The sun., 1881-10-02
4 SAN FRANCISCO HERRsY TRIAL.

San Fraaeisco Presbyterino. Aavs Been VERY
Much Exerc'sed Over the Trial or the
| Pastor and session or Calvary Presby.
terinn Church OF that City for Heresy.
1t is not often in the history OF the Presby-
terian Church that pastor and his entire ses-
sion are charged with heresy. Just how this
came about is interesting. hs was the trial that
| followed. Mrs. Sarah 3. Cooper. q cousin Of
Col Robert G. InRersoll. has for many years
besn the teacher OF u very large and aourshing
Bible class connected with the Calvary Church.
Some weeks ago Deacon James B. Roberts Of
the same church brought chareee before the
session against Mrs. Cooper alleging that she
taught hsretical doctrines. The pastor. the Rev.
Mr.. Hemphill. and the session voted resolutions
commentators OF Mrs. Cooper. Deacon Roberts
called upon them to rescind their resolutions.
or be presented to the Presbytery for counte-
nancing heresy; and In reply the pastor and
session repeated their vote Of confidence In Mrs.
| Cooper. and their commendation OF her Bible
class work. Hence the trial: for Deacon Rob-
| erts was as good as his word and brought the
matter before tho Presbytery.
| The trial was long. aud tho contest spirited
1t was held with closed doors At fret. but 1t was
| found that there were so many leaky cistcrns
among the brethren. and that there was 30
much testimony being reported In the daily
| I
| porters to be present.
To ascertain whether Deacon Roberts e chargc
| against the pastor aud session was we'll
| founded 1t was necessary to find out Whistler
| his charges against Mrs. Cooper were based on
| fact Briefly. they were that she inculcated
heretical religious ideas that she had EXPRESSED
| doubts as to tho truth OF some OF the Bibls mar
ratives. notably the story OF Jonah and the
whale and that OF Joshua and the sun that she
had followed the lead OF Prof. Felix Adler OF
| this city in establishing kindergarten schools.
from which religious instruction was excluded: I:
that she was own cousin to Col. 1nGersoll. and
had spoken OF him with admiration: that she
attended Unitarian church sometimes; that
she had said thnt she would rather he In hell
with men like In9erso than in heaven with
| men like Deacon Roberts. and that she had
| characterized her prosecutor - celestial
! hound on an eternal hunt for heresy."
| There was much evidence produced on both
| sides and there seemed to be some ground for
mcst OF the charges. The fair defendant her
| self acknowledged upon tho witness stand that
once when Deacon Roberts sneereh In hor
presence Mt II picture Of her cousin Robert. she
resented 1t by saying tnat II she believed that
| heaven was mado OF such men Al. J. B. Roberts
would prefer to 20 to hell" she ALDO acknowl:
Mr. Robsr,s @ as the csIestisi hound on the Stsr.
| nal hun, Tor hereey that you are; you can put
To nosn nv on tl and ana you W s 5
mans life, 4. no the sIndetsarten charge. !.
| pray. but not to Jesus; since there we're Hebrew
parents. who objected to that form Of worship
| knowlsdRed that she had sIperintended raflle
In the scn2oi S to raise m3nsy iof H. But when i
belief in tho Bibl,. then there was deep discus.
sion. and when it was found that even the mem;
Hsts tseir I niSys as to what should 5. taken a.
and what ss rs ssSSdc dsdn. sne .,on %s.so9s n
the following language:
| When you nail me down and ask ne whether Jonah
n % I'll rhss s S~ S: ns ns bud
%w a ,a an N. n. s .ss @ II N: s
Tsf: :,s ns;
i a5 e IS
s ias. S": a.
SS. M. Shs; at ini vi, III ySs seem.
| singular
Here is specimen Of h:r cross. examination.
Is deacon; tho Witness = teacner OF Bible
before Presbytery:
!q TIs aI ''5 N ds dn."''.'sr' called star
sso %hSSy .Sa ;'" ,rie Ga =" not .''' 90 the qualities Of
ySp .1f "a siaf; .. sss
TO BE- Slowed to que .,ion me seSa, .ssA think,
Q-bia You .ay wssa nI.sa!.d iS.. pse.r ..ssi"'i
s 's "si al T 10: s:ss Ss. Al
A. RSs.s. you s' ,S :sSns NJ ~ .a.srsa s osi
face when you raised your face sNsr locking at his
o-wh.t did you tell m. b.fore that, about hlm' A.
That lie wAsA Areiauve Of mine. And loved him very
aQTDid ycp ever make ,ai. r.n.r. wi.r regard TO
h.avsa' Al i:sd IN, inoasai !: .saii :: l.sn,ns
ana good enough to DO IL
ana ssGa % a. T
e.You RENE meer the :e..ions resolution. ai'appro,
a s S"I e efAsssi to, se .s
then % account o. The ser, hss A. .e.u.;,i them
hS@ %1i i. %s.a. AMI yos s'S y, sos::s % :'" '" ,sa
yTa .e @: :. b, on, \.
Deacon Roberts indeed seems to have found
himself in trouble before the trial was over.
that h %oad 10 GET
Calvary Church from cellar 70 dome and that
Mrs. Cooper aud hor bible class with sunpow.
der; and that he said thai Pastor HemphiIl WAS
her her finger at viii. That Deacon Roberts had not
the entire respect OF his brethren the following
extract from the proceedings shows:
Elder Thomas Maze, testified that Nj Roberts WAS
s ad a. as Of e .s
sion gpo, Mrs CSoper cs,.
Roberts.
mot all think you did yourself injustice. because
not - iusoent usual think. by your
general .1Ience aud iominee ns iair!y earned
the title of James Boss Roberta"
what dill "a aud dO'"
You seemed much ssed at imagining you h ad got
in ioIr-in other words, III an awkward po-Iiion
ant said mOrtabs light as it stood"
Am usually n solentf
Il think you have 'Ae reputation rightly OF being
ceedin-ly bnssy
Iiave the re eputaton OF ruling the whole sesuonr
'You have thc reputation Of trying TO-"
"D.i succsri.'
"Nut wti me. | assure you"
That's brcnu.r yOu were generally Absent"
' | Iun't think records will show that was"
well don't you know that Tying TO set out Of
the hus-.p :"
''' That's because we've been bossed much
tnat want he bussed more
well II proved myse the most insolent In that
that ought 10 be enousho sausfy IN that
line"
Al this point Moderator said IL adjourn
the days session. aud tie sIung brought 10 close
with prayer
Thns this remarkable trial went on from day |