The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-11-20

Church, George F. Bragg, Jr. of Bal
timore, advances the following argu-
ments for church unity:
A National and Not a Sectional Cues
ton.
To the Editor of The Living Church:
II is perfectly permissible, as we'll
as lawful, within the bounds Of Pro
vince No. 2, for a congregation of
colored persons to be constituted on
racial lines. 1t is permissible, and
lawful, also, for colored persons to
become members of parishes made up
Of white people. We certainly would
not change this liberty. W. would
vigorously protest against any law de-
claring that colored people shall be
organized along racial lines. We
would as vigorously protest against
a law which compelled the admission
of colored persons into white parishes.
What we now ask is that the several
congregations organized on racial
lines within the province be permitted
either to associate themselves with
the diocesan convention of the particu-
lar diocese where situate or to asso-
ciate themselves with similar congre-
cations within the province and be
given a status" of their own, with a
convocation and missionary bishop.
In every division of the church there
will be colored members, but in the ra-
cial division the great body of colored
people will be found. The point Of
unity is in the one ~episcopate. Still
again, this unity would be in evidence
in the Provincial synod.
By such an arrangement, which is
not mandatory but simply permissive,
the great body of colored churchmen
would be associated together in the
work of missions, and also in build
ing up institutions for colored orph-
ans, the aged and infirm, and other
charitable concerns. Otherwise, they
would justly claim the benefits of such
institutions now practically confined
to white people. Right here is a great
and vexing problem that is sure to
arise, without the permissive legisla.
ton which is sought.
We are asking simply for the legis'
lation. The initiative, in every case
must be taken by the diocesan Dish
ops. The question of a more elastic
episcopal supervision for the colored
race is not a sectional but a national
question, and is intimately connected
with the subject of church unity.
If in 1878, when an entire Negro de
nomination, bishop, ministers, ant
laity, asked to be received into the
Episcopal church in Virginia, the leg
islation which we are now asking the
general convention to adopt had beer
a part of our canon law, the churcl
would not have lost such a splendit
opportunity. At the next meeting O
the house of bishops the bishop o
Virginia would have laid the who'll
matter before that body. And tn,
probable result would have been some
what like this: North Carolina ant
Virginia would have been constitutes
a special missionary district with re
spect to the colored race, and the yer,
best colored priest that could be Sc
cured consecrated a missionary bishol
and set to work, with the cooperation
and guidance of the bishops of Nortl
Carolina and Virginia. That organize
ton alone would have given him twer
ty-odd ministers, and more than tw
thousand communicate members.
l know enough about racial life t
assert that it is entirely within tn
range of possibility, some day, for tn
bishop of New York to be SURPRISE
with a request from some Negro bod,
in the state of New York, seeking ad
mission into the church, not as pau