Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-09-18
Eos Auaelss aterala.
a REMARKABLE ADDRESS.


The great heresy trial in San
Francisco has come to an end, ana
the Preshyters have convicted Mrs.
Cooper of entertaining hereticai
opinions, by vote of ten to eight.
Mrs. Cooper made speech in her
own behalf at the close of the trial,
which was In many respects re-
markable. Mr.. Roberts, the ac-
cuser, made the speech for the
prosecution. Before entering upon
it he said: "If God told me that
Jonah swallowed whale I would
believe it. Let me say, also, that
IL there is any one present desiring
life insurance I will be happy to
see them when this matter is over"
We append the following extract
from Mrs. Cooper's address, which
will give an idea of its general
scope and tenor:
received visit last night from
q friend who teld me that had ev-
identity misunderstood the question
put to me by Brother Fiske in re-
gard to whether accepted all the
historical facts mentioned in the
Bible, among others the swallow
ing of Jonah by the whale. L was
weary in mind and body and hard
iy knew where l was. But L
would like to say that the Bible
seems to come to me In the form
of private Interpretation. The
old fathers in the Old Testament
speak of the Lord as q God OF War.
l understand that as meaning, and
rs they intended to convey, that
God was q Being of great and inn
measurable power, and not to be
accepted literally. endeavor in
all these things to try and discover
what was meant to be conveyed.
When q stranger comes among us,
one ignorant of our language, and
who is in want of food or drink, we
do not turn away our head because
we cannot understand him. We
try all the harder 10 find out what
he means, and when at last We do,
through signs or otherwise, we
hasten to supply his wants. l know
that's what l do, and 1t seems to
me that clergymen and others
should do the same; and in respect
to the Bible, we should strive
with all our might to fathom and
comprehend the statements con-
tanned therein, not refusing to ac-
cept them because apparently con-
trary tn our experience and finite
comprehension, nor accepting
them literally as conveyed in
words, but trying to understand
the lesson they embody and teach.
This trial has instructed me on one
point-to be more simple In my
teaching, and not take for granted
that others think as 1 do in these
matters. This whipping 1 have
received will make me more care
full. Take for instance, Christ's
denunciation of Jerusalem. That
was not meant to apply solely to
jerusalem, but to all nations In fu-
ture ages that might become SIM
ilarly stepped in wickedness. Mrs.
Cooper read the first four verses
from the 18th chapter of Romans
applying the passage to the matter
under the consideration of the
Presbytery. She then continued:
"The Lord is my helper. I will not
fear what man may do unto me-"
When / read that last night 1
thought to myself, well, that at least
applies to me. Hear me, dear Pres
byters. Judge of me not from what
you hear, but of your own knowl-
edge and Of what have been per-
mitted to 90 In our Lords cause.
When you nail me down and ask
me whether Jonah swallowed the
whale or whether the whale swal-
lowed Jonah, 1 cannot tell you, L
do not know what to say, but do
know that an important lesson is
conveyed in the text. And if you
ask me that the sun stood still on
Gideon, what shall say? 1 don't
know. These things seem worth
less to me. I do know that L lean
on Christ, our blessed Saviour. Be-
lieve in the miracles? Yes I do.
I accept them as illustration and
evidence of spiritual power, the
greatest OF all. II you want me,
dear Presbyters, to teach Christ's
teachings, 1 will do so until my
eyelids close in death, but don't
ask me anything about whales. II
you do 1 will say, "there is the
record" II you AK me what L
think of 1t I will tell you 1t seems
ofuunlor