The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-28
Bishop Potter Tells the Reverend
Il. c. FilIingham Re Is a Luna
tic and No Gentleman.
LATTER MAKES SHARP REPLY,
Remarkable Controversy Arose
Over English Rector's Denun-
citation of Services He Wit
messed in New York.

REPU BLIC SPECIAL
New York. June 27.-Bishop Henry c.
Potter has taken notice OF the open letter
sent to him by the Reverend r. c. Filling
ham, vicar Of HeSton. Hertfordshire. Eng
land. and has sent to the vicar reply that
is rigorous and pointed.
Furthermore he has written 10 the Rev
erend Doctor G. NJ. Christian. rector OF the
church of which complaint was made. adj
vsins him to apply FOX detail Of police,
and 81 case the Eexton vicar and his FOL
lowers present themselves and interfere TO
direct the police to throw the party into the
street
Bishop Potter writes from Cooperstown,
in otsego County. as follows:
Reverend Sir-1n the public prints of yes
terday find a letter from you addressed to
me. and later this letter reached me
through the mail. You call yourself cler-
gynan Of the Church OF England. but /
doubt st. for a clergyman is usually a gen.
tlernan. and aware that he may not print
a private letter until its receipt has been
acknowledged by the person 10 whom il is
addressed.
That you are a lunatic is much more
likely, for only a lunatic could suppose
that the church in New York is governed
hy the laws OF the Church of England. or
that you could compel me. or any incum-
bent n the diocese of New York. 10 enforce
or to obey the laws OF the Church OF Eng
land.
The rector OF the Church OF ST. Mary the
Virgin possesses my respect and confidence
and. though his modes Of worship may be
as little 70 my taste 10 yours. he is not
following them without my privity and
knowledge.
Il have advised him. therefore. 10 apply
FOR detail of police and have instructed
him. in case you and your followers venture
in any way to interrupt or interfere with
his services. to direct the police to throw
YOU and your associates into the street.
Happily. We have a law in the State of
New York which deals summarily and eff
fectualy with disturbers OF public worship.
Very truly yours
(signed) II. c. POTTER.
Bishop of New York
FILLINGHAM'S REPLY.
Upon receipt Of Bishop Potters letter yes
terday the Reverend Mr.. Fillngham ad-
dressed one in reply. and. in spite Of the
Bishops words about persons who make let
tsrs public before those to whom they are
addressed have received them, he made MS
letter public as he had done the first one.
His reply follows:
Right Reverend Sir-I am in receipt of
your extremely violent and insulting letter
Of yesterdays date. / suppose so extraor-
binary production was never before penned
by a prufessedly Christian minister.
You are. or affect TO be. unaware that
open letters are frequently written to pub
lie mon. You are also unaware, apparent
IT, that the church of which you are an Of
fcer mas declared that she has no inten-
tion of differing in anything from the doc
trine Discipline and worship Of the Church
of England. l suppose you are also unaware
of the fact that the ritual of ST. Mary the
Virgin does differ absolutely from that dis
.IplIne and worship.
I will not follow you in your own choice
expressions and describe them as 1unacy,'
:, tut it is certainly a singular exhibition Of
ignorance.
Il note hat You condone and are privy to
the illegalities and idolatry prscticed by the
rector Of St Mary the Virgin. 1 also note
your. threat of physical vioience-that you,
minister of the gospel. advise another min
lister to 'thr W Us into the street; but can
assure YOU that no threat will affect those
who are prepared not only to act. but TO
suffer in the cause Of Professionalism.
Very truly yours.
lSgnedD r.. C. F1LLINGHAM.''
CAUSE OF CONTROVERSY.
This correspondence grew out of a letter
which the Reverend Mr.. Fillingham adj
dressed TO Bishop Potter concerning the
services which the writer said he witnessed
last Sunday morning in the Church of ST.
Mary the Virgin, in Forty-sixth street. He
described the sacrifice of the mass, the
burning of incense and the elevation Of the
host. declared all to be contrary to the doc
thine of the Anglican Church, from which the
Protestant Episcopal Church claims not to
have departed. and called the whole cere-
mony profane and idolatrous.
member of ST Marys Church said yes
terday that the service which the Reverend
Mr.. Filiingham last Sunday was very
plain. compared TO what s.. Mary's, ST. Ig-
natius Corpus Christi and similar churches
have when not on summer-vscation basis.