New-York tribune., 1911-02-27
cRAPSEY SCORES Church.
Divisions Among Protestants
Can't Last. He Declares.
DR.. HILLS GIVES PARABLE
incidentally, Refers to Politics
and "the Great Boss, VINO
Struts at Albany.

All that was needed was a red flag some
where in the stage settings 10 match the
religious radicalism IN the address OF tne
Rev. Algernon S. Crapsey. minister OF the
Brotherhood House, at Rochester VINO was
among the speakers at the last OF the
union meetings held at the Hudson Ihe-
atre last night under the auspices or the
Church OF the Divine Paternity. the Free
Synagogue and the Church of the Messiah.
Instead Of the socialistc emblem. Dr. Crap
sey brought with him a nuge chart, made
UP from a census Of the Christian churches
in this country taken in 1905 from which
he wildly illustrated. in his opinion, the
deplorable disorganization OF the Protest.
ant churches.
DR. Crapsey referred 70 his erstwhlle ex-
communication from the Protestant Episco-
pal Church on the ground % heresy In
manner which indicated he did not regret
the stand he had taken az that time.
The subject at last nights meeting was
The Service Of Synagogue and Church 10
the World and the Speakers were the Rev.
Newell Dwight Hills, of Plymouth Church
Brooklyn; the Rev. Percy Stickney Grant,
Of the Church OF the Ascension. and Rabbi
VI. ]. Cries, of The Temple, Cleveland
From DR.. Crapsey's CT RI II appeared
that there were some thirty two million
acknowledged Christians in the churches
of this country. and he Gefied them one
and all TO practise for 4 single day the
simple teachings OF Christ. to which he
said they stood pledged by their member
ship in the Church.
While the Roman Catholic Church was
the one example Of a great Christian or
ganization, he said. it had all the ma
chine vices OF Tammany Hall beaten in
every respect 1t took ten Protestant min
listers TO look after the same number Of
parshioners that statistics showed were
cared for by one Catholic priest. he said.
And in the same ratio one Catholic church
sufficed for as many persons as were d.
vided among ten Protestant churches
That means that one Catholic priest is
ten times as efficient as one Protestant
minister" said Or. Crapsey, and his re-
mark brought a smile TO the faces Of the
other ministers on the stage.
The trouble with the Protestants is he
said that every little Protestant wants q
house OF his own. on the other hand. a
shining example OF the dissention in the
broader family is seen right here in New
York, where the great Cathedral Of St.
John the Divine stands up on Mornngside
Heights and smiles down upon St. Pat
ricks, on Fifth avenue, and says. Don't
YOU wish you were as big and rich as
ann"
DR.. Crapsey said that the divisions Of
the Protestant ranks into so many creeds
and denominations could not last. The in
fuence Of the Church was growing weaker
and weaker on account of that division,
he said lie admonished the ministers TO
stop their preaching and stop taking young
men and forbdding them 10 think, and
TO look more 20 the brotherhood Of man.
DR.. Hills referred 20 Dr Crapsey as "a
radical pilot" He said. however, that the
union meetings did a great good I'm bringing
all factions together in a concerted moral
movement.
Il consider myself fortunate in having
the opportunity to speak at such a meet
ing" he said. when We all come to-
gether we forget the things on which we
disagree and remember the great simple
truths Of life on which We all agree. II
is a ministers duty 10 lead in all great
moral movements. but II IS sometimes like
plotting a steamer down the Mississippi
River with logs all about and all kinds Of
sharp curves but If we have a number
Of pilots aboard. a conservative one here
and a radical one there. Ike Or. Crap
sey. and couple OF Presbyterans and
Episcopalians in the rigging, I think We
ought 10 make port in safety"
Dr. Hills said he did not think minis
ters, rabbis or priests had been doing their
duty. judging from the great amount Of
crime prevalent throughout the country.
He said II was time for all three TO get
together and uphold to better advantage
the great veriues Referring 10 political
corruption in Ohio ana Illinois, he said
the people in this state were not 10 he out
classed. as they had their Albany
There a great boss struts about with
Assemblymen in one pocket and Senators
i'm the other" he said. and IL one wrig-
Cling. scheming little Assemblyman sticks
his head out and says anything but Shee-
han the boss claps his hand over hls
mouth and pushes him back into his