The Washington herald., 1914-02-18
THE OPEN FORUM.
Charles Steele Davidson Replies to
Rector of Old Falls Church.

To the Editor: With your permission
am replying to a letter in SATURDAYS
Herald written by the rector of Old
Falls Church The aninus running
through II is apparent, even TO strangers
The writer of the letter has spent all
his ministry in the backwoOd parishes OF
Virginia, and doesn't seem to know that
anything is taking place. The news about
the trial was widely printed. lie
doesn't seem to know that the public
knows.
! For his benefit. thererore-not for the
publiC's sdke-I will repeat that that
! trial was based upon the very injus-
tice. intellectual bondage. and spiritual
inertia that l have been fighting for six
teen years.
: ! was dangerous man I;ishupS.
ciergymcn. and Iaymen. had To take their
choice between the church and me Rea-
son. fairness. mercy. were chained to the
IJuGGcrnaut Of the chUrch's authority. Is
1 u any wonder that / repudiated the whole
thing-t that / refused to trust any COM
Inittee appointed by such bishOps-that 1
appointed a committee Of my own?
Here's the committee: J. IL. Lindsay.
editor Charlottesville Daily Progress;
Mrs r.. B. Grannis. president of the Ma
tional Christian League for the Promotion
Of Purity. New York. and W. III. Cross,
treasurer Of the Church OF the Holy
Apostles, Brooklyn.
That committee will have the facts.
and will help to relieve the anxiety OF
the gentleman from Falls Church about
the enlightenment of the public.
But the rector of Old Falls Church
shouldn't in 'uture, lose any more sleep
about the PIT JliC'' as he has done in the
past. As one of them-one OF the pub
! lie around Charlottesville said to me:
Don't worry about the people. Mr.. DaV-
idsOH: the people are satisfied; the peO-
pie understand you" Overabundant evil
der &C Of this has come to me from among
the very people whom, Mr.. Grinnan SAYS.
/ neglected. And I never heard any
| but the socially favored speak of him
MIR Grinnan is tn" first person l have
known to question my love. my friend
ship for. and my efforts in behalf OF the
MAN on the Outside-call him what you
will 1 do not feel inclined to talk about
this
Al CharIottcsv ! saw what was
coming and / had no heart for extending
the work Of the Episcopal Church. After
long years | was approaching the end
! just went among the people as best
could am told that Mr.. Grinnan often
rad ten or fifteen peOpIc-Episcupalian
at his services. ! had the same building
often crowded with pcOpIC-not Episco-
palians. There - large difference be-
/ tween Epis"upaIians and pcopl"
To practically exclude the poor man.
o. II YOU pleas. the common man. from
fratcrnaI welcome IN the handsomely ap-
pointed and upholstered churches and in
their councils. and then call him Tom
on the street tn" next day, or shovel
half a ton Of coal in his backyard. Is
neither Christianity nor humanity. Read
ST. James about that.
You cannot. hpwrv"r. expect the ,-l,-r-v-
man who is blind to conditions to UNDER
stand what ! have done through an over
Eh"lminE conviction Of the alienation ~
tn" Episcopal church. on the ono hand
from the Master and ON the other from
the multitIdeS who. when lie was on
earth. followed Him Men. VIII" first Of
all liv" with and minister to the socially
favored never come within LIe promise
10 her. Stands are taken 49, principle.
He eats out Of tho hands oi his mast
eTs. He is dependent economically, So
cialIy. intellectually. upon them. His
very soul is Canon-bound and rubriC-
ridden. He cannot think. and he can
not pray. and he cannot talk except in
terms which others have named.
The church that make such man
possible Is remote and highbroWcd and
those who uphold II cannot understand
the reformation that is going forward
a reformation in which the ranking
things will b" people and not property.
thought and not theories. principle and
not tradition. men and not money. Chris
tianity and not Churrhianitv. the COM
mon welfare and not the glazed refine
ments Z either wealth or long descent.
CHARLES STEELE DAVIDSON