The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-06-08
WHITEHOUsE-CHENEY CASE.


degenerate in the baptismal ordinance,
and that he was convicted, admonisheG
and suspended. Mr. Cheney continuing
the ministry in Christ Church and not be.
coming contrite and reforming by using
the essential word regenerate in the
ordinance of baptism, Bishop Whitehouse
instituted another court and again put Mr..
Cheney upon trial Except a protest
against the court and its proceedings the
Bishop and the court had things all their
own way. The court convicted Mr.
Cheney and commended his expulsion.
The Bishop delayed the expulsion and
made propositions which MI. Cheney could
not accept to obviate it. On last Thurs
day night Bishop Whitehouse sent a let
ter to Mr. Cheney, Of which the following
is copy;
CHICAGO, June 1, 1871
My Son in the Church,
You have been made fully aware how
sore Judgment hangs over you in the
verdict and sentence Of the Ecclesiastical
COurt-" Degradation from the ministry
Of the church of God"
Iapproach with deepestlpain thehour of
pronouncng my first and only disciplin
airy sentence III an episcopate of nineteen
years. But | have now delayed the iudg-
ment or four weeks. [ have done what
[ could, though without effect, through
admonition Of my own and counsel with
Others, to bring you to appreciate the If
revocabe Fall, and to induce such godly
submission as might afford the occasion,
which, would thankfully have accepted
for the mitigation or remission OF the sen
tence, All has proved in vain; and no l
inform you that, with the Divine permits
sion, [ shall pronounce the sentence re
commended by the court tomorrow morn
ing, in the Cathedral, at 10 o'clock.
In sorroW-for the last time, your Faith
er in God.
HENRY J. WHITEHoUsE.
On Friday at the Cathedral in presence
of many Reverends of the Episcopal
Church, and others, after the conclusion
of the Litany, which was read by Rev E.
S. Sullivan, the Bishop addressed the
Standing Committee substantially as fol-
lows:
You have all like myself followed
faithfully the details of this painful trial
In an episcopate of nineteen years I have
only been twice compelled to institute
Judicial proceedings; and now for the
first time trial has resulted in convic-
4o I, L.,
the grave without having been compelled
to perform this sad duty. My efforts
have, however, been vain After patient
examination and anxious consideration,
fortified by the opinion of others, l am
prepared TO say, before God, in this
church, that no human passions, no mo-
tives of self, no motives of self interest,
mingle in this decision The purity of
the church, and the vindication of her
discipline, and even, might say, the pre-
vent1on of schismatic separation, force
me to the solemn performance of this
function of my high office.
It is solemn beyond the power of words
to convey. In our own ears and hearts
echoes the mysterious and awful declara.
tions of our Lord, Whatsoever we bind
on earth shall be bound in Heaven"
There rises up before us the strange wreck
of the after life of this our brother, who
voluntarily goes out from among us. Vol
UNFAIRLY [ say, because at every step q
remedy has been in his own hand. Even
from an earthly standpoint, by the exer.
else of wise and sober judgment, he
could have availed himself of means of
averting this scene There is no longer
room for delay in pronouncing the SEN
tence which you are here to record and
when once pronounced it is irrevocable.'
The Bishop then proceeded to read the
sentence, which, recapitulating the find
ing of the court, was in effect the canoni
cal and ecclesiastical sentence of degra-
dation from the ministry in the church Of
God prescribed by Title IT., Canon 10
Sec. 2.
So Rev. Mr.. Cheney is out of the Epis
copal Church and degraded from thu
ministry so far as the sentence of degra
can put him out and degrade him.
In the meantime Mr.. Cheney has re
ceived the following letter of sympathy
from sixty-fve distinguished clergymen o
the Episcopal Church, and many laymen
To the Rev. Charles E. Cheney:
Rev, AND DEAR BROTHER: We, the un
dersigned, clergymen and laymen of tn
Protestant Episcopal Church, hearing
with much sorrow, of your trial and ser
tence to punishment, for having, on Gel