Evening star., 1923-01-22
Dr.. Grants Denial of Church
Doctrine Street Topic in Gotham,
Special Dispatch to The Star.

NEW YORK, January 22.-The
Church, Of the Ascension, on lower
5th avenue, today is the center of
interest>of the entire Protestant Epis-
copal Church of the world.
It's pastor, Rev. Percy Stickney
Grant, has precipitated a situation
unequaled in church annals.
His denial Of the accepted dogmas
Of the divinity of Jesus, of the mir
acles and the other principles upon
which the Christian religion has been
built, coupled with his reiterataion Of
these views and a refusal to resign
his pastorate. will compel a trial for
heresy: Bishop Manning. DR.. Grants
Immediate superior, once more dehed
py the rector, now must summon an
ecclesiastical court and demand that
1t unfrock the liberal preacher.
DfviAion Over Situation.
Today church circles are sharply
divided over the situation. The COM
plete reafiirmation of his views in his
sermon yesterday by DIR. Grant was
no surprise. He said nothing new.
But the fact that it came on the heels
OF the letter of Bishop Manning in
sisting that he accept the doctrines of
the church or resign and get out,
ers was Mrs. Philip .Lydig, divorce,
whose marriage to the militant rector
was forbidden by Bishop Manning.
added fuel to the fire of discussion
which has split dozens of churches
wide open.
The sermon has sent New York city
into paroxysm Of the most earnest and
general discussion of Christianity that
the town hxs known since the days OF
Henry Ward Beecher. Not for years
can any one recall people stopping on
the streets and discussing all OF the
problems about which the entire struc-
ture Of religion is erected.
who'd have thought. as a specta-
tor said, after trying in vain to get In
side OF DR.. Grants church yesterday.
ever have stirred this up?''
Bishop Manning suppsrted.
Public opinion. curiously enough, sides
appears to agree with DR.. Grant that
a minister should be free to preach
what he thinks, but It further seems to
agree with Bishop Manning that IL what
ings Of the Episcopal Church. then the
man should do his preaching from a
non-Episcopal pulpit.
There is another matter upon which
every one seemed to be agreed today.
II Is on Or, Grants apparent intention
desires this is something on which
people differ. DR.. Grants friends, and
they number thousands, declare il is
because he desires to strike a decisive
blow for freedom Of speech and liber-
ality Of thought within his denomina-
ton. His enemies. and they, too, are
numerous, say he wants only publicity
The fact that the police reserves
had to be called out yesterday to
protect the people who tried to get
into the church was significant. Many
were plainly ordinarily curious, but
there were hundreds whom no or
dinary sermon would have lured to
their own church to stand In the
afsles or the vestibule for two hours
TO hear. with Mortified thrills. their
own beliefs being branded as super
stttutions to which no thinking man
could subscribe.
Sermon Not q Reply.
DR.. Grant made it plain that his
sermon is not to be accepted as a
reply to the letter sent him Friday
night by Bishop Manning. He will
write the latter Immediately. The
bishop. who preached yesterday in
New Haven, demanding loyalty to
the Church and to Jesus Christ" but
in no way referring to DR.. Grant, will
take TAX no action until that reply is in
1t is certain. however, that Or.
Grant in his reply will compel action
by the bishop. He will not "recant"
and will not ,"resign" and, falling
either of these, there is nothing left
for Bishop Manning to do but to
order a trial for heresy.
In this very connection the fact that
sharp applause. heretofore strange to
religious meetings. marked the SER
mon yesterday has displeased many
OF DR.. Grants own parishioners. DR..
Grant was not through with his SER
mon. He had pleaded for a religious
belief which the young fellow would
not refer to as bunk" and had two
or three pages left when a ripple Of
applause started. 1t swelled to an
ocean of waves and died down only
to start again. DIR. Grant apparently
intended continuing, but with a nice
sense OF the dramatic he stopped
right there. Bunk" was his final
Fiancee Hears Sermon.
Mrs Philip Lydig. or Mrs. Rita de
Acosta Lydig, as she is more properly