New-York tribune., 1919-04-14

arise. To this he would add the influ-
ences OF church unity, making for
more unified human family.
Catholics Invited
In an Interview with The Tribune
some time after the armistice was
signed Bishop Greer said:
"Protestants and Catholics stood side
by side in ministering to the soldiers
during the war. They should be will
ing to DO the same during peace. One
selt,evldent fact is that as the outcome
OF the war there must be larger and
closer Christian fellowship, or, as
lnlght m express it, church fellowship
People are becoming impatient of de-
nominational barriers. / do not mean
that they. should be torn down. but
1hey should not be an obstacle in the
way OF union and fellowship"
Advocacy of church unity is not new
"lth Bishop Greer. As far back as
the Inter. church Conference of 1905.
ana even before then. he was active in
rs support. At that conference the
pfeadth and catholicty of his views
Vera manifest when he spoke Of the
doctrine Of the incarnation of the Ro-
MN oetholie Chafcli and Of The lesson
Whieh other churches might learn from
this doctrine In thinking Of tho church
more closely rs the Incarnation Of the
lofd, no concluded his remarks with
The following,
Bishop Big War Worker
=, AItef America entered the war
Bishop Greer preached MANY stirrine
patriotic sermons from the puipits Of
the various churches in the diocese.
sometimes delivering ms many rs three
addresses on the same Sunday. In
one or his sermons demanding 100 per
cent patriotism and unquestioning
sacrifice he spoke as follows:
America is boastful of her mate rial
power and has made wealth her god.
we always supposed that sheer ma
terlal power expressed rulership. To
day the scales fall from our eyes and
we see that material power in this land
cur wealth-that we may have more to
give in sacrifice and service. We are
peglnnlng to realize that the priceless
Jewel of American life is service to our
country and the rest of mankind"
The years have taken their toll of
the Bishops strength. He impresses
ms hearers as being very feeble. Yet
with his feebleness there is force. He
IS a commanding figure in the pulpit.
tic has that rare quality which the
people of the stage call "presence. ;"
" hO.i ne mounts tne pul lplC steps and
stands facing the congregation every
eye is attracted to HIM The attention
IS held and cannot be turned away.
lhere is conviction that he speaks
from store of experience; that there
is more than half century of dealing
with the problems of humanity rep
resented in his person.
Now Conserving Strength
His gestures now are very slow and
deliberate. His appraised hand, as a
signal for the Invocation, is almost
electric in its effect. Then there is
the slow enunciation of the words Of
the text. And somehow one glimpses
MS meaning almost before he speaks.
His sermons are short. They are
models of precise English They form
perfect sequences and lead to strong
and stirring climaXes.
Occasionally there is something of
the Old fire. But it is rarely so. The
Bishop is conserving his strength.
There is little need of quick speech
or varied infection. The air of author
ity that seems native to the man who
as son spoke like father, is ac-
centuatcd by the cathedral environment
and by the episcopal habit
One hears his appealing voice, still
vibrant, and one feels that what he
says Is so-because he says it.