New-York tribune., 1920-01-27
Friends DENY
Rev. DIR. Grant
Defied Bishop
i
Prelate's Letter Of Protest
Came Too Late to Call OFF
Forum Meeting in Church
Of the Ascension Sunday
Rector Is Still in Bed
Wait Until Next Week. Say
Foes Who Threatened 10
Act if Burch Did Not

Vestrymen Of the Church of the As
ccnsion and friends of the Rev. DR..
Percy Stickney Grant rallied yester-
day to combat the suggestion that the
use of the church for forum purposes
Sunday night following q disappearing
letter from Bishop Charles S. Burch
last Friday was in any way an act of
defiance TO the bishop. The forum
meeting again caused considerable COM
n1ent as the result of one assertion
that "if Christ should come among US
again he would be deported" and that
there were "a lot of damn fools in
the senate, but not SO many as in the
H6use~of Representatives"
DR.. Grants illness, ahscess Of the
SINUS, took a turn for the worse yes
terday, according TO his housekeeper,
and the attending physicians are try
ing hard to ward off an operation"
Bishop Burch had 10 comment to make
last night on Sundays meeting.
People do not seem to understand
{ shat the forum is Incorporated and
arranges for speakers long time
ahead" the Rev Harold A. Lynch, as
!. aistant rector and secretary of the
Forum, said last night. 1--WE have al
: ready obtained speakers for all of
, February and half of March Sundays
? peaker was here and was being ad-
vertlsed before Bishop Burch's letter
was made pablic
In addition it takes three days no.
nee to call meeting Of the vestry.
who alone can decide on the future Of
The forum. Nothing could be further
rom the truth than that the meeting
vas an act of defiance"
According to DR.. Lynch and George
Gordon Battle, one of the church war
dens, the vestry will meet Thursday to I
decide whether itswill continue to let .
ne forum use the church. Mr.. Battle
declared that no one spoke to Dr. Grant
regarding the use of the forum SUNDAY
night, as DR.. Grant was i'll in bed and
arrangements had been completed long
before. According to Dr.. Grants house
keeper, no one came 10 see Dr.. Grant
on the matter, although Nh Battle had
SAID that the use of the church for the
Drum Sunday night was cup to" Dr
Grant.
Harold A. Content, another Of the
lestrynen, also declared yesterday that
mere was no time to call last SUNDAYS
meeting off. He expressed the belief
that no matter how the vestry decides
thursday it is unlikely that sundays
meeting, already announced, will be
allied Oft. The speaker will be Francis
ri. Slsson, vice-presdent of the Guar
amy Trust Company, who viii consider
r inahcial ana industrial Problems in
Europe"
Il don't think even the Bishop ex-
pected last Sundays forum meeting "a
be cancelled" said Mr.. Content "or
that ne will consider the coming meet
ing a challenge. All our ARRANGEMENTS
nave been made and as long as DR..
Grant is i'll nothing can be decided.
I can understand the Bishops view.
however, that the church should not
oe used IN way TO spoil the atmos-
ohere Of worship. I confess that the {
irst time heard applause in church
dIdnt know what TO think Of it. At
ne same time, il q forum is CON 7
iucted properly, | can see Dr.. Grants
'rgumont that the church should not I
'c above discussion Of matters vital !
o every one" c
Mr. Content had no suggestion as to t
ne possible fate of the forum in case t
ne vestry $ decision is adverse, be- }
ause 1t has outgrown the small parish =
'ouse where it started about thirteen c
ears ago. According to DR.. Lynch, un-
aVorable action by the vestrv will {
cave the future Of the forum in the
ards OF Or. Grant, its president.
Dr Lynch declared himself somewhat
incertain as to Bishop Burch's state
nent against the use of the church I
Drum by persons voicing radical utter
snces He expressed the view that
sunday nights. meeting was tame"
'nd declared that the speaker who said r
I was drafted in the last war, but it I
VII take more than Il draft to get me Y
n the next was speaking in q gen
raj way .
''po you believe it is a tame meeting !
'hen speaker says that if Christ came !
'ack to earth he would be deported ~ c
40 was asked.
We'll. the man is a very nice fellow /
and didn't like to be abrupt in stop
ong him." DR.. Lynch replied. "There
we're perhaps half dozen Socialists at 6
he meeting. In many public meetings r
there are always people with queer {
IDEAS, which they insist upon foisting {
lpon an audience, and as leader of the |
discussion | often have to bring them !
back to the subject of the evening"
The Rev G. A. Christensen, pastor OF !
he Holy Rood Church, who recently an :
nounced that three Episcopal clergy
men would prefer charges against DR..
Grant if the bishop did not, said yes
terday he was disposed to give Dr.
Grant the benefit Of the doubt, now !
hat DR.. Grant continues ILL.,
He was hardly responsible for what
won't on last night" sand Dr. Carsten-
sen. Let Us wait until next week
and see If his defiance continues. The
forum meeting next Sunday night will z
probably indicate which way the wind ,
blows. Even if he did arrange last :
nights meeting he was not responsible !
Tor the reference to Christ's being de- !,
ported I
None Of the vestry would indicate .
yesterday the probable outcome of \
lhGrsday's meeting. Another friend !
of DR.: Grant expressed the view that !.
the situation represented an internal
struggle, IN the Episcopal Church be- 4.
i"ecn the high church men" and the \
low church men," Dr. Grants church :.
being in the latter category. Accord !
'ng to this informant, the .1ow y
church men" are progressive and be- c
lieVe the church edificc can bo usea .
'or forum purposes. while the "hirh -
Snuren men,. or "ritualists," hold the
opposite view. N"N =.