The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-10
.DR. COBBS REPLIES
 ID REV. MR. EWING
He Says That This Letter Ends
 His Correspondence
SOME PERSONAL REMARKS
Concluding Discussion of the contro- versy Growing Out of Mir. Ewlng's Relations to This Diocese.
 Bishop 6ratton's Letter.

The Rev. pr. Cobbs of Greensboro, sec retary of the dioceslan council of the Episcopal church in Alabama, replies to the letter of the Rev. MT. Ewing, rector of the Church of the Advent, which ap- peared in The Age-Herald of last We'd nesday.
 Greensboro, Ala, July !, 1904. Rev. Quincy Ewing, Birmingham, Ala
 Rev. and Dear Sir-Your letter which appears in The Age Herald of yesterday has been carefully read and it's contents noted. From that letter 1 make the fol- lowing quotation:
 sThe question at issue I must again insist upon putting you face to face with; and demand that you meet it face to face In your open letter to Colonel Pearson, published in The Age-Herald Sunday June 26, you stated that if Bishop Beck with, September 27, 1903, had given the evidence in writing, based upon intorma- ton then in his possession, 1t would have been his duty after the reception of the letter dimissory, October 1, to have with drawn that evidence.
 And you still insist that l shall with draw my statement or prove it to your satisfaction.
 In reply to this, and indeed to your whole letter, I call your attention to copy of the litter dmissory and the letter from Bishop Bratton which came with it.
 "Letter dimissory from bishop of Mis- sissippi, October 3, 1903
 q hereby certify that the Rev. Quincy Ewing, who has signifed his desire to be transferred to the diocese of Alabama, is a presbyter in good standing in this diocese of Mississippi exercising use ful and Cody ministry as rector or the church in Greenville and so far as l know or believe he has not been justly liable to evil report for error in religion
 '.rhe well known and widely published fact of his having married divorced clergyman (not divorced for the cause of adultry), about two years and some months ago Gin June, 190D, renders 1t lm- possible to give letter in eanonical form. This act was brought to the attention or the then ecclesiastical authority of this diocese, and the matter was, and has been ever since, suspended so far as MT. Ewing was involved, and believing in MT. Ewing's purity of motive (mistaken as his judgment was) and in his own moral rectitude, I have no desire to, nor Sifdll 1 tdhc any SltPo III lhC PANhiioNS5 but accept him as a qualified clergyman. I am also persuaded and assured that the bishops construction of the canon of marriage and divorce will regulate his acts in future cases.
 (Signed)
 THEODORE DuBOSE BRATTON.
 Bishop of Mississippi
 Bishop Brattons letter accompanying incomplete letter dimissory:
 "The Bishops House. Battle Hill,
 Jackson, Miss, October 3, 1903-
 My Dear Bishop.-I enclose copy of letter given-to MT. Ewing. This, think, is an absolutely accurate statement of the status of his case. l have been at pains to explain to him the difference between the question which you in Alabama and I in Mississippi have to solve, vizp l, as a new diocesean, INHERIT an extraordi nary condition I inherit clergyman who, in spite of having broken a canon, has been received as priest of the church in good standing by the authority which preceded me; moreover, although the standing committee took cognizance of the case, action upon it was suppress ed and MT. Ewing left for two and a half years in undisputed possession of his ministerial rights and standing. Upon my assuming charge, I inherit this condi- AfoS to take steps which would be an effectual rebulxe to my predecessor and the PAST acts of the diocese. So much for my posi- ton.
 .'YOURS is UTTERLY different. You have not inherited this Condition, but on the contrary MUST FREIGHT into your diocese a question (still unsettled in another) which may in it's unsettled state operate dsasterously upon your diocese and bear fruit throughout the church. In this l have warmly and unquallfiedly up- held your action in the face of these men.
 "Now, my letter last night was intend- ed to give you further light upon the matter from still another view point.
 Having such assurance as MT. Ewing has given me and being greatly re-assured as to his loyalty to the faith and obedi- ence to authority, l tell you the fact be- cause1 think you ought, or at least might take it into consideration when he pre- sents his letter. if he ever does.
 God help us both, my dear bishop, for I know you are still feeling YOUNG in this holy state, as I do most painfully. Faithfully and affectionately yours,
 "THEO. D. BRATTON."
 My opinion as I stated was based upon the contents of the latter part of this
 
 1t you cannot again ask me to withdraw my statement.
 And now l venture upon a word of ex- hortation which I ask you to receive in the spirit in which it is given.
 In point of age and of canonical resi- dence I am among the oldest of the Ala bama clergy. while in the matter of can onical residence you are among the youngest. It has been a surprise and a regret to me that under these circum- stances you have permitted yourself to occupy your present position, and I do not think that you appreciate the gravity of the situation, or understand thes full meaning of your action.
 To my mind 1t Is far too serious a mat ter to be mentioned in jocular way or to be discussed with an anecdote. To me it is a source of sorrow and shame and humiliation to know that such a state of things as your vestry and you have brought about could be possible in this diocese; that such sentiments could have been held by you and your vestry, as you have declared in your published statements. and that such language could have been addressed to a bishop in the church of God as you and your vestry have used in speaking of the bishop of this diocese, while simply obeying the canon.
 I believe the time will come when you will realize your mistake and when, un- dor ba influence of HeOhpr cecoud