Daily national Democrat., 1861-02-26
1allp Natlonal 1emutrat
Trial of Rev. Mr.. Taylor.

As much interest has been taken in this
trial, we give the following account of it
from the Christian Advocate:
During the past week, a trial has been GO
ing on in the Episcopal Church in this city,
which was held in Trinity Church. Accord
ing to the customs of the Church, no specta-
tors were admitted but ''presbyters and com
municants of the Church" We are enabled,
however, to give an abstract ofthe matter.
The accused, was the Rev. Geo. B. Taylor,
for some time last year minister of the Episco-
pal Church at Marysville. An attempt has
been made to confound this matter with the
Mission Sunday School, stating, as the papers
expressed it, that he was tried 'for preaching
and praying before the Mission Sunday
School" Such, we understand, was not the
case, and the difficulty had nothing whatever
to do with the said school. The facts were
simply these:
In July last, some parties in town, who
happened also to be the heads of the Mission
School desired to establish IA Free Church in
the centre of the city. The project had been
expressly forbidden by the Bishop before his
departure for the East, in May. After his
departure, however, Qeaving authority with
the Standing Committee of the Diocese to act
in his place as the executive power), the
scheme was revived, and an invitation sent to
MIR. Taylor, at Marysville, to be the Pastor.
Music Hall was designated as the place for
their services Mr. Taylor accepted, and left
his Parish at Marysville, without the consent
of the ecclesiastical authority, as required by
canon. Now, in opposition to all such move
mens is the Fifth Canon of the Church
which is as follows: The formation of new
Parishes, or establishment of new Churches
uiI in ba Nf I,a
Parishes, shall be vested in the Bishop of the
Diocese, acting by and with the advice of
the Standing Committee and in case Of there
being no Bishop, in the ecclesiastical au-
thority.'
In this case the Standing Committee lin
the absence of the Bishop being the eccesi
astical authority") gave no assent to this in
trusion of Mr.. Taylor into the Parishes of the
city clergy. On the contrary, the Rev. Mr.
Thral and the Hon. Edward Stanly, men,
bers of the Committee, called on him, pointed
out the canon, and urged him TO desist from
this undertaking. Finally, the Committee, as
the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese,
sent to him their official protest against it,
reciting to him the above canon, and "earn-
cst'y and affectionately urging him not to
Violate it." Instead, however, of yielding to
their authority, he set it at defiance, and con-
tinued his services for two months, until on
the return of the Bishop they were at once
stopped and the Court organized for his trial.
Mr.. Taylor was tried, therefore, for his
gross, wilful, and persistent violation of the
canons of his Church and for setting its le-
gtimate authority at defiance, involving the
moral guilt of breaking his ordination vow,
10y which he pledged himself "rev verently to
obey his Bishop, and other chief ministers,
who, according to the canons of the Church +,
may have the charge and government over
him, following with glad mind and will
their godly admonitons and submitting him
self to their godly Judgments"
The persons who presented the charges
against him were the Rev. DR. Clark, the Rev
IL. Goodwin, and the Hon. Edward Stauly
The Judges were the Rev. Drs Van Mehr
and Macdonald and the Rev. Mr. Gasman.
The Judges are selected in the following
nanner The names of ten Presbyters are
drawn 10y lot, in the presence of the Bishop,
from which list the accused and the prosecu-
tors alternately strike off one, until the num-
Der is reduced to three who constitute the
Court The Bishop then presents the names
of five commandments Of the Church, who are
members of the legal profession, from which,
III the same manner, the names are alternate.
ly stricken. until but one remains, who at
tends as lay-assessors, to determine all ques-
tions of law. The trial is conducted in strict
accordance with the principles of law and
e'idence in use in the Courts Of his State.
The Court met on Thursday and the MEM
bers were sworn 10y Judge lager who at.
tended for the purpose. The facts charged
were then proved, when the counsel for the
defence offered some testimony with regard
TO difficulties occurring last summer between
the Standing Committee and the Mission
SUNDAY School. This was ruled out by the
lay-assessor as being irrelevant, when the de-
fence was abandoned AID the trial closed.
The Court then adjourned for twenty-four
hours to deliberate on their verdict. On
meeting again, at Saturday noon, they
brought IN the unanimous verdict of Guilty
on every ehars c" with the sentence that he
be "deposed from the Holy Ministry"
The sentence goes to the Bishop for his
consideration The canon says: ut shall
be the duty of the Bishop, on receipt of Il
verdict of guilty, to examine the records,
testimony and decisions of the Court, and to
proceed to pass sentence, before at least
three Presbyters of the Church, after Motif
cation to the person convicted of the time
and place OF sentence. The Bishop shall
have authority wholly TO remit the punish.
ment. or to modify it, by pronouncing one
less severe than that recommended by the
Court"
We neglected to mention that the lay as
session on the trial was VIM. G. IIasey, Esq.
OF this city.