The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1906-05-04
NOT A QUESTION OF HERESY, BUT
OF COMMON HONESTY

or COMMON HONkSl1
DIR. Algernon :. Crapsey, Of the
Protestant Episcopal church, is now
ON trial before am ecclesiastical court al
Batavia, New York, for heresy lie
stated recently that Jesus Christ was
the son of two human parents. Joseph
aud Mary, and that there was nothing
therefore miraculous iu his birth.
Heresy trials are not pleasant TO
most people. Time was when they
appeared 10 give pleasure to those stlil
known AS "heresy hunters Inform
er days the strict letter Of the eccle-
siastical law doomed larger n the eye
of the churchmeu than now. Not al-
WAYS was the uuessential distinguish
ed from the essential. Gallileo was
cited to appear before church Irl-
bunal and recaut hls declaration that
the earth was round. But here in
America in this twentieth century,
religious freedom is recognized. u
man can think az he pleases. attend
what church he pleases, and stay al
home if he pleases. The newspapers
and magazines. too, have not made
it easy for the 'heresy hunter per Sc.
Even when there was good reason ior
placing ministers on trial, the press
has pictured the prosecuted as mar
tyr for truths sake and the prosecutors
as psalm-singing, nasally inclined
quibblers on enthusiastically problems.
So it was in the case Of DIR. Briggs and
Of Henry Preserved Smith. And so II
is today, though to a less extent, with
Or. Crapsey.
II shows more healthy tone in the
secular press, however that a clearer
distinction is being drawn than seem
ed possible even five years ago-a dis
tinction that considers less the motive
Of the prosecutors and considers more
the real merits Of the case at issue.
And i'm the case Of Dr. Crapsey the is
sue is just what il was i'm the cases Of
Briggs and Smith. Can man iu JUS
tice to truth and honesty subscribe TO
a creed and then violate that creed
while still protesting TO abide 10y IT,
For after all has been said, the issue
is a moral, not theological OF eccle-
siastical one.
To preach in the Protestant Episco-
pal church, Dr. Crapsey must SUBJ
scribe TO the Apostle Creed, which
says, among other things, "l believe
i'm Jesus Christ who was
conceived by the Holy Ghost, born Of
the Virgin Mary" That says what it
means and means what II says, and
while the understanding Of it may be
impossible, the belief in it is definite
and simple, a matter Of complete faith.
Yet in the face of his solemn word To
God and man that this statement i'm
the Creed is "a part of his belief, Dr.
Crapsey says that Jesus Christ was
conceived and born as are other chill
dren; that he was therefore only a
man.
Has DIR. Crapsey the right 10 believe
that Christ was born of human parents
and to declare this belief? No one
questions that he has But there can
be but one answer TO the question:
Has he a moral right to declare such
a belief and still remain as minister
ola church which requires that its
minister believes that Christ was con-
ceived Of the Holy Ghost2 IL is in-
credible that any man with correct
ideas Of honesty and truth can sub
scribe to one belief and preach anoth-
er. Such a position means moral
Obliquity OF moral decay.
What would be thought Of a man
who declares his belief in free trade,
becomes a member of free trade
club, subscribes to the principles OF
the club, receives his living from the
club, then declares that free trade Is a
false doctrine and that protection is
right, and yet resists the efforts of
those who are free traders to eXpel !
him from the club and its emoluments? |
An ordinary sense of decency of con-
duet would compel an honest man. a.
soon as he came to the conclusion /
that free trade was wrong TO resign |
his position as a leader in free trade /
circles and to ally himself with those
holding beliefs similar to his own.
it's an extremely vague brand Of
that will permit a minister
of God to subscribe to a church creed,
then violate that creed and then de
clare his right to remain in the pulpit
he desecrates. And his defenders,
however honest they may be, are dan
gerously near condition of moral
blindness. 1t Is amazing that any
man can, in defense Of Dr. Crapsey,
declare that he should be let alone
because he is seeking the truth, as
was said recently by prominent phi
anthropist and member Of the Epis-
,opal church. No one objects TO DR..
'rapsey seeking the truth, ~ if he {
kinks he has not found it. But the I
freed OF that church is declared 10 be
he truth. And the man who sub I
crbes to that Creed declares that he s
has found the truth, in SO far as the ,
ubjects it covers are concerned II 0
Dr.. Crapsey says 1t is not the truth, D
IS he has said, then there is but one a
hing for him TO do. lie should with b
raw from the ministry Of that church
md not wait 10 be kicked out Of TO-
1t is very disquieting TO the nerves ia
I Republican Senators when Senator s.