Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-22
DIR. KfRKUS SEES
Continued from page !

| Continued from page J
tion with the movement consists IN my
| having announced in Trinity Church
that the services would be held, and that
| the presence of those who were interested
was cordially invited.
| wish to add further however, that the
| movement had my very hearty approval,
and that had been in Wilmington during
/ the continuance of those services there
would have been only one possible OBJ
/ stacle TO my participation, namely, my
reluctance 20 wound the sensibilties Of
| the rector Of st. Johns church. think
| the movement is an excellent one, for
this among many reasons, viz That It
| enables Christian people 20 come to-
| gether for worship and TO hear the preach
| ing of Gods word, without being re-
stricted by any canonical rule whatsoever,
for ! do not consider that any canon thu
WAS ever devised WAS intended to restrict
our liberty TO unite IN such services as
| those 10 which DIR. Richey takes excep-
ton The beautiful lake on whose shores
am M this very time sojourning has been
the scene Of Just such services on Sunday
afternoons for many years past, and |
have participated IN them with n per-
fectly clear conscience and greatly TO my
enjoyment and edihcation. They remind
one of Our Saviour's well-known method
of instructing the peoplc-on the mount
and from the Lake Of Gennesarctin IN
the face OF the enmity and opposition Of
the Scribes and Pharisecs but 10 the
edifcation and enlightenment Of tho
great mutitudes who listened to Ills
teachings.
do not intend 10 answer IN detail
the serious allegations advanced by the
rector Of St Johns.
differ with him in totoas 10 hi. inter
probation Of the canon relating to paro-
chial rights. My practice has always been
scrupulouslv to observe those rights,
as far as they can bc determined under
our very indefinite system, But ! cannot
see how any rector's right or prerogatives
are invaded by such service as that
which is in question. Had It been held
in the park located ono square from
Trinity Church, ] should have considered
IL no invasion The parks are public
property, and no more under our control
than the High School building, where at
one time the Open Forum was held, and
participated in by well-known Church
men, on Sunday, when services were in
progress a. my own church, next door.
As TO DR. Richeys accusations of law
lessness. of breach Of ordination VOWS,
and various other iniquities, | do not
consider them worth answering. Such |
random charges are much easier to make |
than 10 sustain. Ii made by proper |
ecclesiastical procedure, | think MIR |
Trapnell and | can hold our own Sub
mitted TO the judgment Of popular opinion |
We must be content TO rest on the reputa-
tion which our work and standing in /
the church and community have already |
made for us
am frank to say that | utterly dis
agree with DR. Richeys estimate of the
Christian bodies outside our own church
If Episcopalians were compelled to sub
scribe to his narrow and exclusive view Of
the matter 1t would be impossible for me
TO remain in the ranks of the ministry 1t
is worse than any Judaistic excluslveness
that was ever conceived. 1t Outdoes
Rome in its claim to be "the whole
church, " 10 the extent represented by our
smallness in comparison
with the vast numbers In the Roman
Communion.
Your readers will hardly be interested
in any examination of the details Of DR.
Richey's unkind, and to my mind un-
Christian communication. | am sorry
for the man who wrote it, and by its CON
tents revealed a warped judgment and
an embittered mind Perhaps / have
already exceeded the bounds of reason
in saying so much in reply to a protest
which | could have summarly dismissed
BY a disclaimer | have said thus much
because do not wish for a moment to be
,lassed with those who agree with DR.
Richey, or who feel that his protest is
justified.
Yours very truly.
Frederick NJ kirkus,
Rector of Trlitv Parish,