Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-02

Rev. DIR. Richey Replies to Bishop
POfter's Open Letter.
(New York Sun-lst.J

| (New York Sun-lst.)
The Churchman this week will print
two letters from priests of the Protestant
! Episcopal Church relating to Bishop Pot.
! ter's open letter on the ordination of DR.
| Briggs. The Rev. Dr. Thomas Richey
Of the General Theological Seminary
sustains the Bishop of Pittsburg, who
wrote to the Churchman last week that
Bishop Potter was wrong in saying that
he was powerless to prevent the ordina-
! ton.
Bishop Potter" says DR.. Richey. has
laid himself open to the imputation that
after the manner of well-known Wall
street spectators he was placing the
standing Committee in the position of an
intermediary to save himself from the
responsibility imposed upon him by the
seventh article of the constitution .
The constitution (properly so called LAYS
upon the Bishop in the first in
stance the sole responsibility of Judging
whether the person presenting himself
Tor admission be found worthy, after due
examination on his part. to be ordained.
and when ordained the Bishop is again
to be the sole judge whether title for
orders, required by the canons. is of
such a satisfactory nature as TO justify
him in proceeding to ordain. The
Bishop must be held solely responsible for
the decision regarding the evidence on
which he proceeded to grant the grace
of priests orders
DR.. Richey says that DR.. Briggs is lack
Ing In true piety. 1T is this spirit"
he says, (which is found lacking i'm so
many protested religious teachers. They
are self-asserting, opinionated concelted
men, who offend by their lack Of culture
that moral sense of the true churchman
trained TO respect for authority, and filled
with the spirit of piety in the old Roman
meaning of the word. The man,
be he who or what he may. who speaks
of the rubbish of tradition proves him
self wanting in the spirit of true piety
Qn the true meaning of the word, and
needs, above all men, to be made to
serve in the diaconate as a school of
manners before being advanced to the
priesthood"
DR.. Rchey concludes by hoping that the
Bishop may not suffer for any lack of
true piety. He says:
1.-The ancient fathers is a motto which
is inscribed over the door OF entrance 10
our Anglican communion, and the man
who. by word or deed. would deface il or
blot 1t out ought never be allowed TO en-
ter there. 1t is this spirit of true piety
which the thirty-fourth article of religion
is intended to protect when il says: Who
soever. through his private judgment,
willingly and purposely, doth openly
break the traditions of the Church, which
be not repugnant TO the Word Of God.
ought to be rebuked openly chat others
may fear to do the ike, as he that Of
fendeth against the common order of the
Church. and hurteth the authority of the
magistrate and woundeth the consciences
of the weaker brethren.
''If may be permitted to say so, with
all due respect to our honored Father in
God the Bishop of this great diocese OF
New York, 1 heartily indorse the Ian
guage of the article, and pray that, by
the mercy Of God. he may be saved the
necessity Of ever seeing 1t, in his episco-
pate. carried into effect"
The Rev. DIR. Hall Harrison writes from
Ellicott City, Md, sustaining the Bishop.
He says:
THE cutlery and panic over the ordina-
ton of Dr. Briggs reminds any one whose
memory can go back thirty years OF the |
senseless opposition to the conservation !
of DR.. Temple to the See Of Exeter i'm 1869 |
because he had contributed TO the famous |
volume known as Essays and Reviews |
This little panic will pass away |
in like manner. The Bishop of New York |
will receive in time the thanks of church. |
men OF all schools for saving our Ameri- !
can Church from what would have been |
sad blot on its fair name"