Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-01-03
MOdOrniStS and Bishops
Break Over Doctrines
TRIAL OF REV. HEAToN OF Dali
LAS TEX. FOR RADIFYING
APOSTLES CREED
BY R. H. WHITNEY

In the Episcopal Church through
out the country the breach is widen
ing today over Modernism" with a
growing number of the clergy and
Iaiety entering the lists. Hot beds of
dissension extend from New York to
Fort Worth, from Boston to San Fran
cisco. A truce was declared over
Christmas-bu now both sides feel at
liberty to resume action.
The issue is plain. 1t is: Can Christ
ian faith continue to stand unimpair-
ed without full belief in the Virgin
Birth and the Resurrection of the
body as set forth in the Apostles
Creed?
Several fashionable and foremost
Episcopal clergymen are openly deny
ing their belief in either. And they
are saying to their Bishop, What are
you going to do about it?"
A leader in the "Modernist move
ment" is DR.. Percy Stickney Grant,
rector of the Church of the Ascension
of New York, who openly denies the
literal truth of the creed. His vestry
and his congregation have joined him
in his belief Opposed to him are the
standpat Fundamentalists.
Efforts, so far, to try DR., Grant as
a hereto have failed. EIe has remain
ed technically within the Episcopal
law But he stands in open defiance
of his Bishop, the Rt. Rev. William 7.
Manning, former rector of Trinity
Church, who has said that in de-
cency's name DR.. Grant ought to re-
sign. DIR. Grant has refused to resign
and so far has escaped trial.
Seventeen years ago, when the last
heresy trial was held, the Rev. DR..
Algernon S. Crapsey, of Rochester,
was unfrocked because he said the
physical father of Jesus was Joseph.
Now comes the Rev. Lee w. Hea-
ton, rector of Trinity Church Of Fort
Worth, Texas, who tells Harry 7.
Moore, Bishop Coadjutor Of the Do
cese of Dallas:
There are those among us
who believe that Jesus was the in
carnation of God and the son of
Joseph. This is my own opinion
Canon Storr and Bishop Gore Of
England and Bishop Lawrence
Of Massachusetts affirm that in
the early days of the Christian
Church belief in the Virgin Birth
was neither taught nor held.
Christian faith today could stand
unimpaired without such belief.
His words have caused intense ex-
element throughout the East and his
forthcoming trial for heresy in jan
uary. DIR. Stuart L. Tyson, vice-presi-
dent of the Modern Churchman'S I'm
ion, sent this message to the news
papers of America last week:
"This trial is perhaps the most i'm
portant matter in the generation.
Now that the Bishop Coadjutor of
Dallas has initiated proceedings fol
lowing a meeting of the House of
Bishops, it is the beginning of a con-
certed movement to cleanse the Epis-
copa! Church of modernism. The pro-
cedure of the trial is by deposition,
no oral evidence or cross-examination
being allowed.
Moderns Rally to Defense
Of Rev. Heaton.
When this news filtered into New
York during the week, several of the
most prominent churchmen of New
York caused CONSERVATION by open
comments from their pmlpits. The
Rev. DIR. Leighton Parks, famous rec
tor of st. Bartholomew Episcopal
Church, proclaimed he did not be-
lieve in the Virgin Birth of Christ
and the bodily resurrection as histori-
cal facts, and dared Bishop Manning
to bring him to trial. So startling
were his statements that some of the
congregation walked out while he was
speaking.
On Sunday, December Is, DR.. Parks
electrified his congregation when af-
ter appearing in his pulpit, shorn of
his vestments, he leaned far over and
cried out:
{" wear no vestments because
come to you to-day, not as your min.
lister but as a doctor of theology, lest
some should say that it is pity that
their rector is in opposition to the
church doctrine. ! tell you the integ-
rity of the clergy is now at stake.
Am !, who have preached the faith
for fifty years, to be called dishonest
because no longer agree with my
bishop Am to be accused of here
sy because | preach doctrines for
which there is ample foundation in
the Scriptures? My answer will be
found in First Corinthians, ga !. !.
With me it is very small thing that
should be judged by you, or OF
mans judgement. He that judgeth me
is the Lord Are bishops the sole de-
finers of the faith? If they are, have
a.