New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-04
WHAT WILL THE BISHOPS DO WITH
PHILLIPS BROOKSf


dioceses of the Episcopal Church having con-
sented TO the election OF Phillips BROOKS as
| bishop of Massachusetts,, the several blsnops
will next be notified and unless majority OF
the whole number, or thirty-four BISHOPS give
their consent to his conservation the election
will fail. and the Diocese of Massachusetts VIII
have to make another choice.
rrbe onnosition to DR.. Brooks has taken the
form of a campaign with literary bureau Inc
ohiections consist chiefly in words attributed 10
Rim, which he is dared TO deny using, and the
oorstruc.ion of certain acts which he Is asked
20 disavow with regrets for the past and as
.,roncos for the future The inference is that
- no DOCS not respond to these challenges he IS
.o,f condemned. and the Church would be dis
honored by his conservation 1t may be pre-
,umed that the Bishops for whom this dilemma
ia bene constructed have discernment ana
courage sufficient to deal with it as 1t deserves,
II IL were conceivable that DR.. BROOKS wouiu
denv or disavow vague and anonymous charges
or Give assurances as to his future course, ne
wound thereby prove himself unworthy In the
Indictment of high-minded men, and unit Tor
tho office of a Bishop There is no reason TO
sunnose that he would lift finger to secure his
odyancoment or reply to any cavil which might
he raised TO defeat him. Probably the most
nconcerned person over this quesuon Is III
Brooks himself 1t is true that neither MS en-
lnent abilities nor his broad sympathies enutle
him to exemption from criticism but his char-
acter as a man, and his service to the Ohurcn
of which he is a distinguished, though uilas
summing. minister, should shield him from unfair
treatment. An open, transparent man. wi'nout
tricks or eyasions, he must feel fine scorn Tor
the methods of some of his adversanes.
There is room enough in the Episcopal Church
for honorable disagreement with DR.. BroolIs's
opinions without questioning his absolute 10y
atty to his Church. 1t is perhaps natural that
those who hold exclusive views OF epscopay
sbould feel natural aversion to the promotion
Of q strong man who differs from them but 1t
would be a timid policy to try to enforce UNI
formitv by striking down one who has been
chosen by diocese econ amore," with full
rocoonition of his views and knowledge OF his
rife Il is a caricature to represent Phillips
Brooks as a awless person or hcretic or schls-
matte. The Ideq that he is eccentric in his
acts and peculiar in his views, or that he differs
widely from most Of the Bishops, is not borne
out by facts but is contradcted by the whole
current of his life and teachings. Born and
trained in the Episcopal Church, he has the IN
stincts of Chllrrhman, and has spent con-
spicuous ministry in the observance of Church
order and IN the dissemination of sound doc
trinc, while, like the great Apostle to the Cen
tiles, rejoicing that Christ is preached in any
way or by any ono. He would not be cut OF
place in tte House Of Bishops; but will he get
there? That is for majority cf the Bishops
to determine lie is probably grclter out OF the
House of Bishops than ne would he IN it greater
az the prophet of the whole people than as the
eccesiastic of single diocese. If his election
should fail he would suffer no loss. But his ad-
mirers would be stung; the Diocese Of Massa-
chusetts would feel hurt by the rejection of her
favolite son and the Episcopal Church through
out the country would experience setback
from which II would not recover in many years
The brilliant letter of the Rev Or. John Henry
Hopkins, in Tuesdays TRIBUNE whose name
by an unfortunate typographical bundcr was
printed L" l. H. Hopkins" shows what honorable
High Churchmen think of the disrcputable
methods that are being used to prejudice the
Bishops against the distinguished Boston
oh