The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-29
REV. QUINCY EWING
ANSWERS DR.. COBBS
Continued from Fifth Paoe)

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Bratton's letter, relying upon my own,
or anybody else's memory. | have 1t be-
fore me, and it Is with pleasure that i
here copy 1t in -lsll
THE Bishops House, Battle Hill.
jackson, Miss, October 3, 1903.
Il hereby certify that the Rev. Quincy
Ewing, who has signified his desire to
be transferred to the diocese of Alabama,
is Presbyter in good standing in this
diocese of Mississippi: exercising useful,
Cody ministry as rector of the church in
Greenyille; and, so far as l know or be-
lieve, he has not been justly liable to
evil report for error in religion. The
well known and widely published fact of
his having married a divorced clergyman
(not divorced for the cause of adultery
about two and half years ago lin June
1900 renders 1t impossible to give IA letter
In the eanonical form. This act was
brought to the attention of the then
ecclesiastical authority of this diocese,
and the matter was, and has been ever
since, suspended, so far as Mr.. Ewing was
involved, and, believing in Mr.. Ewing $
purity of motive mistaken as his 1udg-
ment was) and in his own moral rectitude,
1 have no desire to- nor shall l. take any
step in the premises, but accept him as
qualified clergyman.
dhl dlSO ana assured that
the bishops construction of the canon
of marriage and divorce will regulate his
acts In future cases.
THEODORE DUBOSE BRATTON,
Bishop of Mississippi"
Now. sir | challenge you to point out
the sentence or word in this letter which
justifies your statement, that on October
A, 1908, was not a qualified clergyman
of the church. Please explain in language
for. him, h.,
how. as disqualified clergyman" | was
Presbyter in good standing in the
diocese of Mississippi. Please explain how
as a disqualified clergyman l was ex-
ercising useful, Cody ministry as rec
tor of the church in Greenvlle Please
explain how, a disqualified clergyman,
| was accepted by Bishop Bratton as a
qualified clergyman.
Canon of Transfer
VIII you answer that Bishop Bratton
wrote 1t was impossible to give me let
ter of transfer in the Economical form. y
thus Indicating that l was not ouali-
fed clergyman? l anticipate your answer
and reply. You are well aware that there
is no one form for letter Of transfer
that may be properly called the canoni-
cal form" to the exclusion Of others. The
canon of transfer very distinctly allows
other forms than the one suggested, and
there Is not the slightest intimation that
a letter of transfer should be considered
as irregular, unless in the one form
suggested in the canon. The canon sim
ply directs that, if letter or transfer
Is in the suggested form, II shall be the
duty of the bishop to wnom 1t is sent
to accept 1t within six months or take
such steps as Will Justify his refusal to
accept. You know this as well as | do:
/ -tr -, ~.
question at issue by charging the above
quoted letter with irregularity. That
question Is not whether Bishop Beck
with WAS or was not, under obligation
TO accept the letter of transfer not in
the usual form. The question is simply
and solely: Does this letter to which
you have referred for proof of your
statement that. on October 4, 1903, / was
rot a qualified clergyman of the church,
bear out your statement? | demand that
you meet the question at issue fairly ana
squarely as an honorable gentleman.
The Morris Marriage.
VIII You remind me that In Bishop
Brattoh's letter the matter of my con-
nection with the Morris marriage is said
to have been land to bel suspended?
reply % that you deny your right to
make capital of this expression in the
said letter by your appeal to the record OF
the Mississippi standing committee pub
eished to all the world Bishop Beckwith
included In the summer of 1902 The
resolution OF the Mississippi standing
committee, which you had before you
was surely sufficient to compel the con-
clusion. that Bishop Bratton used the
word suspended" in some remarkable
sense, which cast no shadow of doubt
Upon my qualification us clergyman.
Resolved, That IT is the sense of the
committee that there shall be (no;