Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-05-15

instant In bcforc me, and have given
the matter TO which II refers my best
consideration.
You cxaggcraie. however. my pow
crt, ana are. In regard 10 them, under
yonHil ffnblc misapprchension. Ia ask
lnE ne To refuse TO ordain Rev. pr.
lifirgu-tu take the responsibility OF
acting In the ease. a. II demands, and
TO have the courage 81 my convictions
you are apparently under the impress
aion that my power In the matter n
wholly within my discretion. Such II
not the care. A bishops powers are
constitutional, not absolute. In the
matter ~ ordination, he can only act
when certain preliminary action by
others has been held. but when this IL
the ease. ana a candidate for orders
stands nj the threshold % the ministry,
the can0ns Of ordination declare that the
bishop shall. not may then procc,d
aud take the order for the ordination OF
the person who has mot the PRELIMINARY
tests In the prcmircr.
Al these tests have been applied In
the Ease ot the person 10 whom your
iCttcr rsferE. and ! have received a
certificate 10 that effect from the stand
Ina committee of the diocese.
Under these circumstances. aud un-
less rome charge affecting the Charac-
ter or teachings OF Rev. Or. iirlgRn.
which was not covered By the teati.
m0nlnl. has been presented TO me.
should not consider myself a. having
discretion 90 disregard the plain I'M
perntiyc of the canon.
Hut nothing OF the sort has been
adduccd The book. the tcachinTn ~
which have lately been challenged, has
been Tor some time before the public
and the standing committee u tho
diocese has been convened since ~
cent and particular attention has been
called 20 II. u was. In my Judgment.
competent 20 that body, II u had seen
Nc Ia do 90. TO recall the certificate ofig.
inRlly forwarded 90 me. ON the ground
that II had been signed under mis-
nuprehenHlon or with insufficient
knowled but this u has not seen ~
60 do. / must therefore accent that
certificate nf mai, ANA I shall do no,
beg. however that you Will not sup
pose that I am seeking 60 escape from
my personal responsibility In the mat
Ter 81 the ordination Of Dr. briggs by
retiring behind the action % my con-
stituilonal advisers. have not tho
ailghteHt desire to do 30. The out
ductlon 10 the study OF the Holy Scrip
ture." IL chiefly 10 he dcplorri because
II betrayn such a lninentnblc Ignorance
OF the progress Of sound learning and
the Judgment Of the best Christian
scholars,
may be- interested to see that the old.
stnli Christian knowledge society re-
published my little pamphlet on the III
hie which contains the same principles
that ar elaborated IN your treatise,
! am indignant at the mirreprvHcnta-
tlonn, ar We VIII hope. the miaunder-
standings of some 10 your critics. Have
they, for the first time, come across the
INTERPRETATION Of the rpcaking with
Tongues which harmoniAeA that book
with the epistlc 10 the corinthihnhf
Have they never read Dean Plump
trlea's article on the subject In Smiths
Commentary on the Biblel''
In word the author ~ THE Intro
duction TO the study ~ the Holy Scrip
turea" has simply stated conclusions
witch the best learning and the most
dovout minds have accepted before
DO not. myself. accept all OF them.
hut that any ~ them denies or fcpu-
dates any of the fundamental doctrine
81 the faith can only be shown by mu-
tilntlonH nr pcryerri0nH NJ what the au-
thor has said, which are as malignant
as they aro inscriptions,
note the prediction with which you
conclude that Or. lirlgga'a advance
ment to tho higher ministry for which
he has been recommended, viii precipi-
tate departures 10 the church ~ Rome,
This would, indeed, be unfortunate.
To- tho study of the Holy Scriptures
holds letters from eminent it0man
catholic scholars Of foremost rank In
Institutions Of learning of foremost
dignity, expressing wnrinest apprcci-
alton % hia contribution To the study
Of the nlble ana intimntlng their pur-
pose 10 make use Of II In their class
rooma. Here again, II would seem
maj somewhat larger knowledge
wonld be the safest guide 20 wise ac-
lion.
1 need hardly ndd, after what ! have
written, that II IL my Intention 10 pros
coed, at the time appointed, 20 Dr,
Iirigga'a ordination. ! am. dear sir. aln-
ocrcly yours, H. o. POTTER