The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-04
FEN DIR. CRAPSEY.
The Rev. ). Howard Melish Criticlses the
Ecclesiastical Court.

The Rev. J. Howard Melish, rector Of
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Brooklyn,
in his sermon on Sunday made some re-
marks in strong disapproval of the recent
decision of the ecclesiastical court in the
case of the Rev. DIR. Crapsey Of Rochester.
II was said yesterday that many members
of the congregation were not IN sympathy
with the rector on the stand he has taken
in regard to the Crapsey case. h Rev.
Mr.. Nelish, however, issued this statement
in one of the Brooklyn papers:
Il am a minister OF God before / am a
minister of the Episcopal Church and as such
/ ~repudiate the recent manner Of arriving
at truth in the case Of DIR. Crapsey. The
only test of truth is human experience,
not merely the experience of one individual
or one generation in one place but Of the
race through many generations in many
places. What human experience has found
In that way to be true in divine truth, to
whose authority alone a man may submit
and still be a free child Of God.
MANY times in Christian history an ex-
ternal authority other than this OF human
experience has been set up. Whether 1t
called itself curia, confession, council or
creed, it held that il was the truth-this
fixed, limited, static thing. But it remained
for a modern tribunal TO make a stlnct
between its external authority and truth.
In the recent trial in Church circles il was
held that the question at issue was not the
truth but what the Church taught. Whether
the accused spoke the truth or not had no
part in the case.
Would public opinion support a civil
Judge who should hand down a decision
because the law required il. when he knew
that the enforcement of the law would
destroy the thing which It was intended
TO protect? Again and again courts have
put equity above what is written-the COM
mon good above the letter. In this case
the letter alone was considered, and the
truth was ruled out OF court. To that
judgment, therefore, though it was affirmed
by an ecumenical council, no man can
point and say, That is a true saying
Truth needs only TO be stated 10 win
the attention It'd the respect and the love
Of men. L speak the truth; they who are
OF the truth hear my voice. Ye do not
believe because ye are not Of The truth
In itself is worth; it needs no infallibilities
to apologize for it; its strength and win
someness are its own. Let men but stand
before IL with open eye and its majesty
and divinity will win its way into their
minds and hearts and wills
George Foster Peabody. one OF the
wardens OF the church, said: There are
many wide differences OF opinion in the
congregation Of Holy Trinity. but l do
not believe there Is any open discussion
with the views OF the Rev. Mr.. Melish.
There il no wider variations of opinion on
this fundamental subject than there may
be found in other large Episcopal con-
gregations. My correspondence over the
whole country has not convinced me that
the Rev. Mr.. Melish is too radical in his
views. There are many preachers who
go further than he docs. He doesn't agree
with DR.. Crapsey in the fundamental fact
the divinity Of Jesus-although he is at
one with him in the belief Of the freedom
to preach what il believed by the individual
conscience"
William G. Howard, treasurer of the
church, and John Ditmas, a vestryman,
said that there was no objection to the
Rev. Mr.. Melish's views among h con-
gregation.
Edward NJ. Shepard, who was DR.. Crap
sey's counsel, is a member OF Holy Trinity.