New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-17
PROF. SEYMOUR'S ACCUSERS.
A CAUSTIC LETTER FROM THE REV. J. H.
HOPKINS,


AGAINST THE BITUAIIsTs.
To the Editor Of The Trtbnne.
SIR: Those of your readers who church
men will not forgotten the eight days secret session
last October tho Lower House OF tue General Conyen
ton, ending in the rejection OF tho Rev. Dr. sey-
mour then the BshOpelect Of Illinois, on suspicious
OF unsOundncs and accusations by Bishop Coke OF west
ern NcwYork, touching his administration OF the Cen
Theological Seminary Of which he then the act
ing Dean There OF that time artificial panic IN
the minds OF many men, which continued for some
months afterward. and in combination with other cir
custances led to the rejection OF DR. DE kovon also by
the Standing Committees. We are now in a position to
look back and take observations.
First DR. Seymour As after the action Of the
General Convention possible the not permitted TO
be present you remcmbcr). he published categorical
contradiction OF every material point contained In Bishop
C0xos letters sustained by the Oaths Of fourteen men,
himself included This settled mems minds, aud appar
entity settled Bishop Coxcs mind Also for he has since
on that subject been dumb oyster. lie has made
no apology dmcnde. In the last week Ia June, the
Board Of Trustees OF the General Theological Seminary
held its annual meeting. Bishop Coke Is member or
that Board and for years past has been very regular in
his attendance II he sustain his charges against
Dr. Seymour, that meeting OF the Board was the only
proper place to do IT, He could not attend there ana be
silent on that subject, without virtually a' noWedglng
that his charges were groundess He could attempt
to sustain them without failing 80 utterly that IL wOnd
have discredcd himself forever He therefore aDscnted
himself entirely from the meeting He was well enough
to attend the Commencement services OF Hobart College,
where plan for the removal Of that College to Buffalo
(supposed to be q plan favored by Bishop Coxel was
unanimously defeated and he was well enough To make
cch afterward showing that he had not favored that
plan at all and mover would. But the rum0r in New
York was, that Bishop Coke absent from the Board
OF Trustees owing to the advice Of his physician that
10 IA. ,,fl al a
excitement" But If Bishop Coke himself was not pres
emf peraps he had some freud who would support his
charges against DR. Seymour There such friend
Never were any charges treated with more absolute ana
consummate contempt. DIR. seymour himself IN us re-
port as Acting Dean did not think them worthy OF the
ptest or ost remote allusion. OF nearly 100 bishops,
clergy, and laity present there was not ono 10 lisp
hint that they were remembered II Bishop COKE
and his charges had belonged the realm and reign Of
Scnnacherb, they could not have been more totally
ignored But when Judge Otis Of the lons-'utering
Diocese of Illinois and OF the deputies who pleaded
the cause e Dr. Seymour las; October moved to 20 into
the election Of permanent Dean OF the seminary the
motion was carried without word OF objection rom
ANYBODY and OF the % votes cast at the first ballot Dr.
seymour received ia majority OF 81 over allI dns
question is set;led take it, between Bishop Coke anu
DR.. Seq mOur. And 50 say we ALL"
But this "a not the whole of the in issue Dr. sey
mOur cd and defeated last October because ne
thought very enormously indecl 10 ne rcSei'
tive OF an extreme school in tcologyhe school ident-
fed with Dr. Pusey and tie Bishop Of Brecsin, upon
whom for many years Bishop Coke has poured one streams
theological denunciaton astonishing Doth Tor Ni"ehre
and volume. The chief ohjccllTe point OF tns ~
was an aInabe dream cherished by those TWO dlotln-
guished dyincs and some few OF their IT ens 'n reunion
with Rome practicable through mutual eXpihati.hs
OF the dccrces of Trent the one side anu on the
Thirty nine Articles on the other doubt whether
this aae dream f'@nd on ANY saw Sp at sove
known n single But Bishop Coke was very sure
they existed and were terribly danSeros ieo"s,
demanding his unceaslng Vigilance 10 Keep hein Ioi
ROmaniLng the whole Church Of America, III was AS
representative m"n OF this desperate anu namseIUns
s. hool that DIS. se and DE found themselves
the objects of his npaSsionrd warfare Tor IL was none
other than Bishop Coke VINO mt stirred up .Io ohSis,
made upon Dr. DE kOyen in Wisconsin, ana aIterWafu
upon DR.. Seymour in lililuls.
On this great point aso however, the active mind OF
Bishop Coke has found light since last October and
wonder that his candid proclamation OF 1t last Feb
ruaty has attracted so little notice. do him now the
great favor OF calling the most pointed attention to IT, as
the most important and bencdcent the most honest aud
hcahul production that his prolific pen has yet laid
before the church lie found letter from the Bishop Oi
Brechln 10 DIR. DOinger-a letter apparently speaking
fnr Dr. Pusry as well as for hnself-in which Bishop
Coke il asionishCd to lind that these two diSSishel
vincs Instead of conspring stil for concordat with
Rome are satisfied that the Vatican DEGREES OF 1870
have destroyed all hopes OF Reunion ON sucn osi ~
that Rome has riaue VIZ tiyyc svmnathy
with DR. D0,linger AMI the Old Catholic movement as
Bishop Coke himself " Let Us he satisfied says Bishop
NAV practicaiy meet" Bishop Forbes has reached the
point." And Bishop Coke goes to say What
our whole communion requires; JUST now, IS Is
peace among ourselves A better period Is
at hand 50 ia, as oG our ,nr internal move by is
former supporters ackno wledgcd be unit nablc there
is no long any motive for asserting it, for perpetual
ing the alterations it has bred but that tar opp3r
tunity is offered for uniting all good Churchm.n III the
Catholcy q Pmitye Antiquity WHEN mas 9ecn .g
OF the Prayerook ever since the Rheumatism bishop
Coke also says. in LANGUAGE strong enough ana e?npe
ha,t.tx iva ntIsrh. ng
all important. that the Articles being purely provincial
ana PROVISIONS anu o,i mt never ~, 10 have been
brought consideration at all They are an Internal
comn,ct but AS between ourselves and other churches
they have no place at all. For are committed ~
nothing as de fde, but the Holy scriptures, interpreted
y the erccs and the great councils and by unanimous
consent As soon as any church III the world prepares
To that common ground they VIII Hnu Us tncrc
ALREADY The Articles have no external force whatever
and IL madness even among ourselves, to accept any
other law for interpreting THO Articles than the golden
hands"
once more. making HIS fayorite reference to Bishop
Bulls theology" Bishop Coke says Now the Bishop OF
Brcchin and, apparently. his friend and mastor, DIT
Puscy, have come to this same conclusion ~
all events, We concur. Bishop Forbes recognizes
the break with history which dCcde-the We are
agreed as to the non CGthOlcity OF Rome. This
standpoint reached 1T last argue most hope
fully for tin future. All OF the ChNrrh and OF
CahOlicity must together. The breach Is virtually
healed" He therefore, goes on to quote the conclusion
of the Bi.hOp recn's lctor with real satisfaction
and with thanks to God" The series OF articles from
which quote is therefore headed by him. A Plea for
Concord and Ppred in The Churcholun last February
Looked in The light of common sense, these letters OF
Bishop Coke are candid confession that the donuncia
tions he has proscy hurled against cergyncn In the
American Church during tho past four years as dis
loyaI as Romanizing" and what not, havo been all
this while entirely grouncss AMI that he Is now him
self convinced of that fact lis chief accuse i;, :
Dr Pnsey and tho bishop Of Breclin; and he
now wakes up the discovery that Dr. Pussy and tho
i-Lop of Brcchin themselves DO not hold the one mis-
chievnus notion he suspected them 0f We'll, well! 80
the great battle IS al over already Dr. Seymour and
dr. be Koyen ate a. sound rs ans body else There Is
KniauiLnc faction among IA any more! We 0sht 10
he ve!y glad get The news OnoIgh some ~ II, nave