Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-21
CoLoRED CHURCHES.
AN ECOLEsIAsrIoAL BoYoo TT.
DR.. Belts, of St. Louis, in Trouble will
His Bishop

~ AoNeH1 Va Gbs LOUIE HI AEOuUlG Win
His Bishop.
The trial aud subsequent suicide Of the
late Rev. Henry d. Jardine, in st. Louis,
have not only created a Dad feeling in
Episcopal church circles there. but now
threaten to involve the Bishop of Missouri
and one of the leading rectors Of st. Louis
in a personal difficulty.
The visit of Rev. DIR. George g. Belts to
this city last fall, and the address he de-
livered at Catholic Library Hall, will be
remembered by all who heard the dIstIn-
guished orator. The sermon be delivered
in st. Johns church during his stay here
will also be remembered for its brilliancy
and the deep thought that 1t suggested.
DR.. Belts delivered the funeral sermon
over the body of the unfortunate clergy
man suicide, who IN life was one of the
Rev. Doctors intimate friends. In the
discourse DR.. Belts referred in bitter
terms to the persecution of Father
JardIne. He denounced the investigators
of the movement against his friend. and
made use of the expression ''priestly
hands are stepped in his blood"
The sermon was read by Bishop Robert
son, who took exceptions to it and sent
DR.. Belts a letter stating that be would
not administer confirmation in his church,
his utterapees over the BODY Of the IN
fortunate Father Jardine. DIR. Belts at
once wrote a reply in which be stated
that no personal reference was made to
the Bishop in the sermon referred TO. He
maintained that he had the right in COM
mon with all others to hold u contrary
opinion to that o. the bishop. After re-
viewing his whole course IN the affair,
and denying any malicious reference to
IL. HI
make any retractiOn.
Bishop Robertson intImated that there
are some Developments vet to be made
public that will put the matter in an al
together different light from that in which
DR.. Belts freuds look at IL. Various
opinions have been expressed as to the
safety Of the ground taken by the bishop
in threatening to withhold the sacFaments
from DR.. Belts church. The members of
he church in st. Louis generally con-
denim tse action of the bishop, and ex-
press themselves as determined to sup
port their pastor in his difficulty
with the spiritual head Of the
church. 1t is charged that the bishop
mailed the threat to DR.. Belts for the ex-
press purpose OF getting him to publicly
announce that bis use of the language
"priestly hands STEPPED in blood" had no
reference to the bishop.
Or. Belts when asked about the bishops
refusing to confirm in his church said !:
"The idea is all nonsense. II be were to
do it the parish would 20 on just the same.
People would be confirmed in other
churches. Besides that salvation doesn't
depend on confirmation any more than
matrimony. l think this affair is petty
petty. II reminds me OF two little boys
playing and one says the others father
was hOrse-thief. Then the other saws
he'll whip the first boy and then saws that
he didn't call his father a hOrse-thief. If
had alluded to the bishop would not
have spoken Of 'priestly hands! / am
not in the habit Of speakingof the bishop
as priest"
Dr.. Bette, at the time the trouble arose.
was considering call 70 the rectorship OF
one OF the leading Episcopal churches of
Louisville, Ky. Among the various ex-
pressions OF opinion, IL is held by some
that the acceptance OF the call TO Louis
VILE, which Is in the diocese Of Kentucky.
would settle the difficulty. Others mold
that inasmuch as a certificate Will be re-.
quired OF DR.. Belts before ne can enter the
new diocese, there Is hut one course for
him to pursue--that Of healing the breach
between himself and the bishop. who. n
he sees fit, can withhold the certificate.
The outcome Of the case will be await, d
with considerable interest ia church cir
cles.