Evening journal., 1913-04-22
AGAIN WARNS
EPISCOPALIANS
Lawyer Tells New York Con-
GreeotiOn SChlSm Is In
evitabIe if Church
Changes Name
DENIES CONVENTIONS
RIGHT TO CHANGE

NEW YORK, April 22-There will
be a split in the Protestant Episcopal
Church of the United States If the
General Convention, which meets
next October, adopts the name
american Catholic Church"
This was the prediction of John
Brooks Leavitt, senior warden of st.
Mark's-on-the-B -Bouwerie, and a pro-
minent lawyer. in an address to to
congregation of the Church of St
John the Evangelist, in West Twelfth
street
Leavitt invited his hearers to join
him in promoting a league for the
Defense of the Protestant Episcopal
Church" Less than a score OF per-
sons handed in their names.
In his own church, he said, the
parish is going to overrule the vestry
and remain the Protestant Episcopal
Church, even T. it is the only one IN
America 10 retain that title.
THE question is whether we shall
change our name. whether we shall
refuse to change Il and fiaunt it in
the face of the General Convention,
or whether we shall withdraw from
the organization. he said, and added
it was unthinkable to drop the old
name. unpalatable to defy the General
Convention by using the old name
after 1t had been discarded by the
majority and most distressful to be
forced to secede.
With the adoption OF the name
American Catholic Church. he salu'
a split will surely follow.
without saying what St MARX
will do. it l.; easy TO see what the
churches in Virginia would 90. Men
don't give up their name because
some one else calls on them to do so.
Denies Conventions Right.
Jeavitt denied the right of the Gen
eral Convention to change the name
and said it has mo jurisdiction IN the
nremises." That body has not gone
about tho matter in the right way
he said for it has not offered 70 sub
nit the ouestion to the vote OF the
members of the church in the sew
eral marshes in the respective do
ceses.
az anv number of parishes we're 70
act together they would constitute the
Protestant Episcopal Church in the
Tnited states" he said, "and We
should then have two ecclesiastical
oreanizations. and their rival claims
m he the body which was founded II
17se-ee could not be determined on
the basiH of numerical strength.
"a change would prove 10 be bar
IN the only practicable church unity
to vii unity of the spirit co-eXist
inc with diversity of ecclesiastical or
gsnization.'
At the same time he laughed at the
idea that the Protestant Episcola
communion will be the "rallyins
noint for all the churches"
1--WE are exporting a better brand OF
Christianity to China than we ar
using in the United States ne saiu
rfor the Christian churches in Chnt
and japan have agreed to drop thell
differences"
He caused members of the congre
cation to smile when he said Trinity
church is somewhat different in faitl
from his and others in the same de
nomination.
In the formation of the Protestan
Episcopal church in the United States
he said. two forces which eternall
opuose each other we're reconcillel
i'm such a way that an equilibrium wa
established. The word Protestant
represents the force of independents
and Episcopal that of authority h
said
When the name is changed sal
Leavitt. the first step has been take
for the formation of an ecclesiastica
trust "of a Kind that is neither prac
ticable nor desirable
The General Convention. he saic
ought not to take action on the name
since il is far from representative 1
point of parish population.