New-York tribune., 1920-01-24
BishopRebukes
DIR. Grant, but
Can't Punish
Prelate Solemnly Protests
Against Use of Church
of the Ascension for
Public Forum Meetings
Calls Rector Indiscreet
Declares He Has No Power
to Act Against Him;
Pastor Defends Course

Bishop Charles Sumner Burch will
take no official action against the Rev.
Percy Stckney Grant because Of his
alleged unpatrotic and unchurchly
acts. This became known last night
when Bishop Burch made public a let
ter which he had written to the much
criticized pastor of the Church Of the
Ascension. and also letter which DR..
Grant had written to him, defending
his patriotism.
Bishop Burch said he agreed with
the vestry of the Church Of the Asccn-
sion and found that there was no law
Of the Church which had been violated
by DR.. Grant.
However, he rebuked DR.. Grant for
using the church cdifce for the meet
ings Of the Public Forum.
81 do not question the right Of your
self and your vestry to use the parish
house Of the Church of the Ascension
emnly protest against the use of the
consecrated building. dedicated to the
worship of Almighty God, as a meeting
place for forum to which are not in
frequently invited as speakers men who
do not believe in God, who professedly
are opposed to the government, clearly
showing their irreverencc for consti-
tuted authority"
Opposed Deportation
In his letter to the Bishop DR.. Grant
explains that he does not feel called
upon to offer any explanation of his
utterances in regard to the sailing of
the Buford and his reported compari-
son of that episode with the sailing of
the Maytlower.
Tho MayHower matter may be dis
missed, as my point was not one Of
comparison but of contrast" he wrote
The sailing OF the Buford it seemed
to me, was the denial of asylum in
America to foreigners" he explained
further that he was opposed to depor-
tation of Reds" as an un-American
practice, and defended his own repu-
tation as a patriotic American.
He finished the letter by calling upon
the Episcopal Church to meet the needs
of the people for sympathy and leader
ship in the present social crisis. re-
calling its stand in other critical pc
riods of American history.
DR.. Grants letter said:
81 object to deportation because it
is form of punishment alien to the
spirit Of American institutions.
cept tor the very sensible provisions
of the immigration Law, by which
the insane, contagiously sick and
paupers are not admittcd-and would
not have been put on the ships that
landed them if the agents of the
steamship companies in Europe had
done their duty. Once here our in
stitutions, | believe, are adequate
for men and women healthy in body
and brain, whatever their ideas.
II have no sympathy or excuse for
we'll as a citizen be tried before a
judge and jury.
Use of Church Condemned
"Sending aliens out Of the coun-
try, practically on the recommends
tons of employees of the immigra-
ton department. is not in harmony
with our institutions.
81 do not need to tell brother
clergyman that | consider can show
sympathy with any one in distress
without approving his acts. Sym
pathy with suffering is not colluson
with crime.
"Of course. there is another way
Of handling this subject, which you
able. AS the Forum is corporation
entirely distinct from the Church Of
the Ascension, and uses the church
by courtesy, strictly speaking, its
sessions Sunday evenings are not
within Episcopal jurisdiction, except
as you might wish to advise the
vestry of the propriotv or impro-
priety of their hospitality.
The Public Forum Unc.) Sunday
q n rn
prayer of the Prayer Book nor the
third service permitted bv the canon.
1t is merely the occupying Of the
premises by another corporation Of
which the rector is president and
one Of his assistants is secretary.
Morning prayer and evening prayer
are at II and d.
"You may like to know that during
the war Assertion Parish put its
\ draft board, which used it for many
I months, and that war activities of a
4 humane sort also went on there. At
the outbreak Of the war ! had repre-
sentations made at Washington
| looking to my being sent to France.
/ Tory in Revolution
4 During tho Revolutionary War
/ the Church largely took the Tory
!, slde-at any rate, in New England,
| and in consequence was dead there
| Tor 100 years. All but four of the
! Massachusetts clergy left Boston
! when the British army evacuated. In
/ the discussion Of slavery, so far as
i | remember, the Church was silent.
! Now it has third-and possibly a
/ last opportunty-to place itself on
4 the side Of the people and Of free
4 dom.
/ The Episcopal Church is often
! called the wealthest church in the