems that Bishop Whitehouse, of
Illinois, has leaning towards rtualism which
is not in accordance with the ideas of goodly
tl,o &c oh, ic oh
Not content, however, with holding the High
Church views which he does, he has
commenced an active crusade against the
Low Church party, proposing to crush it out
Vi ct a7miS. A Rev. Mr.. Cheney, of Chi
cago, has been indicted and put on trial before
an ecclesiastical court for emitting certain
words in the church service which he, in
company with great number of others, be-
Eeves to be unscriptural. Mr. Cheney be-
lieved or professed to believe that the Court
was packed to ensure his conviction
whether or no, and claiming that he was not
allowed a fair trial. he appealed to the civil
courts and obtained amir Injunction to stay pro-
ceedings, which leaves that matter in situa-
ton that can scarcely be considered as salts
factory to either party.
The belligerent Whitehouse, not satisfied
with supervising his own ecclesiastical do
minions, has turned his attention to the adj
joining diocese of Kentucky. Assistant
Bishop Cummins, of that diocese, some time
since preached sermon in Trinity Church,
Chicago, in which he alluded in severe
terms to the ritualistic tendencies
of the day. These remarks Bishop
Whitehouse assumed to be personal,
and he consequently isued an edict forbid
ding Cummins henceforth from preaching
in Illinois. In defiance of this prohibition,
} Bishop Cummins accepted an invitation to
preach second time in Trinity Church, and
7 this drew forth an indignant protest from
Bishop Whitehouse, in which great deal Of
3 what it would be putting it mild to call
e bad language was used; and the epistle winds
e up, as is usual in such cases, with an assevera
+ ton OF purity of motives, desire for peace
d and an appeal to the Almighty, which to
n dlsinterested outsider must seem little Dor
h dering on the blasphemous
n Now in what do these two Bishops diffe
a from the heathens? in what are they superio
n TO the ungodly multitudes that sneer at reli
r gon and revile at holiness? What kind o
20 an example do these men who claim to b.
le priests OF the Most High God set to the youn,
es men and women under their spiritual guar
as dianship, who ought to be able to look f.
Mt them as examples of godly life?
e. Whatever right there is in the case appear
nd to be on the side of Cnn,un;nc 80 Al, 80 l. -,