The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-26
DIR. CRAPSEY NOW ON TRIAL Clergyman IS Accused of
 Heresy. DENLAC OF JURISDICTION Defense's Contention Turned Down
 by Court. Questicn at Issue is Whether His ser- mons arc Not fs confermity
 With the Apesties' and
 Nicerne Greed.

Batavia. N. r.. April 25.--After a
 postponement of eight days the trial of
 the Rev. Aigernon s, crapsey. D. D.. of
 St. Andrews church. Rochester. on | charges of heresy and violation of or
 dination vows. was resumed here to- | day.
 The trial Is of deep and far reaching
 interest. not only to members of the
 Protestant Church. but to the whole
 religious community at large.
 Edward M sherrard of counsel for
 for not less than three weeks on. the l ground that the counsel for the defense
 had not had time to prepare anything | like an adquate defense. This the court | refused
 | Congressman Perkins of counsel for
 the defense filed a brief expressing the | opinion that the court did not have 1 Jurisdiction In the case. in which hs | said fin part:
 | And this respondent further says
 that the canons of this church direct that any such trial shall be conducted l according to the principles of the com | mon law as administered in this state and that 1t Is contrary to the said com mon laws that the guilt of any person l against whom a presentment is made | should be passed upon by a court. the | majority whereof are designated by the prosecutor or by any person who be- | lieves the charges so made to be just" This clause refers to the fact that three out of five members of the court are appointees. according to ecclesias- ticaf custom, of Bishop Walker. who
 has pressed the charges against Dr. | Crapsey.
 The Episcopal Book of Common Pray
 CT was introduced in evidence today as | one of the principal pieces of documen- l tary evidence against Dr. Crapsey, aa we'll as book If his own writings or | sermons published by him under the | title Religion and Politics" but the | acceptance of the latter volume as a whole is under consideration.
 FUtteraneea from his pulpit ia tlscfi- l ester and in the book submitted to the court are bases for the charges against | pr. Crapsey. These utterances are al | legged to be lh violation of the tenents l of the Protestant Episcopal faith. There
 is no dispute as to what Dr. Crapsey
 said. The question that will be at Is-
 sue in the trial is whether his question ed preachings violate the doctrines of l the church.
 | The presentment against him con | tains fifteen extracts from his book | Religion and Politics." tho charge be- ing that he intentionally expressed dis | belief In these doctrines of the church. l The Divinity of Christ, the conception | of the Holy Ghost, the virgin birth, the bodily resurrection and the trinity. A | second specification under this first | charge is that he made utterances of a | like nature as recently as December 3l. last, with the same Intent to deny the same doctrines as enunciated in | the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. | hQ In CharRa presentment is that Dr. Crapsey violat- | cd his ordination vows by falling to | conform to the doctrine discipline and worships of the Protestant Episcopal | church. The truth or falsity of the | church's doctrines are not to be argued at the trial. The sole question Is | whether the things that Dr. Crapsey l said are contrary to the church and if | he so intended them It Is understood that Dr. Crapsey's defense will hold | that under a liberal interpolation of the creed he has not contradicted It's doc-
 trines MT. OBrian called as his first wit
 ness today Frederick James Alexander.
 who was formerly an assistant under Dr. Crapsey, in the Rochester church. I MT. Alexander left St. Andrews January l 20. 1906 He testified to certain re-
 marks made in the pulpit of St. An | drews by pr. Crapsey December 3i, 1903, wnlCn were tO tHe GltGCt that Je~ sus was born of parents belonging to the middle class that He was born of simple father and mother; that He
 was son of Joseph, the carpenter and the fact that the early Christians pre-
 dictcd d miraculous birth to Christ was
 10 he regarded as one of the greatest
 misfortunes that should ever befall
 mankind.
 MT. Alexander proved an unwilling
 witness under cross examination. The
 defense brought out that hs had ss-
 pred to the rectorship of St Andrews in succession of pr. Crapsey. that he had asked for a raise in salary a long time after the publication of Religion and Politics" and that this increase in emolument was denied shortly before he took the notes no certain portions of Dr. Crapsey's sermon of December 3l. which are incorporated in the present. ment against Dr. Crapsey
 After this witness had left the stand. MT. O'Rrian for the prosecution called special attention 10 parts of the Book Of Common Prayer which he read. as relating to the matter under investigA- tion.
 An adjournment was then taken untu tomorrow.