He said that Chief Justice Chase was in the habit of attending the Metropolitan Church, on Four and One-half Street, Washington, and Dr. Newman (afterward Bishop) noticed that while the Chief Justice was a member of the official Board, and attended faithfully to its duties, yet he always left the church when the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered.
After one such occasion Dr. Newman went to him and said: "Why do you not avail yourself of the means of grace in the Lord's Supper?"
The Chief Justice answered: "I do not consider myself worthy to partake of the communion."
The Doctor said: "We invite all who love the Lord, and who do truly and heartily repent of their sins, to join with us in this service."
"Yes, that is just it. What do you mean by 'repent'?"
Then the Doctor gave him a full and clear explanation of repentance.
On the next communion day instead of leaving the church the Chief Justice remained in his seat. After all had communed, Dr. Newman said: "If any soul feels its unfitness for this service, to him this invitation is specially given. If such a one fails to acknowledge the Savior and his own unworthiness before his fellowmen, we are assured that the Savior will not acknowledge him before his Father and His holy angels."
The Chief Justice rose, and staggered, rather than walked, to the front, and fell on his knees at the altar railing. After giving to the kneeling man the bread and wine, the Doctor, seeing the strong face of the penitent drawn with grief, with the Justice still kneeling, pronounced the benediction and dismissed the congregation.
The next day, in the robing-room of the justices, Chief Justice Chase said to Justice Miller: "Oh, I want to tell you to-day what the Lord has done for my soul! He came very near me yesterday."
Justice Miller replied: "Well, we will talk of that some other time; now we have the wages of sin and not righteousness before us."