The Washington herald., 1907-05-06

New York, May 5.-Bishop Frederick
Burgess, of the Long Island diocese Of the
Episcopal Church. preaching this morning
from the pulpit of ST. Georges Church,
IN Hampstead. branded Rev. Jere Knode
Cooke. the missing rector, as a traitor,
and formally announced his deposition
from the ministry.
II was a straightout talk by the bishop
He did not attempt TO apologize for the
rector's disappearance with FlOTetta
Whaley. his seventeen-year-old orphan
ward. even on plea of unsound mind
But he did appeal to the public not TO
judge. or rather misiudge the clergy by
the act Of one man. incidentally. the
bishop told the congregation. which is
one OF the weaIthiest for its size in this
country just what ne thought of the
syc0phantic attitude Of the American pe0-
pie toward men of large means. The
little church was well filled.
Sobs Heard in Church.
Many Of the congregation, chiefly the
young girls. entered the church in tears,
and once CT twice in the course of the
bishops sermon sobs We're heard in diff
ferent parts of the church. The delivery
Of the sermon was plainly an ordeal for
the bishop He took as his text Christ's
words in the Gospel Of st, john, xvi;-S.
Have confidence, / have overcome the
world"
Il have not come here, my friends. "
said the bishop TO preach any ordinary
sermon or to 0ficiate at any usual com
munion service. II is of no use for me
10 try TO forget the incidents of the past
week OF to pass them by in absolute
silence. This parish this diocese, this
dear church of ours has suffered a stag
gering blow. and l have come here as the
pastor of the diocese 90 share with You
your sorrow, your Indignation. and your
shame
There is a German pTOverb which says
that money lost is little lost; that honor
lost is much lost. but that>hear lost. all
Is lost, and I have come here in the hope
dhat something I may say may, through
God, give you heart again.
No Right 10 Judge.
I haven't come here TO offer any
apology for the map who stood in this
pulpit to preach the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. As man, l have no right 70
judge him. I know not what allowances
may be made for him, either in the civil
courts OF in the Supreme Court before
the Great Judge on the last day. Nor do
! know how many respected men may 80
behind him into the Kingdom OF God.
But as bishop OF this diocese. / have de-
posed him at his own request for reasons
affecting his moral character. II may be
that he was insane. but l am not one Of
those who think that insanity should
always be pleaded as an excuse for inn
morality. Our country has suffered too
much already from this maWkish senti-
mentality, which allows murderers and
adulterers TO go unpunished through a
plea Of unbalanced mind.
Clergy Not Perfect.
To-day I would cheer you, for / know
well the sorrow that is in your hearts
and mine. But there are things that
must be said. In the first place. it isn't
right 10 judge the whole ministry or the
church by one man. know the clergy
are not perfect If they were then the
millennium would be AT hand St Louis
used to say that if only his crusaders
were righteous, then all would be well
That is true. If all had been Sir Gala
hads, they would have driven the Mos
lens back and established the Kingdom
OF God in Jerusalem, and If the clergy
could be free from evil thoughts and
deeds the church of Christ would
tTiumUh."
Bishop Burgess said that there IS a
tendency among some people 10 be cap
tious in regard To the ministry. But people
have a right to demand of a man who
pre- ches the Gospel that he be pure and
upright; that he believe the creed of the
church without mental reservation, and
accept the Interpretation of its doctrines.
Il believe" said the bishop that il is
far better that ecclesiastical trials be muI-
tiplied one hundred fold rather than that
inddelity and immortality should creep
into the ranks Of the church's trusted
officers"
Calls on Mrs. Cooke.
The bishop before he left Hempstead
called on Mrs Matilda Cooke. the wife
of the missing rector. Mrs. Cooke had
partially recovered from her collapse on
Saturday, when she returned 10 the rec
tory She told the bishop that she had
not received a word from her husband. [
and that his disappearance with his ward
was complete surprise to her. Mrs
Cooke viii remain in Hampstead until (
Tuesday when she viii leave the rectory /
for good. The bishop to-day permitted
District Attorney Franklin A. Coles to |
read the letter which Cooke sent 10 the |
bishop al Garden City on the dav after
his disappearance The letter is of a /
personal character and there would be 1
no justification for its being made public /
A good many persons believe that there /
is no clew 10 the missing couple and that /
they are probably out of the State, if not 1
out Of the country