BISHOPS AT THE CONSECRATION OF THE RT. REV. R. H. WELLER, D. D., TO BE BISHOP COADJUTOR OF FOND DU LAC, NOVEMBER 8, 1900 communicate to him in reply, with the friendly greetings of the Bishops, that a Committee has been appointed, with the Bishop of Chicago as chairman, to consider the whole subject of intercommunion between the Polish Old Catholics and the Protestant Episcopal Church"; which was adopted. In a private letter, September 22, 1902, Bishop Anderson, Coadjutor of Chicago, suggested that it would be well for Bishop Kozlowski to lay before the Committee of the House of Bishops a general statement to the effect that the theological position of the Polish Old Catholics in America was practically the same as that of the Old Catholics in Europe, and added: "For Bishop Kozlowski I have a constantly increasing admiration. He is proving himself to be a hero." It may be well here to give some extracts made in consequence of the above suggestion, from Bishop Kozlowski's communications: "TO THE RIGHT REVEREND THE COMMITTEE OF THE 66 RIGHT REVEREND BRETHREN: "My earnest desire is to be in union with all the Catholic Church, that we may fulfil Christ's prayer and build up His Kingdom. "As the same spirit seemed to animate the Right Reverend Bishops of the American Episcopal Church, I applied to the House of Bishops at San Francisco and at Cincinnati for intercommunion. This intercommunion would be gladly accepted by the priests and religious under my jurisdiction, and would strengthen the faith of many who have lost their faith, while rejecting the papal yoke, and would show that I am not the only Catholic Bishop independent of Rome, but that the large body of Bishops of the Episcopal Church are likewise independent, and are true Catholic Bishops. "I only wish to be the helper, assistant, and servant of the Bishops of Jesus Christ, and would confine my jurisdiction to people of the Polish and other kindred nationalities of the Slavonic races, among whom the Anglican Church has never attempted any evangelistic work. I would never encroach on any rights or jurisdiction of any Bishop over work among the English or any other kindred people, and would try to bring my people into even closer relationship with the Episcopal Church. It is my desire to be in communion with this Church, in which I recognize the validity of its holy Orders and the right administration of the sacraments. I appeal again, that intercommunion with me may be established by your Right Reverend body. If this application is informal, I am willing to conform myself to every suggestion of your committee and to state my theological position. Our services have been translated into the Polish language. I hold the faith of the undivided Catholic Church as expressed in the Catholic Creeds and propounded by the Catholic Councils which have been recognized as ecumenical by both the East and the West alike. "I believe the canonical books of the Old and New Testament to be the Word of God, and that, rightly understood, they contain all things necessary to salvation. "I believe that the grace of God is necessary for salvation; that our justification is only through Jesus Christ, and that the visible Church is a congregation of faithful believers, where the Word of God is preached and the Sacraments duly administered. "I believe that the Roman Church has erred in propounding the supremacy and infallibility of the Pope. I believe in the intermediate state of purification after this life, but that the Roman Church has erred in her doctrine of Purgatory and indulgences, as also in the adoration of images and relics. "The Polish race is very numerous. Multitudes of them are leaving their faith, and unless something is done they will, revolting from Romanism, go into infidelity. I would succor them, and for this end I desire intercommunion with the Episcopal Church. The cause of God moves me to ask this. Will you do as I ask? Then help me now. If anything needs to be explained, I will do it. If any condition is required from me I am ready to fulfil it. My confidence in God and in the power of His Gospel is unlimited. With great respect, I am Yours in the Catholic Faith, ANTHONY KOZLOWSKI." A similar statement on behalf of the clergy and laity under Bishop Kozlowski, and signed by a committee of five from their number, was also issued. It was printed in full in "The Living Church" of September 27, 1902. The Memorial had naturally created some interest, and on the part of a few some alarm. The original proposals of the Quadrilateral had primarily in mind a method by which the outlying sectarian bodies could be united or brought into communion with ourselves. They had not responded to it. Some had officially rejected it. They did not believe in or want an historical Episcopate; historical, that is, which came down from the Apostles. Now we were confronted with the fact that a large and respectable body of Christians who had an apostolically derived Episcopate accepted our terms. The House of Bishops was then in this dilemma: To reject the Memorial was, in fact, to repudiate the Quadrilateral. To accept it would not help the hoped-for Protestantizing of the Church. They treated the Bishop with scant courtesy. He had come a long |