The Washington herald., 1906-11-20
DIR. CRAPOEY LOSES
Case Appeal Rejected
by Court Of Review.
IS SUSPENDED FROM CHURCH
Account of Virgin Birth
of Christ in His SermOns-Text of
some of the UtteFances Declared
HereticaI by Court of the Church.
Has No Farther Appeal.

Buffalo, n Y. Nov l9.-Rev. Or. Alger-
non s. Crapsey. of St. Andrews Protest
ant Episcopal Church. Rochester, is con-
demned to suspension from the church
as a result Of the decision Of the eccle-
siastical court of review. which is made
public to-day The court OF review sus-
tains the opinion of the lower court,
which was that DR.. Crapsey should be
suspended for heretical teachings.
The announcement Of the decision was
made as follows:
'The court Of review has affirmed
unanimously the decision of the lower
court in the case of Rev. Algernon S.
Crapsey, D. D.
says Doctrines Not Contradicted.
The trial Of DR. Crapsey for heresy was
the first IN years in the Protestant Epis-
copal Church II was begun on April
last at Batavia. y. Y His utterances on
which the charge was based are con-
tained I'm book published by him under
the title Religion and Politics. being
extracts from sermons delivered by him
in 1904 and 1906.
There was no dispute as TO what Or.
Crapsey said. The question at Issue was
whether or not his questioned preach
ings violated the doctrine of the church.
The truth or falsity OF the ChurChs doc
trlnes was not argued ~ the trial. DR..
Crapsey's defense was that. under a lib
eral Interpretation Of the creed, he did
not contradict its doctrines.
CFapsey As IA Preacher.
The complaint against DR.. Crapsey was
flied by ten ministers of the Western New
York diocese. Bishop Walker appointed
a special committee of five 10 investigate
il. The committee reported, three 10 two,
against taking further action against the
accused. However. the standing commit
tee Of the diocese believed it for the well
fare Of the church 10 have a trial, and
unanimously decided 20 have one. It was
the standing committee that drafted the
presentment. The bishop approved il.
Dr. Crapsey. hfty years old, is strong
physically and mentally, and is beloved
by the people OF his parish. both in and
out Of his church. He IS a man OF
simple tastes. a lover Of home and fam
fly. and "a most ardent student. Such a
thing as taking time for personal recrea-
ton has been almost unknown 90 Dr.
Crapsey for many years. He visits the
poor the sick, and others needing encOur-
agemeHt. His questioning OF the divinity
or Christ has caused religious discussions
unprecedented IA warmth and nature.
Statements Judged HereticaI.
The utteranccs Of Dr.. Cropsey. which
have been adjudged heretical by the
highest court Of the Episcopal Church,
are as follows.
Seventy-three years after the death Of
Julius Caesar, Jesus Of Nazareth, the Son
Of Joseph, a carpenter Of Galilee laid
aside the tools Of his trade and went
down TO the crossing Of the Jordan, at
tracted by the teaching Of a new and
strange preacher. who was stirring up
the people by his vigorous denunciati5ns
OF the evils Of the day.
The history OF Jesus is the product OF
historic causes. He was born IN time T.
meet a great opportunity, and Jesus was
the man created for the purpose Of in
augurating the movement that was to
change the base Of human life. We have
thought Of Him so long as d mttholcg-
icaI being: we have talked Of Him so
long as metaphysical abstraction. and
have placed Him for centuries out OF the
range OF human viclssitudes. al the right
hand Of the Majesty on high. that We
cannot view Him In His historical rela-
tOns without d shock 10 our reverence.
Yet this historical Jesus is the real Jesus
the man Of God who founded the religion
called Christian.
Jesus did not succeed because He was
born Of a virgin OF because He was re-
ported 10 have risen bodily from the dead.
These legends concerning Him are the Ie-
suit not the cause, Of the marvellous sue
cess Of the man These stories were told
Of Him because the simple could in no
other way express their conception Of the
greatness Of Jesus.
In the light of scientific research. the
founder Of Christianity no longer stands
apart from the common destiny Of man in
life and death. but He is in all things
physical-lke as we are, born as we were
born, dying as we die, and IN both life
and death in the keeping cf that same
divine power, that Heavenly Fatherhood
which delivers US from the womb and
carries US down to the grave.
We are not alarmed. we are relieved.
when scientific history proves TO US that
the fact Of His miraculous birth was un-
known TO Himself. unknown TO His
mother. and unknown TO the whole Chris
tian community of the first generation.