Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-09-01
RELIGIOUS,
Cheney, of Christ Church,
Chicago.


| CHICAGO, Aug. 31.-Bishop White
house publishes in the Tribune this morn
ing, column and a half of reply t.
Inc recent communication of the wardeni
OF Christ Church, in which they geek tc
dissbuse the Bishop of the statement he
hes caused to be made public, that the
offlcers OF Christ Church had receded
rom the position taken by the wardens
IN their letter to the Bishop of the 12lh
ultimo, and that they had consented to
an absence of their rector from the chan
Gel OF Christ Church, on the occasion of
an Episcopal visitation, and that the can
dldates prepared by him for confirmation,
and by HIM admitted to the communion,
shall be presented for the rite by some
other clergyman.
In his reply, Bishop Whitehouse quotes
an extract from the letter of Mr.. Crane,
DR., written to the Bishop, naming the
day when they would be glad to receive
MN at Christ Church. The extract is SIS
follows:
I'm the absence of the rector of this
parish the wardens give notice that the
Right Reverend Bishop of this diocese
"AA AS4A al CHAoCODdl anu M
minister the sacred rite of confirmation
in Christ Church, Chicago, on the four.
teenth Sunday after Trinity, being the
10th day of September next, at the usual
hour OF morning service, the Bishop
having been pleased to change the time
from the 18th to the 10Th of September.
l beg you to believe me, very respect
fully your Obedent servant.
"ALBERT CRANE,
"Warden of Christ Church. ("
The Bishop insists that the first fourteen
words of the extract, warranted him in
the statement that Mr.. Cheney would be
conveniently absent on The occasion of
his visitation. The Bishop also in his
reply gives quite lengthy account Of an
interview which ne hal with Nj Crane
subsequent to the writing of the letter
above quoted from, in which he says that
MIR. Crane assured him that Dir. Cheney
would be absent.
The Bishop also asserts that DR.. Kelly,
during the preceding week, came to him
to ask his consent 10 officiate in Christ
Church on the following Sunday at the
Invitation of the wardens; that Mr.. Che
ney had been to see him Or. Kelly to
urge him to do so. Dr.. Kelly replied in
substance to Mr.. Cheney, that he could
not compromise himself by any services
recognizing Dir. Cheney. To this Mr..
Cheney rejoined, by declaring that he did
not wish any clergyman to be cOmpro
missed through him with the Bishop, that
DR.. Kelly would observe that the invita-
ton was from the Wsrdens alone, and he
was only the bearer of il, that he (Mr.
Cheney expected to be absent, but if by
any chance he should be in the church,
he would not appear or interfere, but
would take his seat in pew among the
congregation.
The Bishop also says that during his in
terview with Mr.. Crane sllusion was made
to my obtaining possession of the prop.
erty and the embarrassment it might en-
tsil on the administration of it in conse-
quence of its heavy encumbrances and
the failure of the income to meet the ex-
penses. | took occasion to correct EN-.
phatically the utter misconcep'ion on that
subject that | had nothing whatever to
do with the property as really and
would not consent to touch it in any way.
II 1t were offered to be freely conveyed to
me even as trust stated that any ecCle-
siastical action of myself or the Diocese
must be limited to the simple dedication
of 1t, the right of administration and the
cestui que trust being inslienably in q
corporation attached to the doctrine and |
worship of the Protestant Episcopal !
Church under the authority of the coz
stitution and canoDs Of the Diocese of |
Illinois and subject to the ecclesiastical |
authority of this Diocese.
The rest of the Letter of Bishop White
house Is devoted to general statement |
of his rights and duties as Bishop of I'LL
nois, and his design to vindicate them.
He says in conclusion:
"YOu must know that the church in |
my hands will never voluntarily be sub
mitted to ssuch an anomaly, and that any
indigniiy which in consequence may re-
suit must be at your own responsibility
alone. You may not, perhaps, appreciate
that by thus rejecting the authority of the
Bishop and traversing the laws of the
diocese and setting at naught Catholic
you virtually claim exemption
from the church in this diocese Of Hi
nois, arrogate a political independence
which in principle involves the wnCle,
plant yourself as an isolated body and
thus furnish proof that cannot be over
looked of malteassnce in the trust Of the |
properly corporate. | beg you 10 ponder
the weighty winds of the Supreme bench.
'tNext to the diffusion of the Chris ian
faith and morals, the church has in view
the promotion Of union and harmony and
order and subordination through every
part Of the great association for whose
government they were intended. The |
body cannot by its own will,
nor by assuming an internal organization
ca ,rj.Gg ID the rules and discipline |
and usages of the church, nor by placing |
over it preacher of its own choice, nor |
By claiming to be the true and only sCci-
ETY. of the church, become, ipso factO, an
organized portion of the general body or
church, until recognized by the proper
authority of the church, and that it would |
stand as an isolated body, unconaected |
with the general organization, and indie
pendent of it
1t is understood that Mr.. Cheney and |
MIR. Crane will reply to the bishop.
A Card from Cheney,
Rev. DR.. Cheney has prepared card |
in reply TO one sentence in Bishop White
houses communication, which appears in
the papers this morning. He quotes the |
Bishops version of An interview between !
him Cheney and DR.. Kelley, concerning |
which the card proceeds:
'NO man who knows me could Believe |
that / could take so absurdly an iDcon-
sistent q position as that indicated by the |
closing sentence. Had any contingency |
occurred which enabled me to spend the |
Sunday in the city, | should c:rt ainly |
have informed DR.. Kelly that such was
the case, and that should not need the |
service he so kindly consented to give. |
Upon calling on that gentleman this |
morning, he assures me that he never |
represented me as making such state |
ment, but only told the Bishop that he |
(Dr. Kelly supposed that in the event of |
my being in the church, would absent |
myself from the chancel. How far the !
statements of the whole letter are reliable, |
nan no iTIIUnf htr tnio