Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-04-20
ARRAIGNS NEWTON.
FATHER lGNATIUS, THE ENGLISH MONK CALLS
THE DOCTOR TO ACCOUNT,
And Alleges That Hs is an Infdsl-Soma Very
Tart Correspondence on the Subisct-Dr.
Rainsiord Comes In for Share q
Criticism-A War Of Words.

J New YORK, April 19.-The farewell
mission of the Rev. Father lgnatuS, O.
5. b., promises to be full of bold moves
and startling surprises. This time he
will direct his fiery utterances against
the shepherds of the flock of thi:
diocese. He finds little health in some
OF them, according to his own showing,
and, as he said yesterday, he now pro-
poses to demonstrate TO the Lords peo.
pie that their Zion is being invaded by
a dangerous heresy. whose chief ex-
Founders are those who profess to be
Gods ministers.
Father Ignatius had just finished his
lunch when called upon yesterday at his
boarding house No. 35 East Twenty
third street. lie at once proceeded to
unfold his plans for his final mission in
New York.
This morning" said he, 81 des-
patched a special messenger to Garden
City. l., l., with a letter for the Rev.
Dr. Heber Newton. expect DR.. New
tons reply tonight, when | shall be
very happy to give it TO you. | have
only asked him to say Yes or NO to
the questions | have asked him. My
ground is that II he doesn't believe in
the miraculous birth of Jesus he has no
business TO receive salary from the
Church which pays him to defend the
faith. In other words he is a traitor In
the camp of believers. and should be
treated like any other traitor.
THE church to-day is permeated
with worldlinesS. This taint, am
sorry to say, reaches even to the clergy
men themselves. Now, ! take II that
there is no half way business in matters
OF religion. You are either for Christ
or for the world. But some Christian
ministers nowadays seem TO believe
that they can serve Christ and pat the
world Oh the back at one and the same
time.
"Why, It is sheer blasphemy to call
such a man as DR.. RainSfOrd Chris
tian. Some of the young people of his
flock have come to me and said: 1T Is
i'm. possible for us to go TO DR.. Rainsford
on spiritual themes. We see him at
balls and at the theatre, and it seems
so incongruouS to go to such man Tor
spiritual consolation
II am heartily in accord with such
sentiments. You can say in the press,
IL you will, and am perfectly willing to
stand the consequences OF my words.
that consider it rank blasphemy to call
the Rev. DR.. Rainsford a Christian. He
has no business to take pay for his min
istry II he does not eschew the world
altogether. tell you that there is little
hone for st. Georges Church unless that
man is converted But if he were con-
yerted it would be as though bomb
shell had exploded In this community.
You would see how quickly all the
worldly elements would quits Georges
Church. tell you the world and Gods
Church have nothing in common. But
II DIR. Rainsford would give up the
world he would never eel the loss of
the wordlings that now swell his con
gregations. for their places would
speedily be filled by others who desire
to find God and Him alone.
This is the letter sent to DR.. New
No. 81 EAST TwENTY-THIRD STREET,
New YORK, April 4, 1891.
My DEAR DIR. NEwTON-From purely
secular point of view it might be said that
my writing 10 you is an unwarrdnted
liberty, and that my making stand Tor
what is called "orthodoxy' in foreign
church is a piece Of unmitigated imperti-
nence. and therefore that my doing so
would make an apology look ridiculous.
But | write to you as believer IN hlStori-
cal Christianity and as firmly convinced
disciple of the Jesus Christ of the Gospel.
In nv months mission in New York, TO
begin. %. Y. on Sunday hope to combat
"infdelity" within the Episcopal Church
The ror populi, so very unfair and so
very non-divine, declares yourself 10 be
the most influential clergymen in the New
| York diocese. In fact, that you are so eX-
treme an .infidel" that you make no Sc
cret of your uubelef in the miraculous
birth of Jesus from a virgin, and also OF
the physical resurrection OF this natural
or material body. As you are pubic
teacher in church of which these two
mysteries are de fidc and fundamental
dogmn,a. will YOU tell me il this public
and widespread accusation is fair or false!
should think il unchrstian and unman
lv TO attack any mans position inan under
hand vav. Mr.. MacQueary has publicly
accused YOU of this "infdelity,' so nave !,
but | should be only tco glad II you would
Give me the power TO retract and puolcly
apologize for the accusation have made
II YOU were not minister OF the vlsiole
Christian church it would be no con
Germ of ours what you oeheVe or as
believe. and outside the pale we can accept
. hn
unbeliever. The atheist has rs much a
right to a fair field as Christian.
Rut the time mas come ! believe with my
whole heart. when the disciples OF Jesus,
| mean those who, by the light oil the spirit
Of eternal wisdom, have received Him, as
salvation and eternal life as pardon. Peace
and righteousness should rise as one man
and omen the church's portals vefy widely
and insist upon the intidels going out from
the fold of the visible Church.
Surely we have right to say that from
within the fortress OF our PAID defenders
they shall no longer undermine our ioun-
dation.
DrAR DR.. NEWTON Common sense and
common honesty must confess that we have
right and Justice on our side. Designing
confederates must no longer plot from with
i'm the Union ranks the ruin OF our magnln-
cent Christian spiritual United States. |
mean all those, everywhere, who acknowl-
edge Jesus Christ as God Almighty, atom
ING Saviour, the Virgin born of Bethlehem
the glorious risen Christ of the Arimath-
cans empty tomb.
I write in the greatest haste, having very
much to do and very large correspond
ence. If YOU find yourself unable 10 give
an answer, yes or Mo- for no more IS
needed to the public charge of intidelity, |
shall understand that silence is assent 10
the truth of it, for il you are one OF His
disciples YOU will grasp my hand in love
and gladness that ], insignificant as l am,
resolved publicly "to contend for the falth
once delivered TO the saints and common
10 Catholic and Protestant Christians
alike.
| am, nv dear DR. Newton, yours most
sincerely in Christ
IGNATIUS, o. 5. b.
Monk.
Dr. Newton. according to the meSsen
ger who presented the letter, was very
angry when he had read it. He refused
to write a reply, but spoke his mind az
follows
II would like to know who made
Father Ignatius my father confessor oil
the BISHOP of this diocese. Is this the
wav gen slemen treat each other in Eng
land?
"I have no answer to give. II Father
Icnatius wants to hear my views he hac
better attend my church"
Father Ignatius considers this aS
virtual admission on DR.. Newton'S par
of the truth of the charges against him
DIR. CROSBY PRAISES TIRE WORK.
Father Ignatius called attention
! to a letter from the late DR.. Howar'
Crosby. which expresses the highest ap
nreciation OF his work. Here Is th'