New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-06
AllOts a Council Delegate
to Every Half Million
of Communicates.
MANY LOOK TO ROME
FOR WORLD CALL
Attempt to Slight Foreign Rul-
ers Brings Protest at Garden
City Conference.
From san Correspondent Of tn. Tribune

/
Garden City, Long Island, Jan. O.
The first definite plan to bring about
world conference for the unity OF
/ churches OF Christian denominations
was presented to the North American
/ Preparatory Conference, which met at
! the Garden City Hotel here to-day.
George Zabrskie, Of the New York
law firm of Zabriskie, Murray, Sage e.
Kerr and treasurer Of the joint com
mission Of the Protestant Episcopal
Church. prepared the idea and pre-
sented it 70 the assembled delegates,
about seventy Of whom were on hand
for the second days session.
The plan, which carefully provides
for absolute equality Of representation
as regards denominations, calls for the
establishment OF council in which
the delegate OF every half million com
municants is entitled to sit.
Each denomination is asked, in the
prospectus. to proceed with such eI-
pert assistance as it thinks FIT TO
formulate propositions Of faith and
order which it considers held in com
mon by its own communion and the
rest of Chrstendom and be held by its
own communion as its special trust,
and the ground upon which it stands
apart from other communions.
That age-old controversy between
Church and State was the occasion for
the liyeliest debate Of the afternoon
and resulted in proposition which
sought 10 give special representation
to certain foreign rulers being stricken
out. The unfavored article reads: =
where communion Is established
BIZ law. az the State Church IN any
country. tho head Of the Church shall
be invited TO send one or two personal
representatives 10 the conference IN
addition to those who shall be APP
pointed by the ecclesiastical authority
Of the Church
Dean p Talbot Rogers. Of Fond dI
Lac. Wis. Immediately rose and moNeu
that the article he stricken out.
Bishop Weller. of Fond du Lac High
Church II think that this Is wise
provision and should be kept by all
means We would Immediately create
difficulties In Europe II we omitted H.
and we must respect the peculiar Gus
toms of the Church on the other side
We ought no. 70 offend Europe
Judge George #. Shields, Of St Louis
Presbyterian q am in favor OF no
additional representation Tor me
crowned heads Of Europe. am un-
alterably opposed to TINS propoS'''o"
On principle. c,. ,u,uL
Church This is a North American
confererce. and in this country there
is a prejudice against mixing Churcn
and State. ! think It III advised TO set
tie this question now. move we pass
il over
IT was noiated out. however. that the
proposition under consideration prac-
tc.l'v coutradictcd the directly pre-
vious one. which had been adopted as
follows: Each participating commu-
mon shall appoint its own deputies 70
the conference in !ts own way, the
basis Of representation 20 be deter
mined by the council
vote was called. and the motion
was almost unanimously defeated:
Discussion TO which great signiii-
cance was attached arose when the
consideration of Mr. Zabriskie's plan Tor
converting the council was IN order'
1.-THE convener Of the council shall be
tho senior delegate Of the Episcopal
Church I'm the United States" read the
secretary. when Bishop Weller arose
and moved that the episcopal Church
be stricken out.
81 do not think IL proper TO mention
any particular denomination, he SAID,
las we cannot f0resee now whether al
the future date Of converting the coun-
ell il will be polite or convenient Tor
the Episcopal Church to be the leader.
As Bishop Weller is known to be de-
cidedly High Church" in his sympa-
thies. which faction OF the Episcopal
Church tends most toward the Cathollc
order. his stand was taken 20 indicate
that the Church of Rome may be looked
to TO call the council at which the mo
mentous step for world unity ls 70 ne
taken.
Seabriskie Plan Favored.
In general. Mr.. Seabriskie's plan
was well received and with the eX-
ception of the objections noted. the
disposition Of the delegates was to
indorse his recommendations. ms
idea was formally adopted and re
ferred TO the business committee iOi
minor rephraslng. ~,
A supplementary plan by Or. New
man Smyth. of New Haven, Conn,
was also referred in committee
Bishop John W Hamilton, Of Boston
Methodist Episcopal, made the signih-
cant address of the morning, in when
he said: II doubt if you or wall ever
live to see any agreement in bellef
which will bring US to uniformity
There ought to be a spiritual unity
and that is the only hope we can have
in our meeting here"
Or. Junius b. Remensnyder former
president of the General Lutheran
synod. also spoke at the morning ses-
sion. saying in part:
"The common Christian faith Is N .
the Holy Catholic Church: CHRIST
founded the Church because lie oelleyed
in visible organization. The deploraole
schisms i'm churches come flom two
causes: some insist on too little wnlle
others demand too much; by aVo'u.tE
these two extremes alone can inc .
churches get together