The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-21
HE HITS The BISHOPS HARD.
THE REV. Mr.. GRANT REVIEWS
THE CONVENTION.
ne Reaches the Cenciusien That Lens
Sleeves Are Likely to Drtng Out In .
Man AMI Inciina tien TO vanity Or Pend
ncss for Authority mat He May Posses.

Man Any Inciina uen TO vanity Or Pend
ncss for Authority ina Re May Possess.
The Rev. Percy =. Grant. preaching
Yesterday morning In the Church Of tho
Ascension. wa outspoken In his criticisms
10 the doings OF the recently concluded
Triennial Convention OF the Protestant
Episcopal Church and especially Of the atti-
,ude Of the House OF Bishops toward tho
more important questions before the oon-
~vention. He said:
The Protestant Episcopal Church t
democratic Ia tie organization. Some people
think that such annot I've the case because
u is a daughter Of the Church Of England,
hut II must he remembered that reforms
which Englishmen OF liberal thought have
been unable to bring about. although they
we're first advocated As early a. the middle
81 tho seventeenth century. have become
part and parcel % tho organization here.
A. memhers Of 4 church which In accus-
TONED IN mako much Of lie strong oreanizs-
ton. a. constituents OF various repre-
.entative-. clerical and Law. who have Just
ie.n legislating for the Church We nave a
right to ask h legislation has been on
acted and what appear TO bc tho tendencies
Of thought In tho Church az exhibited by
our great convention
Having paid a strong tribute 20 the men
comprising the lower house. which he
characterized rs the most distinguished
parliamentary body in the world, Mr.
Grant turned his attention Co the HOUSE
80 Bishops, which. he said had plenty and
o. spare Of natural ability
But he continued. "A serious temp
tation bcsets the onice Archbishop
wha'ely, after a distinguished university
career. frctted in the Episcopal office and
us"l 10 ask: What IL II in hing sleeves
that changes q mani The answer il not
difficult 10 fnd II there he any inclination
10 vanity in the a or II he should possess
more than usual fondness for authority
the ONCE Of Bishop becomes an oppor-
,unity for millinery display or for narrow
tyranny. Interest In costume that befts
an actor, or qualities Of nind that may
lie useful in m army officer, wealen and
narrow a Bishop
The House % Bishop. Is a conse -vative
body A newspaper the other day said
that the Church itself was conserva alive.
and hat being - II sustained II. own con-
scrva,ism hy doing nothing. Thus every
thing was thought 10 be we'll. The Frerch
King may have derived soine ADVANTAGE
by marching up that hill and then marcl
ing down again. But the TTiennial Con
vention can hardly with advantage To the
Church travel 500 miles Ia San Francisco
and then 5000 miles back again without
having done anything n, all And the
convention now concluded did nothing
The truth seems To- he that the nous Of
bishops j. getting 20 represent n r~actionnrv
conserva tism. II 10 repidlv beComing in
regard 10 the lover house what the HOUSE
Of lords Is 90 the House Of Commons In the
English Parliament, interIosing it, veto
against every step forward In the matter
81 divorce. - frcer Use ~ the Church sell
vice. ~ extension 81 Episcopal care TO con-
gregaiions whose clergymen had not been
ordained 10y Bishops. tho upper house took
ar ultra conservative position. The medi-
Nva view of marriage which the Bishops
Wishesi 10 make the Law ~ the Church would
have h.-sn fastened on Us. hut for such
strong voices rai.ei IN protest AZ those 81
Dr. Huntington and Or Greer. The upper
and the lower houses are pulling more and
more apart.
In the matter Of divorce the House OF
bishops cane IPrilously near putting
Themselves IN a most uuen visblc position.
They forget several things. IL Is not the
function OF rel sion. or Of the Church, to
mend moral matters by Legislation. Re
hgOn teaches, cAhort-, illustrates, hu,
u does not force. Any effort to Use force
hccome- absurd when 1t IL remembered
That. Prnt"stantism has no means OF en-
forcing - Laws. But that Is Just the elorV
of Proiestaniism. II uses neither force
nor fear. Divorce ~ n SYMPTOM. not a
dis"ase. II j. the public appearance 81
conditions tia, cannot als avs lie seen
and weighed. II IL the duty Of religion
and Of Oh" Church to cure the dis.aS, and
to heal the So~.ai trouble that lies below
the surface. The attempted legislation Ia
make the marriage Of divorces persons
iiupossihh within our Church was like
trying % make the outside 81 the platter
clean. Twas H. hiienir 9 Of .epulchr--.
Family life is the hasis % social order
and individual happiness Hut those who
llead Tor moro Ih+ral marriage laws are