, 1881-09-11

member Of the jury of nine who acquitted
Dr. Thomas Of erroneous teaching on this
head. 1fc, Wonld not disavow the belief
In probation :tf1cr death imputed to iiiin.
Nothing can be clearer than that this
Is not Methodist ductrine.. The Church be-
| 1icvcs and teaches its children that the
wicked shall go ava = into everlasting pun:
! isllment,' and that the period of repentance,
| forgiveness, and absolutlon is limited to this
world. There was no escape for DR.. Thomas
i If lie believed in a probationary state after
| death. If he had been acquitted OH the other
! counts, he must have been convicted on this.
| Tie result Of tie inquiry is that 4 true bill
has bten found against Dr. Thomas. lie Is
| under IN ecclesiastical Indictment: and the
! chances of all acQuittal before the confer
encc are fewer than they were before tile
grand jury. Whether the trial IS before a
committee or the full conference the result
can scarcely be different. lie has already
been condemned by n rising vote Of nearly
ali his brethren in the conference. Ger
tainly there has been 10 extension Or modl =
hcatiou of his doctrines i'll 4 year to cause a
change OF feeling in his behalf.
The preliminary verdict need not be a
source uf distress either to Dr. Thomas or
to the Methodist Church. Tie is abuntlantly
justified, first, because lie has enunciated his
views III bold and ,ll.1.iy way: a1lu, secondly,
becal&sc he had the right Of every reformer
to attempt to secure their adoption BY the
body Of WHICH he WAS :. member. II he CALI
not do that, lie can 60 out. lie is naturally
reluctant to leaye the Church Of his fathers
duty to what he dce:ls the truth than to
any sentiment, however tender.
Tile Church also is Justified. The trial
was forced upon it. DR.. Thomas would
have it SO. He has been accorded fair anu
full hearing, ard been judged bya jury Of
his peers. The Church does not tleliy tile
right Of Individual Judgment or liberty; but
it does insist that its appointed teachers
shall not tleride allti :lssail its fundamental
doctrines. II it did nut do this it would not
be i Church. 1t must maintain its own i'll
tegrity. 1t has the right OF any government
to perpetua1e its existence by the use Of tile
lnenns within its power, The trial was not
only fair; it was unit! the very last moment
dignitied aI,d creditable to all concerned.
The prosecution was extremely able. Except
for one cruel and unjust dispersion upon
Dr. Thomas, neither DR.. Jewctt nor
Dr. Hatfield could have improved upon
it i'll spirit or results. The defense
was equally visilant and sincere. The Pre-
siding Elder was rs impartial as an earthly
Judge could we'll be. The trinl WAS an honor
to Ateiloulsm, which has had many worse
examples set it in this city, and chose to fol-
low uone Of them.
Dr. Thomas usefulness will not be I'M
paired by the verdict. The people clearly
understand that, whether lie is a good
or not, lie is good man. lie has
moral convictions Of the highest kind, and
.onte,st:s them not only by his pulpit dis
course, but by the example of his daily life. |
His eiuuuence It's all orator, his influence rs
citizen and nrighbor, and his efficiency rs
eaclter will be neither more nor less in the |
'uture than they have been III the past, cx- |
:ept rs this trial may tend to bring him into
,ublic notice and Increase the thronss that
lttend his weekly services.