The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-08
IN HOTEL .LOBBIES
Church Episode Recalled

In the geographic sketch of the late
Chief Justice Melville w. Fuller reference
was made to his accurate knowledge of
Anglican church history and ecclesiasti-
| cal law as evidenced by his argument as
counsel for Charles Edward Cheney. at
that time a minister of the Protestant
Episcopal church, In an injunction pc
tition before the superior court in Him
ois,' said an old layman.
Mr., Cheney's case attracted VIDE at
tention in legal and In church circles and
the recent allusion to 1t recalls an in
teresting ecclesiastical episode of the
early seventies. Mr.. Cheney was in charge
OF an Episcopal mission in Chicago, but
on refusing to use the word degenerate
in the baptismal office he incurred the
displeasure of his bishop and heresy
charges were preferred against him. Dur
ing his trial by an ecclesiastical court
an injunction from the superior court
was obtained by Melville Fuller on the
ground that his client could not have
justice at the hands of the ecclesiastical
tribunal as constituted, but on hearing
the injunction was dissolved and the
trial proceeded. The ecclesiastical court
found Mr.. Cheney guilty and suspended
him from the exercise of his sacerdotal
functions for stated time. Refusing to
obey the decision of the church court,
trial for contumacy followed and the
clergyman was finally depesed.
Just about that time the Right Rev.
George D. Cummins, assistant bishop in
the Protestant Episcopal diocese of Ken
lucky, withdrew from the Episcopal
church, because of what he regarded as
its high church tendencies, and organ
lied body which he felt>would be more
Ia sympathy with strictly evangelical de-
nominations. Mr.. Cheney Joined Bishop
Cummins in this movement, and by him
was consecrated a bishop. He is now,
the senior bishop of the Reformed Epis-
copal church, there being six others.
His home is in Chicago. Bishop Cum
Minis, the founder, has been dead many
years. l frequently heard him preach
when he was the assistant bishop of Ken
lucky He was an earnest, cody man,
and was considered a pulpit orator. He
was extremely low church. Such things
as vested choirs, professional cross
bearers, StOleS OF color Otner tlldn Dldck,
altar lights, and the eastward position at
the Gloria Patri grieved him. We saw lit
lie of zeal ritualism in those days, but the
Oxford movement was still being dis
cussed, and the good old bishop feared
that 1t was only a question of time when
the Protestant Episcopal church would
become permeated with Tractarian or
Catholic-practice ideas.
Because of Bishop Cummins eloQuence
and his strong leadership it was thought
that his withdrawal from the Episcopal
church would result in a serious schism
He had host of devoted friends, but his
Reformed church made little Roadway.
After the first year or two of its existence
it seemed to stand still. Its membership
today is only between 5000 and 1o.000-in
round numbers, the same that it was five
years ago.
TT may be of interest to state in this
connection that the late Chief Justice
Fuller was throughout his long life a
staunch member of the Protestant Episco-
pal church and although he was legal
counsel for Mr.. Cheney in the injunction
matter, he was in no wise in sympathy
with his church views. The distinguished
chief Justice was more than once lay
delegate to tho Episcopal general conven-
tion.''