The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-06
An IndIgnity to DIR. Briggs.

Bishop POTTER has announced no change
in his intention to proceed with the ordina-
ton OF DR.. BRIGGS as a p~resbyter OF the
Episcopal Church, but continues to keep
studiedly silent on the subject, though the
time OF the ceremony as fixed originally Is
only one week from tomorrow. II the or
dination is to take place before next au-
tumn, moreover, 1t cannot occur ut any
later date in this month, for DR.. BRIGGS
is to depart for Europe on the 18th, with
the intention Of remaining abroad through
out the summer.
The continuing silence of the Bishop,
therefore, seems somewhat remarkable in
view OF the agitation concerning the matter
now going on throughout the Episcopal
Church. Whether the ordination is to take
place now and where it Is to occur IL it Is to
be proceeded with, the Bishop does not re-
veal. Because Of the protest Of the rector
Of st. Peters at West Chester the ceremony
will not occur there. as originally intended,
and the Bishops declination Of the offer
OF the Rev. DR.. HUNTINGTON Of the use Of
Grace Church in this city for the purpose
seems to exclude that church also. But his
decision as to similar offers from the rec
lOIS Vi ~ DuTlllOlDUDtW b anu NJ. hIuTSN =
has no been announced, though the silence
Of the Bishop would seem to make reason
able the inference that in some church
whose selection is kept a secret the cere-
mony Of admitting DR.. BRIGGS to the Epis-
copal priesthood will be conducted at the
appointed date, a week from tomorrow.
Considering tho dignity OF DR.. BRIGGS
and his eminence in scholarship, is not this
reticence surprising His admission to
priests orders in the Episcopal Church
would not be the usual elevation of a dea-
con to the priesthood after the requisite
period of probation-some young man grad
uated from n theological school-but Of a
man OF nearly sixty years Of age, already
bearing the title OF Doctor of Divinity, who
has made himself notable in the religious
and scholarly world, who is the most
distinguished member of the faculty Of
an important theological seminary, and
about whose teachings and methods OF Bib
lical criticism there has arisen a contro-
vcrsy unexampled in the history of the
Episcopal Church. 1t would seem, therefore,
that due regard to the distinction OF such a
candidate would require that when he took
so radical n step as passing into the Epis-
copal priesthood from the Presbyterian
ministry after II service in it OF thirty
years, no such doubt as to the event
as that in which Bishop POTTER now
leaves the Episcopal Church and the
public should he suffered to exist. Even
now, only a week before the time originally
set for the ceremony, not merely the
place Of its occurrence, but also whether
it is to occur at all, remains unknown,
though the prospect OF it has stirred up
the greatest agitation OF which the Episco-
pal Church has had any experience in recent
years, and the event itself would be likely
to provoke the most violent and perhaps
the most destructive controversy that
Church has ever encountered.
Such secrecy seems to tho public mind
to involve indignity to DR.. BRIGGS and to
east reflection on the courage of the Epis-
| copal Church. II he is to be ordained, why
is not the intention Of Bishop POTTER to
proceed with the ceremony declared a.
frankly and cmphatically as the opposition
to it has been announced? It's occurrence
would be an event in the history of that
Church so notable that the leaving OF any
doubt as to the matter appears like tritling
with 4 great question.