Evening journal., 1923-01-22
GRANT HOLDS
TO HIS VIEWS
Believed by Congregation
to Have Thrown Down
Gauntlet to Bishop
CHURCH PACKED;
WOMEN COLLAPSE

press) The Rev. Percy Stckney
Grant today refused 20 obey orders
Of Bishop William T. Manning that
he recant his assertions that Jesus
did not have the power OF God. OF
resign his rectorate OF the Episco-
pal Church OF the Ascension.
Before crowds that jammed the
= church while thousands stood out
side unable to get in. DR.. Grant yes
terday reiterated his views that re-
lglon must be simplified. His au-
dience. among which were many
curious as we'll as religious wor-
shippers. broke loose time and again
in storms OF applause. The sermon
was interpreted by many of Grants
friends and hearers that the doctor
expects TO be tried for heresy as
10 his belief
At almost the same time Bishop
Manning spoke IN New Haven TO
Yale students. taking as his text
BE thou faithful until death" and
pleading for loyalty 20 the church
t and Grants assertion that Christ
did not perform miracles was sub
iect OF comment in Episcopal and
other pulpits throughout the coun-
try.
Not only did DR.. Grant stand by
his guns" as 10 previous utterance.
but amid applause heard blocks
away-a thing without precedent in
the austere and fashionable church
he amplfed them.
Sometimes with fighting demean-
or and then almost abashed. he
declared he was supported IN his
views by the Apostles. Matthew.
Mark and Luke.
He asked his hearers whether
they wanted a church that believes
in freedom rather than authority, /
or an unshackled clergy permitting
the minister 10 speak the truth. and 1
answered:
Then have them"
The crowd that attempted 10 hear 4
DR.. Grant yesterday was unprece- /
dented at a New York church. Reg
ular worshlppers found themselves
crowded out by those who packed /
the church early. Scores OF FASH
ionably dressed members. their
clothing disarranged. stamped an
rrily away after unsuccessfully try
ing TO shove through men and wo-
men standing in doorways.
Speaking in a quiet way, haltingly
~ times, and with occasional refer
ence 70 notes. Dr. Grant said in ef.
feet that he not only believed that
Jesus Christ was without the power
OF God. as he had stated previously.
but that he felt the time had come
FOR all such ideas 10 be eliminated
from religion as impossible OF veri-
fcation. incapable OF assimilation,
and invalid. But his sermon was not
a defense. FOR more than once he
assumed the offensive, intimatiTig.
for one thing. an attempt by money
ed interests 10 control the churches.
Prepared For Trial
DR.. Grant expects 20 be tried for
heresy. At the outset he referred to
Dr. Biggs. who. as a Presbyterian,
was tried for heresy. After the serv-
Ice. when handing 10 the reporters
some OF his notes, he said:
Il want these back. II there is 10
be a trial then ] shall need all my :
reference notes"
There are members OF the congre-
CATION. too. who expect. and seem
ingly would welcome. a heresy trial.
one woman said plainly that the I
hope OF the workers IN the church ,
was that DR.. Grant could have the
church "for his own" I
Toward the close DR.. Grant drew ]
a wave OF applause from his audi !
ence with a reference TO bunk" {
spoken in the churches. Handicap {
ping. almost unknown at regular s
services in an Episcopal church, O
lasted several seconds. incidentally, s
DIR Grant made no reference to his 7
previous statement. also objected TO. s
concerning consecration.
Long before IL o'clock. the hour r
set for the service. a mob had gath !
cred at the church. When the eerv- {
ice commenced there were at least 8
$50 persons trying 10 get into the /
already overcrowded edifice. The
church holds $40 people comforta- 2
bly,. There must have been nearly l. Il
200 inside and another couple OF p
hundred in the doorways. In the g
audience were Chinese several p
Negroes and n surprisingly large o
number of Jews. a
Police Take a Hand 2
After the service groups OF men p
and women stood about for an hour A
discussing the sermon. taking sides h
and in one instance getting into a 4
noisy alteration that the police. OF v
whom there were five present at the C
time. had to interrupt. q
For his support DR.. Grant drew on o
history. theology. philosophy, poll
tics and psychoanalysis. He mem a
toned Senators Lodge. Borah and A
La Toilette. Freud, Jung and VIM. Il
James, Prof. Leighton, Bishop Hen T
ming OF London. Dean Inge. Napo- 81
leon. Roosevelt, Darwin and the g
apostles Matthew. Mark and Luke. s,
lie made no direct reference, how n
ever 10 the controversy with Bishop a
Manning. and after the service be 81
made # clear that his sermon was
not to be construed as an answer C;
TO his superior. He would answer u
the Bishop, he said, by letter. II
The actual text OF the sermon is
was from the fifty-slxth chapter OF Il
Isaiah. g
Behold have given him for m
witness to the people. leader and W
commander of the people" II
Next he quoted DR.. Leighton: IA
ideas are checks drawn on the n
bank OF experience. II they are re-
turned marked no funds they are RI
false" and William James, psy- CT
chologist: True ideas are those is
that we can assimilate, validate. cor nj
roborate and verify" Then contend 10
ing that history is a record of pro- n,