New-York tribune., 1875-02-08
4 COMPREHENSIVE EPISCOPATE.
A REMARKABLE LETTER FROM NIGH
CHURCHMAN.

A REMARKABLE LETTER FROM A HIGH
CHURCHMAN.
THE CONFIRMATION OF Low CHURCH BISHOP
URGED-DR. JAGGAR'S EXPRESSION OF SYMPATHY
FOR MIR. CHENEY, AND SUBSEQUENT REPUTATION
OF THE CUMMINs MoVEMENT-A NOVEL SPECIES
OF RETALIATION.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: The remark has been made in my hear
ing as the fact were likely to induce Standing
Committees and Bishops to withhold their consent to
of the Rev Dr. JagGar that he was one
Of the signers of letter Of sympathy for Mr. Cheney at
the time his first sentence by an ecclesiastical court
in Illinois. This, confess, would OF itself have pre-
vented my ever voting for him, had been member OF
the Convention that chose him. But now that he is
chosen. the question is entirely different 1t Is not
whether we will "chOose" certain man, but whether
we will refuse permit the conservation OF one who Is
duly chosen.
Now the solemn testimonial signed by the Diocesan
Convention in his favor is positive evidence which
ought to DO aside exception grounds still moro
positive We shall have end OF scandals and troubles
If the extraordinary rosorted to III order to de
feat Dr. Seymour be employed after every cleo
ton OF any man of decided views in either direction
No true fread Of his would like to retaiate upon oppo
the very which theV have protested against
! in regard to him. That letter OF sympathy for MT
Cheney was a natural expression Of party feeling by
party men for one of their party, who in their
principles But, right wrong it was more than threo
years ago. and for any Standing Committee to refuse to
sign the testimonial OF bisbopelect because OF thing
that happened longer ago than three years last past
| Is simply an uncanonical impertinence.
There are three parts TO the testimonial Standing
Committee called to sign The first is purely neg
They testify that the Blshopelect is not, so far
as they arc informed, Justly liable to evil report either
for religion for vciOusness of life" The man
may be liable to evil report" in both directions. The
air may be full Of against him. Newspapers and
pamphlets may overflow with assaults But the exist
of s net sufficient to outweigh the positive
solemn written evidence of tho Diocesan testimonial.
70 outweigh the Standing Committee must know,
not that he is "abe to evil report" but that he is
"ustly liable "a very different thing. And IN order to
be able to Judge whether he is Justly" liable not,
the information which they proceed must be some
! thing far more solid than rumor supicion.
Then what is meant by error in rel gionW 1t is pre-
pOsterous to suppose it all those
points OF difference that distinguish the various parties
schools that exist within the intended cOmprehen
sivoness Of this Church. Nothing is moro utterly Wild
theological orthodoxy for her priests and different
for her bishops Any ono who s orthodox enough to be
bishop. If he be economically elected To set up any
other principle Is draw lice where Church has
never drawn IT, and WleTe no branch OF tne CAnrch
from the beginning has drawn it, Ana II any such
line be attempted 1t will only be the shifting line OF tho
popular NJ ajority for the time being-sedOn
Tor years together. If the notion that DR. Jaggar s
AMOUNTS only to the notorious is
Low Churehman It rs an insult ana an outrage to the
10 sign hs testimonals. True, there are Low Church
Standing Committees which act in that way toward us
bat thai only addilQpal reason why we should set
them q better example and return good for evil III tho
PARTISAN test were to DO applied strictly there never
would be another Low Church bishop couecraed in this
Church That party lives moves aud has beng solely
the canonical fairness witch 1t refuses to show to
others And that is of the reasons why 1t 10 dy ing
The second part of the testimonial is also purely
tive The Standing Committee certifies: I'VE do not
which be ought not to be consccrated TO that holy
office" Now when word is used IN canon. II must be
held bear it's canonical sense "lmpediment" Goes
not mean that the man may not know quito 20 much
Hebrew, be quite amable IN disposition, or quite
strict discipnarian, or quite 80 profound thcoo
gian quite polished gentemau as the Standing
Committee think desirable in bishop. "Impednent"
doesn't that IL means being under the canOncal
age or being non c0mp0s neHI1Si or ghlty Ot having
procured his election ny sluOhy OF Noenee or raul
or positive and papaUe thing; and, under the
"ancent canons" having been twice or inIlGe married
true canouica Of The term under our American
system has ever been elected 10 Tie EpscOpate
in this Church against whom "impedimcnt" could
The only other clause Of the testimonial states: That
he bath believe led ms iie for three years la,
past, piou.ly, soberly, and honestly" In regard to
which, all have to say that Standing Committee
being composed OF ChiIsllau genieHeh-.Ie DouhI 10
believe thus much OF every bsOpCcct, on the strength
of the diocesan testimonial unless they personally know
It NAV be thought that tins reduces the range Of the
action OF the Standing Committees within very narrow
limits. And it docs II every Standing Committee Is
hereafter overhaul Episcopal election on any and
regard To anything concerning bsbOp
elect any previous tmc according TO nc unhappy pre-
ceden set al our last General Con Gnon we sha nave
eeed from among those OF the clergy VINO are sch com
paTaye nObOcics that they have hardly been heard OF
/ until the poor man has first been dragged
through the dirt by all the liars, sanderers and busy
bodies that partisan feeling can Influence or inter
viewers" OF the daily press encourage 1he Epc0pato
Of this Church ia not club where any man may Do
backbaed for reason for no reason except per-
s0nal prejudice caprice 1t Is constitutional DOdy
governed by constitutional law BY that constitution
/ u kiSho i'm sld q
rules shall be fixed by the Convention OF that
the Church at all they have as clear right to their
Bishops they have TO their priests, or their parishes
or their sennaries their societies, their
| perI or their nything else Few Low Church clergy
men stand higher In position popularity and general
estee NJ than Dr. Jsgsar His parocAa career has been
ono OF more than usual distinction and There
Is not ghost OF @ decent reason-so far AS know or
have heard-why he should not 0e coAlrmed uhan
But Il there are any whose throats yet narrow
that they cauDot swallow that sympathy with Mr..
Cheney, oven ifH was more than three years ago,
would remind them that aimee then and 80 ely as
! promptly repudated Bishop Cummins's movement.
| TnO words this Tbe undersigned having
| heard with profound sorrow Q! the movement now
making by Bishop Cunmins for the organization OF
church on the basis of the PrayerBook OF l785
deslrs 10 say that thoy have sympathy with thls
and that IL does not reprSSeRt the views and
natures viii be found the name Of Thomas Jaggar
After this trust thai High Church Standing Com
! pression Of sympathy with Mr.. Cheney.
A comprehensive church must necessarily be church
|
the range will into soctaranism The one
side or into UltrAmontanism on the o'Aet-systems
which equally IutOierant OF varieties. But II we
have these varieties present and by the admission OF all
lawfully present, among priests deaoons and alty II Is
intoeraee injustice To try to exclude them from the
Episcspate IL cannot be done, except possibly IN
coincidence OF circumstances then, and
every attempt 70 do It viii work ODy evil and that con-
tinuAlly i, for one AN for justice and alr dealing
equal nights under equal laws Tor ALL Nothing would
give greater pleasure tnan 10 see that High Church
men had forgiven the injustice of last October TO the
BlshOp-eeCt OF Illinois by their unanimous confirm atom
| OF the Bishopeect Of Southern ONO. And may that
bring In state of better feelng, fuller