Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-23
DR.. NEWTON'S ANSWER.
HE REPLIES TO HIS ACCUSERS BY
ASKING FOR AN INQUIRY.

A Vigorous Letter Sent to Bishop Potter
Fall on the Church From Heresy Trials
"A Firm Stand Taken.
NEW YORK, May 22.-The Rev. Dr. r.
Heber Newton has sent letter to Bishop
Potter in which, after referring to reports
sent abroad respecting his religious utter
ances and to the petition for an investiga-
tion sent the Bishop by number of Epis-
copal ministers, he asks the Bishop for a
speedy trial, so that he may vindicate him.
self Among other things Dr. Newton
says:
Having defined my Interpretation of our
great creed to my own people as clearly as 1
could three years ago. and those utterances
having passed unchallenged at the time by
my fellow Presbyters, L had hoped that
quieter days were opening, wherein L should
be free for the constructive work to clear
the way in my own ministry. Wrestling nv
words of three years past from their con-
text, and reading into them that which they
do not contain, am made so heinous q her
etic that any means are deemed justifiable
to crowd me out of the Church which 1 have
served with my best energies for quarter
of century. feel sure that before COM
petent body-a body of men intellectually
capable of understanding their own creeds,
sentence on the evidence submitted-1 can
amply justify my loyalty to the Nicene
Creed, and thus vindicate my intellectual
and moral integrity.
am quite aware of the ungenerous taunt
to which L lay myself open in preferring
this requests taunt so familiar to me in
the days gone by. The facts of the past will
bear me out in The assertion that, while
never dreading an ecclesiastical trial, have
never courted one; but, on the contrary,
have done all in my power consistent with
selfrespect to avoid such scandal; bear
ing much that has been very trying in order
to keep the peace. If thus acted eight
years ago, when an acquittal was fOregOne
conclusion, nothing having been even i'm
puted to me contradictory of any affrma-
ton of the two great creeds which are our
only authorities, candid men should now
hold me free from the suspicion of seeking
the pale halo of nineteenth century martyr
dom.
am not blind to the dangers of such ac-
tion as that which join with my accusers
in asking You seriously to consider. As it
seems to me, however, there may be even
worse evils for a constitutional church than
q heresy trial. One of these more serious
evils appears to me to be the free resort to
extra legal means in order to work up the
religious rancor under which Presbyter is
impeached tried and condemned without
hearing before judge or jury.
When such lawleSSneSs prevails, may IT
not be well to lead it on into the legal action
in which alone can the Church be saved
from the reproach of an ecclesiastical lynch
ing. Otherwise, what is to be expected, save
that we shall suffer from that most cruel of
all deSpotiSmS, the tyranny of public opin-
ion, under which the clergy Will be terror
lied, honest thought be banned, sincere ut
terances be silenced, and an era of mental
cowardice and moral hypocrisy open upon
us in our Church, which has hitherto re-
joiced in the liberty of law.