The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-11-19
BISHOPS POTTER AND TOZER.

My Lord Bishop Potter mas addressed
letter to 'My Lord Bishop TOzer"-On
the old idea, it may be supposed, of, You
tickle me and I'll tickle you" Quere: when
does the " House of Lords" in the United
States meet?
But this letter of Potter to TOzer-our
FIRST inclination was to publish it. But the
value Of its contents is by no means worth
its room. It's argument by way of censure
of the Dean of Canterbury is about as in.
significant as its commentator of TOzer,
showing nothing so plainly as the narrow
minded bigotry by which both of these pre-
late8 is guided. We give two quotations
from Bishop Potter as specimens of views of
Christian charity held forth to the world by
the Bishop Of the largest and most cOnspicu.
GUS diocese in the Episcopal Church. And the
worst is that he is only a sample; those who
would avow any thing better are as :" few
and far between" as angels visits. Bishop
Potter says:
"And there are abundant opportunities for
making such feelings of respect and esteem mani
fest in private In social intercourse, In the ordi-
nary concerns Of lite, without entering into un-
natural ecclesiastical unions which compel sacrifice
of truth and violation OF sacred obligations that
have been deliberately assumed.
The only meaning which can be attached
to this is, that for an EpiScopalian to take
part with such body of Christian men as
met in the Evangelical Alliance, and eSpeci-
ally for the Dean of Canterbury to join in
the communion of the Lords Supper at DR..
Adams church, or for Bishop Cummins to
do the same at DR.. Halls is joining in Gun
natural ecclesiastical unions, is "a sacrifice
of truth aud violation of sacred obligations"
That is the plain meaning. And inasmuch
as this is precisely the position held BY most
of the Episcopal ministers in this country,
the sooner it is brought out in bOldest relief
before the Christian world the better. We
hope therefore, that as Bishop Cummins has
and not unadvisedly, it may be supposed
opened the way for having clear issue made
on this question, Bishop Potter will not
shrink from the responsibility of calling him
into court. The whole Church is interested
in knowing whether the law of the Episcopal
Church fOrbids any one in its communion,
be he Bishop, Priest or deacon, the liberty
of sitting at the table of the Lord with other
Christians.
But Bishop Potter longs for Union. Hear
him;
For genuine unity among all the followers of
our Lord | DO most tervently long and pray. 1t
Is the earnest feeling of our whole communion,
the whole Anglican communion throughout the
world But the union for which we pray, the
union which continually arises up before the long
log gaze of our hearts, Is not a superficial, hating,
half way union of one small imperfect fraction of
ChristeudOm not a mechanical union not a
union from mere feeling tull of suppression of the
truth so full of jealOusieS and incompatibties as
to be incapable Of seeking conservation for itself
in the highest act Of our holy religion 0 no
No such scheme OF union can answer to our idea
of the one fold under the one Shepherd. The
great discovered HOcks must be brought together
10 the love of one truth; in reverence for one
order, ordained of God
0, Yes! That lone truth" and "One or
de" means, of course, Episcopacy, and I'M
til all are brought into that, Bishop Potter
and those Of like mind will condescend to
show Christians of other denominations
respect and esteem" in private, in $50
cial intercourse" and gin the ordinary con-
Germs of life" but to meet them in such as
sembIies as the Evangelical Alliance, and
above all to set with them at the table of
the Lord, in that ordinance which, more
than any other was intended to set forth the