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Show CHURCHMEN AVOW LOYALTY S3 w3 J3 rfS DECRY BISHOP JONES'S VIEWS . . i i i Declare Anti-war Utterances Utter-ances of Episcopal Church Head Only Personal. DISAVOWING any responsibility for any part in the pacifist sentiments sen-timents expressed by Bishop Paul Jones of the Episcopal diocese dio-cese of Utah at a Socialist anti-war mass meeting in Unity hall Tuesday night, tho dean, wardens and vestrymen vestry-men of St. Mark's church of Salt Lake met yesterday afternoon and issued a formal statement declaring that the views expressed by Bishop Jones were his personal ideas', and not the sentiment senti-ment of tho Kpiscopal church of Utah. Action of Bishop Jones at the Socialist So-cialist meeting in severely criticising the mass meeting of citizens held in the tabernacle Monday night under call of the governor of the state and his general gen-eral attack unon preparedness propaganda propa-ganda caused the officials of St. Mark's church to fear that his public expression expres-sion of sentiment, coming as it did trom the recognized head of the Episcopal church in Utah, might be construed by the world to reflect the sentiment and general attitude of the church members of the state. Say Church Is Loyal. Desiring to correct any such impression impres-sion and to let the world know that the rank and file of the Episcopal church of Utah are loyal to the president and the country and ready to stand behind them in whatever course may be necessary neces-sary to defend the honor of the nation and maintain the principles of justice and humanity, the vestrymen and other officers of the church called a special meeting yesterday afternoon in the office of-fice of" JL Walcott Thompson, junior warden of St. Mark's church, and formulated for-mulated a statement in relation to the matter. Present at this meeting were Dean William . W. Fleetwood; Morris L. Ritchie, senior warden; J. Walcott Thompson, junior warden; F. A. Pvke, C. P. OverfieM, W. F. Adams, George F. Wasson, Hugh A. McMillin, W. t Gunter, T. W. Boyer, E. B. Heisler and Ca Listen Browne, members of the vestry ves-try of St. Mark 's. 1 "In their official statement, the officers offi-cers of the church disavow the expressions expres-sions given vent 'to by Bishop Jones at the peace meeting, iu which he denounced de-nounced the mass meeting of the night before as a sentimental effort to arouse enthusiasm in an unpopular cause. The officials also took occasion to make it emphatically understood that the Episcopal Epis-copal church of Utah and its membership member-ship most heartily indorse the sentiments senti-ments as expressed bv the Episcopal bishop and clergy of Massachusetts on March 4, supporting the president in whatever course he might deem wise and urging him to "use to the full the powers pow-ers with which the constitution invests him to protect the citizens of this coun-' coun-' try on sea and land." J Quote Pastoral Letter. The officers of the church take particular par-ticular occasion to give indorsement to the sentiments as expressed in the pastoral pas-toral letter of the house of bishops of the Episcopal church of America, issued in October, 1916, in which there is given voice to this assertion: "God hates a fodless and empty peace as much as He atcs an unrighteous war." ! As stated last night by officers of the Episcopal church, the members of this church in Utah want it understood that the expressions given vent to by Bihop Jones at the peace meeting were his personal views, and not the sentiments ; of the Episcopalians of Utah; that they ! are thoroughly in accord with the stand j already taken by the highest authorities : of the' Episcopal church in America, as expressed by the bishop and' clergy of Massachusetts and by the house of ! bishops of the Episcopal church. Issue Official Statement. The statement issued by the officers of St. Mark's church is, in full, as follows: fol-lows: We, the undersigned, tho dean, wardens and vestrymen of St. Mark's ca thedral of the Episcopal church in Utah, disavow t he expressions attributed attrib-uted to the bishop of this church re-latins: re-latins: to the national crisis as re- , ported In the public prees. We assert as-sert that the expressions used were only, and could only have been, the views of an individual. We approve and mort. heartily Indorse In-dorse the statement made by the bishoo of Massachusetts on March 4. 1017: "At the moment when the president presi-dent is laying his risht hand on the Bible and taking his oath of office. 1 venture to place on record what T believe are the feelings and convictions convic-tions of the great body of the people of Ma-sschusett s. Since the war began be-gan most of us ha.ve learned some things and have changed our point of view. "We are not onife eo' sure as we have sometimes been as to just "what the president ought to have done in each crisis. We have learned tliat self-restraint and patience In Ibe leader of a great, unamalga.tnated people peo-ple of diverse races and interests are often justified. We have gradually grad-ually turned our gaze from ideals of peace and International comity to hard and cruel facts. torn1 of us have begun to think ' that those who ten years ago worked and argued for a bis: raw ;md a strong army were wif- in t heir da v. "We have been compelled to revise mnnv of our judgments in the light of facts. We have, however, the. satisfaction of feeling that If we have erred it has been on the side of self-restraint self-restraint and a loosing to keep the peace and sustain Ideals of International Interna-tional comity. Indorses the President. "On this fourth of March. 1917, mir thoughts have be-'ome firmer, our convictions have crystallized. We look no longer backward, but forward. Our president has spoken strong words in behalf of humanity, of the rights of nations and of this nation; the rierht to life, to trade, to succor others; the right rs a nation to be. To these he has pledged for us our lives and fortunes. We believe that he will stand to this pledge. "We citizens of the commonwealth now demand that he stand to it: and we call upon him In this juncture to ue to the full the powers with which the cons tit u tion Invests him to protect pro-tect the citizens of this country on pea and land to prepare the nation to meet every emergency which mav endanger Us liberty, and to lead the people to defend at all costs the in-tgrity in-tgrity of the nation. The people of tills country are not wedded to ease and wealth. We are not lovers of safety, nor of peace rit any price. When, however, the country Is in danger, when liberty. Justice and the rights of humanity are at stake, the lives and wealth of the citizens of the commonwealth are ut tho nation's eervlce." And w also indorse th action of THE RT. REV. PAUL JONES, whose utterances are disapproved by the vestrymen vestry-men of St. Mark's cathedral. i w y -z Vi ft ft - -1 I r V . : i I ' r r v jl I s 'J ! the Massachusetts clergy in sending to the president of the United I States the following telegram: "The Massachusetts Clerical association, asso-ciation, composed of the clergy of the Kpiscopal church in the diocese of Massachusetts, join with Bishop Lawrence In his statement published in the press of tills day and as citizens of the commonwealth respectfully call upon you in this juncture to use to the full powers with which the constitution con-stitution invests you, to protect the citizens of this country on sea and land, to prepare the nation to meet every emerg-eney which may endanger Its liberty and to lead the people to defend at all costs the Integrity of the nation." Pledge Loyal Support. Wq earnestly approve the sentiments senti-ments expressed In the pastoral letter of the whole house of bishops of the Episcopal church in America in October, Octo-ber, 1916. including- the following declarations: "God hates a godless and empty peace as much as He hates an unrighteous un-righteous war." "The peace that smothers the souls is as ruthless and inexorable as the war that mangles the bodies of its victims." "The nations now at war. whom thoughtless people pity, have as much to teach us as we have to teach them. " They rebuke our spiritual eagerness,, which, out of their tragedy, brings new visions from God and breeds new virtues in men; they shame our self-indulgence by a degree de-gree of self-sacrifice that is royal in that the priests that offer are the victims offered." We call upon our president to use his lawful powers to protect the rights, the lives and the liberties of our people on land and sea, and we pledge him thereto our loyal support. (Signed) WM. W. FLEETWOOD, Dean; MORRIS L. RITCHIE. Senior Warden ; J. WALCOTT THOMPSON, Junior Warden; F. A. PTKE, C. P. OVERFIELD, W. F. ADAMS, GEORGE F. WASSON, HUGH A. McMILLIN, W. T. GUNTER, T. W. FOYER, E. B. HEISLER, C AUSTEN BROWNE. Bishop Declines Comment. Bishop Jones was in Ogden yesterday when the vestry issued its statement. A copy of the statement was shown him last night by a newspaper man, and after he had read it he declined to make any statement in answer at this time. "I feel that T should not make any statement, at least until I receive an official copy of this statement from the vestrymen, either through the mail or from them persouallv,'" he said. "I presume that they will give me a copy signed by them. I do not know that I will have anything to say in regard to the matter then, but I feel that I should say nothing now, at any rate." Bishop Jones was the speaker yesterday yester-day nooo at the regular weekly meeting of the Rio Grande shopmen. 'He spoke of the lessons to he learned from the world Tvar in Europe, pointing out how the great upheaval in Germany had brought together and cemented the people peo-ple of the nation in one common cause that, of preserving the country from destruction at the hands of the enerav, He told how there was antagonism between be-tween the Socialists and the militarists of (ierniany, but the war had brought the two factions together in the common com-mon cause of the country in time of peril. He pointed out how the war had cemented the people of Ireland and England and bridged the chasm that had developed there. The speaker did not refer to this country or its position in tho world conflict. |