The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-11
EPISCOPAL BISHOPS
TO FORCE AN ISSUE
ON HIGH CHURCH
Question Of Ritualism Threat
ems Spirited Debate When
Diocesan Heads Meet.
DIR. RElLAND'S WORDS
CAUSE ~DISSENSION

Differences between the high and low
church elements in the Protestant Dpis-
copai Church win loom prominent At the
calling together Of the House Of Bishops
IN Philadelphia In January to elect n
missionary Bishop for south Dakota
These troubles. which have arisen out
o. the action Of the Missionary Board
of the church in appointing delegates to
the Panama missionary conference. from
which Roman Catholics were barred. will
result. members Of the high church
party said yesterday. at the Philadelphia
meeting of a vote Of censure OF the
board.
II was this action which caused the
designations of three Bishops and "
priests. including the Rev. DIR. william T.
Manning Of Trinity Church. representa-
lives of high church elements.
That the Rev. Karl Reiland OF 81.
Georges Church, foreseeing this struggle
In the House OF Bishops. a thrown
down the rag OF battle az the repre-
sentative of the extreme Low Church
party by inserting In the parish's year
book an invitation to the other side to
withdraw from the church was accepted
on all sides yesterday. 81. Georges
II the largest parish In the city 10 the
church home of Seth Low. r. Fulton
Cutting. J. p. Morgan and other dis
tinguished laymen. and Its rector rep
resents the evangelical element Of tho
church.. His remarks about 'etif
necked ritualists' and the charge made
that the Catholic party was striving TO
'devitalize the true Protestant charac-
ter OF the Episcopal Church were re-
earded az deeply significant. coming on
top OF the controversy In the Missionary
Board. which. more than anything In re-
cent years has served to emphasize the
growing bitterness and steadily widen-
Ing breach between the two factions.
Nigh Churchmen Are Firm.
On some sides DIR. Reiland's action
VAS deplored. particularly by the So
called board churchmen. who feel that
there il room for both parties N dep
recate bringing the issue to a head.
the High and Low Church ele-
ments, as Judged by their spokesman.
II seems to be a case Of each inviting
The other 10 step out. each side decar-
ing that II Is conforming to the PRAYER
book. n thing seems TO be certain.
however, and that " that the High
Church priests will not accept the in.
vitation of such men as DR.. IRELAND to
leave the church as its n on stand at
present. IL a change should be made In
the present prayer book with a view Of
f%orbidding ritualistic practices. they in
slst that 1t will he the other side that
will he the real seceders from the
church OF Ridley and Cranmer.
br. Reiland refused to add anything
60 his remarks in the year book yester-
day. except to say that they spoke for
themselves, although addressed merely
to his own parish. He did not believe,
however. hat 1t would bring about a
split in the church. DR.. william NJ.
Grosvenor. dean OF the Cathedral Of
ST. John the Divine, said that DIR. Rel
lands remarks were to be taken as an
expression of the views of only one side.
but he doubted II anything was to be
gained by IL.
THE two parties in the church." said
Dr. Grosvenor. have always existed
and | look to see this matter quietly
adjusted. ] am quite sure that the High
Church element will not withdraw. There
IL room for both and I believe that they
will continue to maintain the same rela-
tive positions as in the past"
Just a. Impertinence."
81 am not particularly interested in
Or. Reiland's invitation to the High
Church men to move" said the Rev. DR..
J. G.. II. Barry. rector of the Church
Of st. Mary the Virgin. the leading ritu-
0listic parish Of this city. That
I merely regard as a piece Of imperti-
nence. Neither IN I interested in the
Protestant atmosphere which DR.. Rel
land say our Catholic friends cannot
stand. What l am particularly inter
ested in Is the catholic atmosphere OF
the Book of Common Prayer. which DR..
IRELAND does not seem able to stand"
Or. Barry called attention to the fact
that Protestant ministers had to be re-
ordained before being admitted to the
ministry of the Episcopal Church,
whereas the church accepted the ordina-
he said. indicated the official attitude
Of the church. He said that II was
wrong to assume even II "A split did
occur that the High Church element
would Join the Roman church.
The Rev. Harvey officer Of the Holy
Cross Fathers. who IL conducting "A mis-
sion at 81. James's Church. Brooklyn,
expressed It as being difficult to say
whether there was room for both in
the same church.
The question before US now" he said,
sis. Is IL Gods will that the church
should represent all kinds of opinion. or
does He want 1t to he a rallying ground
of all kinds of opinion? II ii can be-
the latter ] see some future for It. I
nm merely waiting to see. DR.. Reiland
would deny even the priesthood. He
would denature the word. He woul
call the holy communion merely a memo
rial and would deny everything that
makes II worth while. There are plenty
Of Protestant sects where people who
practise these things could be better of.
sects much better managed than our
own. The great difficulty with the
Protestant side in our church IL that
they are not even Protestant they won't
even use old Protestant methods"
II was admitted by some members Of
the Low Church party that the present
situation. involving more bitterness thar
has existed in many years. you'd prob
ably he sharply defined at the coming
meeting OF the House of Bishops. anC
that all eyes were now turned thai
way In the hope hat some light might
he thrown upon the future policy o
the Church. should the Bishops vote t.
censure the action OF the missionary
board this action would he taken b,
man. as throwing the weight of Epis+
cOpal authority on the Hish Church sid,
md a direct rebuke TO the attempt o.
the Low Church men. such as DR.. Rel
land, to put a stop to ritualism.
Predicts Many Conversions.
Among Roman Catholics the attacl
made by DR.. Reiland was regarded a,
Indicating that the two factions wer,
irreconcilable. Stuart p. West. heat
OF the Converts League. predicted tina