The New York herald., 1871-03-01
CARD FROM REV. DR.. EVER,
He Declares He Has Not Backed

He Declares He Has NOT Backed.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALp:-
win you allow me the justice Of space in your col
umns for word or two OF reply your remarks upon
me in to-day's HERALD? Ihave borne silently all the
slanders and abuse that have been heaped upon me
for the last two three years account OF my reli.
gous opinions. But do not propose to bear silently
this new sander that is spreading from man to man
and from woman to woman. and to which you have
gwen currency, namely, that have backed DOWN.
1t is well understood in my vestry and IN my
congregation, and l desire It TO be understood
outside OF my parish also, that rather than retire.
by much as the fraction OF hairs
breadth, from my Catholic position or principles
from my fight with ROmanism, on the one side, and
with Professionalism on the oher--l will willingly
yield every earthly comfort. You nslnuate that I
am now acting from policy. But what are the
facts9 know thar my views q aytremely unpOpu.
lar both among Roman Catholics and among Pro-
testants; and am, and have all along BEEN per-
1ecty willing TO take the consequences OF that
unpopularity. l stand square up to what have
said and done including my obedience to the
bishop. still point to the patent fact that every
Roman Catholic nation In the world and that every
Protestant nation In the world has become riddlcd
through and through with sceptlcism; and he Is q
bold man who Will dare deny this fact. I still
point TO the fact, therefore, that Christianity,
as doctrinal system, is, under both the Roman
Catholic and the Protestant presentments OF It,
patent fallure-that 1t has lost Its hold upon the
enlightened world. II is of no 10 close our eyes
to this enormous wreck. And ask what Is going
To be done about ltr still claim for the old Catho-
lie Christianity that as by its supernatural faith aud
It's corresponding mode OF worship 1t was once en-
abled though starting with only i20 souls. TO 20
forth and IN 800 years conquer the whole enlglt-
ened world so now. again, II 1t IS brought out IN
lis purity ii can do likewise, and recapture the ma
tons which Ronanism and Professionalism
hostility to our Catholic parry for the views
ana practices that party hold, which is only ex.
celled In bitterness BY the hostility OF the Protesants
Its attacks upon u.s. however. have been less
bold and more Jesuitcal than those OF PrOtestants,
but none the less effective Now, sir no cOnsidcrd
tiOns OF policy no sander. and nothing VIII ich this
world can ofier Inc weighs a particle in my mind to
cause me to swerve from my position. And what
ever else that is false may be said no man and no
newspaper shall say Of me, without the promp;est
denial on my part, that l nave from pOlicy's sake
denied my Master or compromised the truth In the
least. Whenm my arguments are answered then may
change but not before. Two months since the
bishop OF the diocese inhibited certain ritual acts
1t Is our instinct as Catholics and it is too, our
pleasure TO obey our right reverend fathers In God
whenever We can do SO without sacrificing princ
pies. Is our instinct and our pleasure to consult
do SO without sacrifice OF principle But for myself
have no ear 10 lend or obedience TO yield to outside
popular clamor You remark In your article
that 1.-The rituastic eXtravagapces have therefore
been dropped and minister and people have come
down TO simple acts OF Worship and that .yester-
day the service and sermon were in harmony" |
content myself by replying, first that the service to
which you allude as having been simDifed is The
main Sunday service Of the church; tnat IL never
has been riiualisc In the popular acceptaton Of the
term, and that. so far as am aware, 1t was rem
dered by me Just as have been in the nablt OF rem
derlng 1t since the introduction OF the boy choir into
our services las: May. Secondly. that the sermon.
which you spoke OF as toned down to suit popular
notions, instead OF being toned down, con-
tained-and IN expressions, too, OF the ut
most frankness-the very statements which have
brought upon me the hate and storm OF Protestant.
ISM ana. furthermore, that your abstract or my
sermon was, so far as It went, true to what said.
Thirdly, that my vestry has not asked me to do a
thing to stuity myself; that on the contrary, It has
been unwilling that | should take any step that
my principles The vestry has acted ia the most
noble, the most manly and Christian manner |
never saw such men. never before conceived such
Will go miles TO meet them, provided have not to
cross the line OF consistency. We have.
the utmost conclIiation, and. SO far as
l know, with the exception Of the case OF
one Individual there is peace and harmony In my
parish. We are In no pecuniary difficulty. We have
rented an unprecedented numoer or pews for mid
winter, ten to one more, as believe than we have
ever before rented in the months OF January and
February; so much 80 that the really desirable ones
are about gone. For the last two months, during
which the press has ceased its attacks on us, the
have been steadily increasing until
Sunday before last, when the church was full. But
the world, the nesn and the Devil will not permit
this prosperty-ths triumph OF ours over our foes
to 60 In the last few days Satan to be de-
termined to step In between me and my vestry
and this our successful career, ana among those
ways by spreading abroad the faslehood that have
deserted my principles and acted and preached in.
consistently with them, ana that the vestry OF Christ
church, eight manly gentlemen, wonld be and are
willing to sustain rector VINO is willing to stultiv
hilnsell; thus fSrclng me into public DENIAL and
FORCING both myself and my parish Into notoriety
which Is harmful. and from which we shrink Ii
was, perhaps, not unnatural that the HERALD should
take up and give voice TO tins public and generally
but none the less false rumor. | am far,
therefore, from finding fault with you but do ask
o you the justice OF permitting me to deny this last
OF tue many ISLANDERS tnat have been started against
me. since you have given 1t your uaDrt,nGtur and
Tue currency OF your columns. J. Z. EVER
NEW YORK Feb. ~ 1871