The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-10

JESUS CHRIST have deported themselves our
readers already know. Day by day the
public has watched the spectacle with
| growing amazement. II has seen gray
haired Doctors OF Divinity grow red
| In the face with anger as they banded
accusations of malice, envy, trickery
and untruth 1t has seen them quibblc
| like police court pcttifoggcrs over law-book
techncaitcs which they but half under
stood,'fght tooth and nail against the adj
mission Of evidence, and harangue the APP
plauding galleries when they should have
been striving with a single eye to get at the
! truth and TO do justice. Seeing this aston
ishing spectacle an unconverted world has
turned away with snecr on its lips, but
with disappointment in its heart. 1t had
the right to expect different things OF a
body of Christian ministers and elders sit
ting as Court Of JESUS CHRIST.
Bad as have been the manners OF this
court, however, the reasoning by which
majority OF its members have reached their
decision is worse. The testimony showed
that the accused preacher had been guilty OF
conduct which in n man of the world would
certainly have been considered deccitful and
dishonest, and that he had made statements
which. IL not downright falsehoods, were at
| least very unsuccessful and unfortunate Mt
tcmpts at truth-speaking. His defence was
| that he did not mean any harm, that he did
not intend to deceive that he thought he was
| justified in taking care of himself as best he
could, and that his conscience does not
trouble him in the least. Far from express
ing or feeling contrtion. he avowed in open
court that, in the same circumstances. no
would again do and say the same things.
Now by what arguments did these Chris
tian preachers and elders of Brooklyn bring
themselves in tho face Of this testimony
and this avowal Of moral obduracy, TO vote
for his acquittal and to declare, as they did
on Thursday, that they have heartfelt
confidence in him as a Christian minister.
Let few specimens suffice;
The Rev DR.. SPEAR, his senior counsel.
smoothed the way for the others by laying
down some remarkable propositions In
morals. Before one can be deceived by
another in the wrongful sense" he said,
"he must have the right TO knowledge"
Those whom TALMAGE deceived hadn't the
right to knowledge; therefore there was no
deceit in the wrongful sense" Whatever
this may be, it is not the morality OF the
New Testament. Again 1.-THE purpose of
the alleged deceit was to induce others to
subscribe Subscribe for what? Why, for
the payment OF the church debt. Is that a
bad thing TO do? Is there any sin in en-
deavors to induce people to subscribe money
for good objects z" Since when has the doc
trine OF the end justifying the means been
adopted by Presbyterians
The Rev. T. ]. EVANS voted TO acquit be-
cause he thought TALMAGE had fewer faults
than the majority of his judges.
Mr.. PECK thought, at the worst, TALHAGE
had been guilty only OF sharp practice.
The Rev. Mr.. FREEMAN (coloredl thought
whatever TALMAGE's mistakes, the Presby-
terry had committed bigger one in putting
him on trial.
The Rev. Mr.. ST. JoHN thought TALMAGEs
ministrations had been blessed by COP;
when he was asked TO strike such man
down, his heart and soul said NO"
The Rev. Mr.. NEANDER had once shed
tears under sermon Of TALMAGE's, and was
sure he could not be n bad man. He had
also been much impressed by Mrs. TAIL
| MAGE's testimony. "Oh, what power n
woman has over our feelingsl" exclaimed
the judicial Mr.. NEASDER
Elder HAZARD said: My sympathies
have led me to thank COP that can vote
for acquittal."
First or last, probably dozen OF the
brethren had something 10 say about the
size OF TALMAGE's congregation, the num-
Der OF his sermons printed, and the fact
real or assumed-that Brooklyn public opin-
ion was on his side as against the prose-
cutting Presbyters.
What with the pcttiiogging and the gush
TALMAGE has been acquitted. But in ac-
quitting him the majority OF the judges
have convicted themselves OF blindness or
indifference to the plainest moral distinc-
tlons that is simply shocking.
While this so-called court was in session,
its daily proceedings We're n daily scandal.
Now that it has got through. its memory Is
an abomination. Its judgment is of piece
with its deliberations, and both are
condemned by every precept Of the
religion thus burlesqued, in the house OF
its professed friends Whatever may be
laid at the door Of Christianity, il is not re-
sponsibe for these Brooklyn antics, even
though they were committed in its name
But we tender our sincere condolences u
the Presbyterian Church.