Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-05-24
He WANTS A TRIAL.
Dr.. Newton Sends Spicy Letter to
Bishop Potter.

Bishop Potter.
New YORK, May 22.-Rev. DR.. r.
Heber Newton has sent the following
letter to Bishop Potter;
"Riqht Reverend and Dear Sir:
"From our daily papers | learn that a
number of my fellow-presbyterS have
united in assuring you that grave and
widespread rumors are now abroad re-
garding alleged violations of the doc
trine and discipline of the Protestant
Episcopal Church upon my part, and in
petitioning you that the inquiry pro-
vided for by the canOnS, which they
cite, may be instituted with a
view to aScertaining the truth
concerning the public rumorS in
question. Permit me to express the
hope that you will seriously consider the
expediency of such action as is thus
asked of YOU. For myself,
personally, much as l have always dep
recated resort TO an ecclesiastical trial
in order to determine the limits of
thought in our Church, am free TO con-
feSs that il would now be relief to me
to have the opportunity thus afforded of
indicating myself from the misunder-
standings and misrepresentation which.
following me through so many years,
have eliminated in the unprecedented
spectacle of the past few weekS-the re-
sponsibility for which is now deliberate
" assumed by a body of American gen
tlemen aud Christian ministers in our
own household of faith.
Having defined my Interpretation of
our great creed TO my own people as
clearly as | could three years ago, and
those utterances having passed unchal-
lenged at the time by my fellow preSbY-
tiers, had hoped that Quieter days were
opening, wherein | should be free for
the constructive work to clear the way
i'm my own ministry. Wrest-
ing my words of three years past from
their context, and reading into them
that which they do not contain, l am
made so henious a hereto that any
means are deemed juStfiable to crowd
me out from the Church which have
served with my best energies for quar-
ter of century. l feel sure that before
a competent body-a body of men capa-
BILE of understanding their own creedS,
with enough of the judicial mind to en-
ter sentence on the evidence submitted
I can amply justify my loyalty to the
Nicene creed, and thus vindicate my in
tellectual and moral integrity.
II am quite aware Of the ungenerous
taunt to which lay myself open in pre-
ferring this requeSt-a 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 eccleSiaS-
tical trial, have never cOurtcd one; but,
on the contrary, have done all in my
power, consistent with Self-reSpect to
avoid such . scandal, bearing much that
has been very trying in order 10 keep the
peace. III thus acted eight years ago,
when an acquittal was fOregone con
clusion, nothing having been even i'm
puted tome contradictory OF any affirma-
tion 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 martyrdom.
Il am not blind to the dangers of such
action as that which l join with my ac-
cuSerS in asking you seriously to con-
slider. As it seems to me, however,
there may be even worse evils for con-
Stitutional church than a hereSy trial.
One of these more serious evils appears
to me to be the free resort of extra legal
means in order to work up the religious
rancor under which preSbYter is i'm
peached, tried and condemned without
a hearing before Judge or jury. When
such lawlesSneSS prevails, may it not be
well to lead it on. into the legal action
i'm which alone can the church be
saved from the reproach of an
ecclesias ;ical lYnching. Otherwise,
what is to be expected that we
shall suffer from that most cruel OF
all deSpotiSms, the tyranny of public
opinion, under which the clergy will be
terrorized. honest thought be banned,
sincere utterances be Silenced, and an
.ra of mental cowardice and moral
hypocrisy open upon us in our Church,
which has hitherto reiOiced in the lib
erty Of law. Where will be found the
Self-reSpecting young men to enter a
Church, the sign of whose thinking is
to be a yoke, the symbol of whose teach
ing is to be a muzZle, as it seems to me
our Church must face the fact that
while she holds the possibility Of be-
coming center for the reunited
Professionalism in this country she is in
danger of sinking into sect as narrow
as are the men who, apparently not
understanding the philosophy of their
own formula of faith, would now rule
out from the Church every thought
from which sprang the Nicene creed.
In respectfully submitting this re-
quest to you, Right Reverend and dear
sir, l of course recognize that it is for
you, on whom the Church lays the re-
SponSibility of discretionary powers in
such matters, to determine whether, all
things being considered, it is best for
the Diocese and the Church at large
that such action should be taken, and
shall rest with your decision.
"R. HEBER NEWTON