Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-19
BISHOPS
! IN SECRET SESSION
Meeting Believed Concerned
With Marriage, Divorce
and Birth Control.
@y the Associated Press.

wy the Associated Press.
DENVER, Colo, September ia
secret meeting of the House of Bishops
held the attention of the General Con-
Vention of the Protestant Episcopal
Church today.
The session, called to consider the
action of the Lambeth Conference in
England ION certain subjects" was ex;
pected to bring out a discussion OF
questions regarding birth control, di-
vorce and marriage.
The rules Of the House Of Bishops
were waived to permit the attendance
of Right Rev. Michael Bolton Purse
Lord Bishop of st. Adams England, an
ardent foe Of birth control
Bishop Irving Peake johnson Of Colo
RADIO. in urging the secret session, termed
the action OF the Lambeth Conference
ION certain subjects embarrassing to
him and to certain other American
bishops.
Speculate on Controversy.
Delegates specialized over the posi-.
bility Of an open controversy between
the English church and the Protestant
Episcopal Church Of the United States
on the question of birth control.
It was tIltimated that many American
bishops, outnumbered at the Lambeth
Conference, feel they were put in a
false light through their attendance at
the meetings, which voted in favor of
the exercise Of birth control in certain
instances
Just what action the House of Bishops
would take was q matter of speculation,
, but some convention leaders believe a
plan may be evolved for union be-
tween the American church and that
element OF the English church led by
Bishop Purse.
!. At the same time, church liberals pre-
! pared to oppose the stand Of conserva-
tives, whose views were outlined by
Bishop Purse in his address opening the
convention. Bishop Purse had not COM
! mented publicly on an open letter from
Henry s. Booth, lay delegate from
Detroit, accusing the bishop of advising
delegates to go to the convention with
"closed minds"
Bishop Asks Reinstatement.
Another subject expected to come be-
fore the secret meeting today was the
petition Of William Montgomery Brown,
one-time Bishop of Arkansas, for re-
instatement. Brown was expelled in
1925 after trial on charges Of heresy.
The depoSed bishop, accused of having
denied the divinity Of Christ, sets forth
in his petition that he accepts and be-
heves "all representations of the Old
and New TeStaments, Catholic creedS,
Protestant confessions, articles and
prayer book"
Christianity was characterized as
synthetic by Rt. Rev. George Craig
Stewart, Bishop Of Chicago, at a mass
meeting last night. He said Buddhism
and MohammedanisIn each expressed q
valuable half truth. Mohammedanisn
he said, thinks of q God who controls
and directs everything, which leads to
fatalisn Buddha, on the other hand,
sees God In everything, which leads TO
pantheism.
Unemployed Clergy.
'Where these two come together"
said Bishop Stewart, "is where Chris
tianity originated; and it still exercises
the function Of drawing these two great
half truths into the one great full truth
Jesus of Nazareth-which upholds
both the government OF God and the
glorious free adventure Of mans viii"
The report Of the Commission on
the Ministry, presented yesterday, out
lines a plan for the establishment OF q
bureau where a list Of unemployed
clergy, with their full records, win be
available.