Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-26
LEAVES THE PULPIT
Rev. AIgernon S. crapsey Gives
Up His Ministry.
HOLDS TO HIS VIEWS
Feels No Animosity Toward Opponents
of His Opinions.
TIME WILL vINDICATE HIM
Writes Letter to Bishop Walker and
Refuses to Make "Cowardly
Retraction." "a
TINE WILL VINDICATE HIM

:.
Retraction." "a
ROCHESTER,, N. Y, November 26-Bow-
ing to the will of the church, but refusing
to make "retraction" of the belief which
induced the church to terminate his minis
try, Rev Algernon s. Crapsey. rector of st.
Andrews Church of Rochester, yesterday
renounced his ministry in the Protestant
Episcopal Church in letter to Bishop VIII
liam David Walker of the western diocese
of New York. In this letter Rev Mr. Crap
sey reaffirmed his belief that the notion OF
the origin of Jesus, that son OF man was
born without a human father, Is without
foundation in history"
He also asserted that when I say OF
Jesus that He assembled into heaven do
not mean and cannot mean that with HIS
physical body of flesh, blood and bone he
f1oated into space and has for 2ooo years
been existing somewhere in the sky, IN tnat
very physical body of flesh, blood and oone.
Such an existence would seem u me ho'
glorious but horrible
Declaring that he Is about TO carry the
case to the free intelligence anu ehnsn.entSu
conscience of the world, he counseis lne
hundreds of clergymen and thousands Oh
laymen in the Protestant Episcopal Cnurcn
who have reached the same conclusion as
he has not to be dismayed, and TO stay
where they are.
OF, authority in the church itself to the
great body of people" He asserted tnat
he does not blame his judges. and though
he bows to their will and feels that II Is
final for him, he says: Il am equally GER
tain that 1t Is not final for the church:
When the great tribunal of free thought
has decided this contention the men who
administer the church on earth VIII con-
form to this decision"
Having let go of the Temporary and I'M
stable interpretations of the Creed, ne de-
clares that he holds more firmly to the
Gospel
The letter is signed your servant in the
Lord Jesus Christi
Finally Renounces Ministry.
.'Under existing conditions 1 deem 1t my
duty to make a formal and final renuncia-
ton of the ministry of the Protestant
Episcopal Church. and in consequence 1 ask
that Won will. not later than December g.
take order under Canon 81 of the General
Canons of the church to accomplish my Dep
osition from the priesthood.
.My sole difficulty lies In the fact that
long careful, conscientious study or the
Holy Scriptures has compelled me to come
70 certain conclusions concerning the pre-
natal history of Jesus which are not IN
physical accord with the letter o! the
creeds and hence have compelled me- IN or
der to hold the creeds. to give 10 certain ar
.ticles an Interpretation that will harmonic
them with the truth as rno that trutn III
the teaching of the Holy scriptures put
recent judicial decisions have declared that
any such harmonizing of the creed with my,
own convictions of the truth is not permits
sibie i'm the Protestant Episcopal Church.
In my own case recognize the rlsnt Oh Tue
constituted authorities OF the churcn 70 De
fine the limits of interpretation. and in or
der to hold fast to the truth must let go
of the creed as now interpreted by the
courts am not now, and never have peen,
conscious of any insinceTlty In giving su !Sn
Interpretation to the various articles OF the
creed as are demanded by presentscondlttons
of thought and the present state OF KNOW
edge any more than l am conscious or IN
though as matter of fact the sun does
nothing of the kind. II am to hold the
creed at all 1 must give to certain, II not
ALL of its articles a spiritual rather than
literally physical Interpretation
Believed in Him All the More.
.sWhen 1 reached the conclusion, as did
some years ago, that the infancy stories
were not historical, did not cease to be-
lieve in Jesus. 1 believed in Him all the
more Son of God all the more.
in my estimation. because He was the Son
of Man.
Now, this conception of Jesus, based
upon a careful study Of Holy Scriptures is
of the very warp and woof OF my intel
Iectual and spiritual life. and it is not prob
able that it will ever change. l will carry
it with me into that spiritual world where
1 shall see Jesus face to face. But am
told by judicial decision that this concep-
ton is not permissible In the mind OF a
minister of the Protestant Episcopal
Church. l bow to that decision. cannot
change my mind-1 therefore leave the
church. 1 do not blame my judges; they
blame me if 1 follow my light. which Is
Tightening me to the everlasting day. But
whether they blame not, 1 cannot do
other than dol must obey God rather
than men.
but while 1 thus feel that their decision
is final for me, am equally certain that it
Is not final for the church. l have reason
to know that there are hundreds of clergy
men and thousands Of laymen in the Prot
estant Episcopal church who have reached
the same conclusion that 1 have, and, sir,
l beg to say to them in this letter to You
that their position in the church Is just as
tenable as 1t ever was.
Need No Miracle.
my conviction that we need no miracle
to account for Jesus of Nazareth Is con-
firmed by my daily contact with the lives
of the people. In these men and women
1 see not the cursed seed of any Adam, but
the blood brothers and sisters of Jesus of
Nazareth To leave this daily ministry to
such a people Is to break my heart. But
better a broken heart than life made
false and loathsome by cowardly retrac-
ton.
Rights That Are His.
1.-THE fasts and the feasts. the vigils and
the tears of the church have become mine
by right Of possession. and not all the
courts and bishops Of the church could
take them away. I shall watch in Advent.
be merry at Christmas, fast in Lent. weep
on Good Friday. rejoice at Easter. even
though the church's servants shut its doors
upon me.
"And II seem to have lost my hold
upon some of the traditional and physical
interpretations of the creed. let 1t not be
thought on that account that 1 have lost
my hold on the Gospel Of Christ. Nay.
rather because / have let go these tenn
porary and unstable interpretations of the
creed I find strength to hold more firmly
than ever to the gospel. see more clearly
than ever that the five negative laws of
righteousness laid down by Jesus are the
hedges of that straight and narrow way
that leadeth unto life. To walk In that way
has been and will be the constant labor of
my soul.
Let no one think for a moment that 1
do not love the Lord Jesus Christ and would
4