New-York tribune., 1891-05-22
DIR. NEWTON COURTS TRIAL.
HIS OPEN LETTER TO BISHOP POTTER.
A CUTTING REFERENCE TO THE HUE AND CRY
4 RAISED BY FATHER IGNATIUs

A CUTTING REFERENCE TO THE HUE AND CRY
RAISED BY FATHER IGNA1Us.
The Rev. Dr. r. Hober Newton has addressed
bitter to Bishop Potter in which he courts the nvest
taion into his orthodoxy which the Bishop has been
asked to institute. This Is the letter in full
All souls Reeuory. No. ISL Madison-ave.. New'iork
hight Reverend and Dear Sir From our daily
papers learn that number OF my fellowPrespyt tels
tave united in assuring yon that grave ana WHY 1
spread rumors are now abroad regarding ailegee VIZ
tsoas of the doctrine and discipline Of the Protestn
Episcopal Church upon my part, and IN petiuoning
tol that the inquiry provided ior oy .s snS yieS 10
tscertainlne the truth concerning the public rnmorS
= Permit me to express the hope that you VIII
seriously consider the expedency Of sueh acuoh a.
LII common with many Of your loyal Presbyters 81
socoenEe the delicacy OF the position in Which yon are
placed by those who seen, unable " gus nd
versaed diocese, with It's neoessated tolerance o.
Se conflicting schools OF thought for when our Ov %
~ any one of these schools which chances to be the
object of suspicion at any given 0me. ~ouu , ant M
EstSSnces - ,ove ALWAYS
Il determine the limits Of thought In our Church. am
ec confess that 1t would now pc deong Td ~ s1 NV "
ke from the Misunderstanding and misrepresentauos
which following me hrough SO many yea az s ye Iss Guin sr
%"eks-the responsibility for Which is now deliberately
ssumed by body Of American ~ scsemon ana ohri''an
Having defined my Interpretation OF our great creeos
own psOPs a. Ss5 6sys ss passes
ii the time by my fellow; ;Presbyters had hSpea
f SS s cons Spsa pSor to CesP the way
which, in my own ministry, and for this alone nave
cared S mt 70 SS a s s sppsar now to
accepted the leadership OF one 50 cmnenty nlarEeo %
bnd his Christian spirit for the task q defining the
limits Of thought in Church to Which he docs NOT n0s
Eeir CONTEXT and reading INTO them tat winch they
10 not contain, am made so henous q heretlc that
my means are deemed usthabe to crowd me out from
ko Church whch have served with my best energies
tOr quarter Of q century.
pf men sS inteectGSy capable Of understanding their
bwn croeds, with enough Of the judicial mind TO
thus vihdieah my intellectual and moral lntegrity
! / quite aware of the ungenerous taunt 70 whlch
lay myself open in preerTfng tins requesta y ta9ns m
20 familiar 70 ne in days gone @ BY oe f Sa O1 ws s
Sever dreading an ecclesiastical trial. have never
enc but on the contrary have dSnS STod a se m @
}candal. bearing much that has been very uy,
g IN order to Keep the peace mus rSoSa sSS@ s con-
flusion-nothing even having been imputed 10 me
Son5gdicSc Of any affirmation 81 sne SSG men
Should now hold me free from the suspicion o. se
s @ Ht no bRd hS q 70 'ps me da9ser Of suc acton
which join with my acusers In asking you serIoustS
be even worse evils for constitutional Church than
bcresy trial one OF these serious evils appears
10 me 70 be the free resort to extralegsl means IN
order work up the religious rancor under which
PresDyter is mpeached tried and condemned WITHOUT
hearing before judge or jury When such Lawie1s rs
hess prevails II not be well 10 lead III on iho s
legal action n which alone can the Church be saved
from the TepToach of ecclesiastical lynchlns OtAer
kse what l. to be expected save that we SHAH suler
trom that most cruel Of all despotsms, the tyranny
bf public opinion; under which the clergy VIII De YER
torzed, honest thought be banned s1cere utteranoe
be sllenced and an era Of mental cowardlce ana moral
Hypocrisy open upon us In Church, which has hth
ertO rejOiced In the liberty Of law.
Where Will be found the sehrespectlng young men
10 enter Church the sign Of whose thinking is 70 be
yoke the symbol Of whose teaching Is to be muzSe
lAs it 10 Church must face the taet THAI
whie holds the possibility OF becoming centre for
reunited Professionalism in this country she Is IN dan
ger of sinking into sect narrow as are the men
Sho apparently not understanding the philosophy OF
their own formula OF fh would now rule out from the
Church the very thought from which sprang the Ncene
Ereed. r,,.
in respectfully submitting this request to you Right
Reverend and Dear Sir, Of course recognize that is
6or vou on whom the Church lays the responsibility
bf discretionary powers In such matters, 70 determine
Whether an things being considered II Is best for the
6ocese and the Church at large that such action should
be taken and shall rest with your decision.
II. HEBER NEWTON,
To the Right Rev. II. G. Potter, D. D.