, 1865-09-14
THE EPISCOPAL CONTEN.
TION, =
Case Of Rev. DR.. Cracraft and His
Parish,

Important Document Presented by
Grace Church, Gaictbur=, to the Dfo-
ccsnn Convention.
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CONVENTION
Gentlemen. In recent circular issued by
the Bishop Of Illinois to the various parishes
fthis Slate, md embodying q report Of the
Standing Committee Of this Diocese, II Is in.i-
Galcsburg, will be brought before tho OPP
preaching Convention. 1t Is the desire Of
that church that this should be done, for 1t Is
in the justice and integrity Of this body TINT
We must find, If at all, our projection against
what re cannot but regard US grieyous wrong.
ventlon against heavy odds. The position OF
the Bishop necessarily gives hin, great infu-
ence over its Membt.rs. The clergy Of The
Diocese will naturally dislike to array against
themselves m cnmity SO potent to mar their
worldly fortunes. Besides, IS the presiding
appointment Of committees in Ids own bands,
Nevertheless We rely, with confidence upon
tho transparent justice Of our cause. I'VE
propose In this pamphlet briefly to recapitu-
late the facts, and then give the official docu-
ments connected with this affair.
Ing purchased farm contiguous to Gales
burg, came here to reside. We were without
rector, and We gladly awaited ourselves Of
his residence among us to supply our pulpit.
He accepted our call, and ut once entered
upon his duties. His ministrations gave great
preached on the Sabbath evenings, series OF
discourses addressed to young men. Ii seye-
ral Of these be discussed the questions involy-
ed in the then existing war, ind enforced,
with great earncstncss, The duty Of sustaining
the Government There were In the
Church. very small number Of persons to
whom these sermons gave great offence They
Threatened that unless tho preaching Of such
sermons should be discontinued, Mr. Craeran
would be sllcnccd by tic Bishop Of tho Dio-
cese. These threats were regarded IS absurd.
It was commonly thought that the Bishop
sympathized With their peculiar political
have tho right or the disposition to interfere,
End Atr. Cracra1 with the WITH appreciation
Of at 1cast ninc-tcnths of the pasizh, continued
to preach the duty OF loyalty. Suddenly,
however, and With no other note Of warning
than had been conveyed In the threats above
referred to, came down the following COM.
munication to the vestry from The Bishop,
bearing date two days after the SIX months
allowed by the canon for tho presentation
Of Letters Dimissory:
"Cu1cAro, Octobc. 1, 1861.
.'Io the Wnrdcna and Vcstrymca Of GFsce Church,
aGEN1Eaxx-I understand that the Rcy. John
". Crnenit Fresbytrr Of the Diocese Of Ohio, has
been Tor some time past officiating by call from Jour
Et
II beg respectfully to Inform you, that Mr.; Csa-
therefore IL not eligible as Rector or Minister Of
ats1cfarded The provisions q 11is j, Canon Il l.
stc., Of The Digest and Canon I OF 1he Diocese Of
Illinois, 70 "a!Icl beg to seier you:
OF tle General Convention and the Diocese, By as-
eumlng the situation Ntihout certificate from me.
1le llse presented no letters dlnssosy thouel he
hiss bten leeidcut nearly ycar, and has assumed
thus 10 oalctatG.
u IN also c7cdibly informed that s11. cracuf,
miniers MT and nd plraens % % IL the q Fit M e
tierAl Chntrh Of The city, fn conjunction with The
pastor Of the same. aud without ustug the Litur-
HIcal ftrsice OF rtttfneut.
- / have also received formal complaint that Mr..
Crac1s!t has ut Different times introduced po:ltlca
subjects into the prlrit on TIE 1ord's pa5, ukt:h
five to respectable portion Of the congregation,
who have been obliged, from the reiterated g.tes
a1cc, to absent themselves ftom PUBLIC worshlp.
officially addressed tlc Hight nererend. she acting
1Eshop OF Ohio. and requested him TO remand Nj.
C1scratt 10 H. JuJ!slictn for ecclesiastical fnqnl
Tn der thcsc eircu1stanees ,rast ihst yoa will
appreciate the psop-tcfy that Mr. Cracrat should
ctase 70 o1l.ciate in tiraee Church.
70 within ms diocese. shall feel 1t mr duty to nd
moui.h linn aid forbid him to oiclate In this lio
Ceee until satisfied Of iis Innocence, OF he has
been eeqaiiicd on uial. aceordin 10 tit II, cn.on
iii viii aaord me pleasure to furnish son. Pas-
ish Mih temporary ssF.iees # u darns II y2sans ns.
In my way to counsel or assist you.
~ re1lain, gentlemen, with respect md Clsis-
.ian love your friend sna d. servant; ;r.z...
| *'Hi.hop of n1fnos."
II thc Bishop had addressed a cpmmnnlca-
| tion to the testry calling their attention 10
the canon, and Informing them that Mr. Crn-
c1aii must present his Letter Diulissory md
procure the certificate of transfer, the neccs-
| gary steps to accomplish this would have been
at Gnce taken. We had no desire to violate
the canon. We do sole,nnly affirm that our
disregard Of It wns not only unintcntional, but
the vc=try with one or two exceptions, were
not even awnrc that such canon existed:
I what earthly motive had VIC for Intentionally
disrcearding II. And our ignorance OF 1t may
by the letter Of The Rev Dr.. Clover, pub
| lishcd herewith, that the instances In which
the Canon is observed constitute the exception
md not the rule. But the first intimation o1
ong blMndcr was accompanied with the fur,
thcr information that the Bishop had remand
course, placed it out Of our power to rcttace
our steps OF remedy o,.t unintentionai fault
Until the charges formally preferred
ngnfns! Mr.. Cracraft should be disposed Of,
be could not, with anE rropriety, .nPply to
TO the Bishop Of Ohio for Letter nlnIasogy
Tint Bishop could not give Il while Mr.. Cra-
craft was under charges. What then WeEe
VIC to do: II will be observed that this CON,
munIcation from Bishop WhftcAousc docs not
contain IN absolute Inhibition against further
services in Grace Church BY Mr.. Cracraft. II
plainly states that he shall "cnntinue f.
othcIate,'' the Bishop will forbid bin, to d
80; but as TO the vestry, the Bishop simply
"trnsts that they will appreciate the Trppfie
ty that Mr. Crncraft should cease to oiliciate
ii Grace Church, Even II the Bishop bad
tho power 10 forbid aIr. Crocraft to preach
which We do not admit-he did not do so
nnlesf indec. IN expression Of What he trusts
the rcstry will do, Is equivalent, as In tht
care Of Oriental Dcspots, 10 q command
We Knew that In consequence o
the absence Of Bishop Mcllyaine Il
Europe, the hearing OF the charges against
Mr.. c1acraft would necessarily BE- postponed
preach, our church would be CLOSED for Al in.
definite period. Il Is true the Bishop offered
10 supply our pulpit, but II could not be CT
pected that, when deprived Of tho pastor o
our cAuice, By What nc felt to bc 9 most ~
rannical proceeding, We would permit hi!
lion VIC had no voice. Tue vestry sent TO tAs
Ei>hop n petition, couclled in the most re
spccttu1 language, and signed by large por
tion Of an the adult members Of the congre
CATION, representing the facts, dlsclaimlny any
intent to Violate the canons, md asking thl
!
| tiion the Bishop never delgned d reply Il
justice 10 him, however, It should also be statet
That before this petition was cent to him, q
letter from Judge Lawrence, urralgniny hi:
courxc in serere terms, had been published
the Chicago TRIBUNE, md this letter had re
celved the endorsement Of the Vcstry. Will
this letter were published certain resolutions
OF the Festry approving the sermons Of MI
crncraft, and not in the slightest degree dis
| respectful Ia the Bishop. PERHAPS, however
tic latter found IN these publications suni
Client reason for tnI1ng no notice Of the pcti
lion. AS We desire to be scrupulously Just In
our statement, we give him the benefit Of tht
facts far what they arc worth.
Under these circumstances 1t was decided
that Mr., Crncraft should continue to o1:iatc
and he did 20 until the Bishop addressed Il
him IN absolute prohibition, hear1ng dat
November 9th, 1864. The Vcstry. in thu
continuing his services, after- having bec1
procure Letter Dimissory, and ccrtiicat
Of transfer, undoubtedly violated the canon
But believing that lhc whole difficulty hat
asisen-as It certainly did, so far as the Par
ish was conccrncd-from the 1act tint IL
preached upon the duty OF crushing the r.
tie Bishop had been influenced In his actfol
By that class Of persons to whom such senti
ments were distastefpl, and feeling q stron:
reluctance to have q ctergymal
eileuced for excess of loyalty
and q triumph thus -rGfrcn to
small faction Of rebel sympathixers In on
r,ilst, We thought It better cven to disEesur
q cauon which VIC knew had generally been
dead letter In the statute Of the church, rattle
tllnn 10 acqulesce in proceeding which
whatever It's motive, amounted in its imms
diate results in our small community, to
punishment for loyalty and a premium 70
treason. Nhnt loyal man u there who car
; not understand the power of these motives I
the then condition Of the public mind An
what loyal member of this Convention is thcr
who viii be disposed to visit with severe pm
ishment the offence of violating, under sucl
circumstances, canon SO frequently disre
gnrdeds
to be considered as imputing the course 9
the Bishop to sympathy, on his part, vii
disloSal persons But VIC had a right to 6t