Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-27
REV. CRAPSEY'S TRIAL
ARGUMENTS BEGUN IN HEREsY
CASE AT BATAVIA.

BATAVIA. n. r.. April 27.-Ths testi-
mony of witnesses In support of Rev AL
gernon 8. crapsey. pastor of st. Andrews
Protestant Episcopal Church. at Rochester,
in his trial for heresy. having been excluded
by the ecclesiastical court which Is trying
him. counsel today began their arguments
Franklin D. Locke began the summing up
tor the prosecution by saying:
I'VE maintain that ths apostles creed
forms part of the faith OF the Protestant
Episcopal Church and every clergyman In
this church must accept every concrete
statement contained therein. 1t is intoier-
able to think that any clergyman of this
church can declare in his church in the
morning that he believes these things and TO
utter his denial OF them In the evening. II
Is admitted by the defense that DIR. Crapsey
does not believe some of the statements
contained In this creed. Then this Is no
church for him. He can go to the fyna.
gogue, or to some other church. We do not
challenge his belief. but we do challenge
his right to I'LL his officiai position In the
church while he holds these views. We say
he should 10. This u the attitude OF the
prosecution DR.. Crapsey's life Is and has
been OF the highest, but this only masnines
his offense. for such man must hold MN
self higher than others"
Address Tor the DEFENSE.
After reading to the court . statement OF
DR.. crapsey. Representative Perkins ad-
dressed the court for the defense. He said.
in part:
This is the church itself which is on trial
here today. We believe there Is room In
this church for godly men. that Dr.. Crapsey
and Bishop walker can live side by side In
the spread OF Christ's kingdom.
WHO believes" Mr.. Perkins asked after
uiror ", of fho CHI and 9D9cl
fications. that the world was created In
six days, that the sun goes around the
earth and that at the word OF man the
sun stood still?'
Basis Of the Charges.
The fifteenth specification against DR..
Crapsey says that true religion is "to visit
the fatherless and the widow, and to keep
himself unspotted from the world" such is
the wording of the Scripture itself. II 1t is
heresy to obey Gods word, to declare that
true religion consists in relieving the dis
tressed and leading pure life, then FOR
heresy we will be condemned.
Later in the address he said: IF the po-
sition Of counsel for the prosecution Is
correct any person who devfates In the
least from any printed words from the lit
eral Specification OF any phrase In the book
Of common prayer, must be expelled from
the church.
There is not person In our church;
there is not one person In the court who
believes the Apostles Greed as 1t was be-
lieved by the men who framed it.
"a wise latitude to pious belief in In
teIligent study has been an element in our
church. We may hope. with reverence.
that a man like DR. Crapsey would be re-
ceAved into the kingdom by the rule which
Christ himself has laid down. 1t is for
You to say whether man. who. We may
trust. would be deemed a fit person 10
sit in Christ's kingdom In heaven. should
be cast out OF Christ's church on earth.
What fifty years ago was believed by
many to be hereticaI Is now believed by ali
the world.
Our conception of religion becomes truer
and stronger as scientific progress shows
that the Almighty has acted with infinite
wisdom
Stress Laid on Certain Clauses.
Mr.. Perkins laid particular stress upon
certain clause Of the service for the
ordination of priests. wherein the bishop
asks the applicant: Are you determined
to teach nothing as necessary to eternal
salvation but that which you shall De
persuaded may be concluded and proved
by the Scriptures?'
IA man is told" he continued ito study
the Scriptures for himself ana to inter-
pref them. not according to what Is told
persuaded may be concluded and proved
thsfefrom. Those words are plain ana
clear: there Is no installing them: but ac-
S0Iu1u8 W ITO pEeScltu6nC Oh the prose-
cution. DR. Crapeey must break this vow
as above set forth
Rev. orapsey's Statement
The statement written by DR.. Crapsey and
read by Mr. Perkins was reply of the ac-
cused to the presentment brought against
him. Mr.. Crapsey did not speak in his own
behalf, and his written statement was list
ened to with the deepest interest In It he
asserted that he is not charged with the vio-
lation Of a moral duty to fellow men, but OF
speaking words unlawful for him to utter
as q preacher. The lecture sermons on
which the charges were based, he said were
not delivered with any controversial object
in view.
IT am far from saying that the church
had no right to place any limit whatever
upon the kind of truth which should utter
in my official capacity as her minister
said DR.. Crapsey.
Two Of these limitations, he asserted,
were contained In his promise at ordination
that dae should base his teaching upon the
Holy Scriptures and teach nothing as nee
essary to eternal salvation but that which
he should be persuaded may be concluded
and proved by the Scriptures, and that he
should minister the doctrine Of Christ as
the Lord hath commanded and as this
church hath received the same"
Now, l claim" said DIR. Crapsey. that
from the day that I assumed the authority
to preach the word Of God have been dill
gent In the study of the Holy Scriptures.