Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-05-11
DECLARED GUILTY.
Dr.. McLans Receives His Sentence
Very Cooliy,
BUT SAYS he WILL APPEAL MS CASE
To the General Assembly, Which Meets
at Saratoga This Month-His
SteubenyiIle Friends Very
Indignant.
Special DISPATCH % tbs Reois,,r.

heresy, was resumed at $50 this morning
In presence of the smallest audience pres
ent during the session. This was probably
owing to the sitting heat and thick dust
that made travelling undesirable, as was
the case yesterday, half an hour was devot-
ed to song and prayer. At the conclusion of
these exercises Rev, DR.. McLane took the
stand and resumed his defense which was
interrupted by the adjournment last
night. In addition to that portion of the
defense published in the, REGISTER to-day
he said: off denied Christ was the med
iator, if denied he was sacrifice,
Then Convict Me,
but my Interpretation is entitled TO Just
as much weight as that OF any OF my &C.
cusers. You must prove" he continued,
that my book strikes at the vitality of
religion before you can condemn it; on
the contrary, my book, The Cross in the
Light Of To-day comedies substantially
with the Confession Of Faith, with which,
it is said to disagree. Shall any
man. he proceeded, who, with honest,
hearty and sincere convictions, teaches a
doctrine for the honor and glory of God
and the edihCatiou OF his fellow-man-
shall such one be put out of the Presby-
terian Church. With those words Nc
Lane closed his defenSe-a defense manly,
eloquent and of logic hard to repute.
During the entire recital he commanded
the greatest attention.
DR.. Milligan for the prosecution follow
ed, and ierCely attacked the book in telling
and forCible language He said "the work
ha8 ayNifaA q tho cnripsitv nf q phnrCh that
had standards, not of yesterday but of old;
even the title itself tended 70 awaken Curl
oSity; we regret that we must reach cor
Clusion in dealing with our brother, over
which hands of brotherhood Canno. be
clasped. l accuse him." said he, 'of deny
ing the
Divine Obedience Of Christ.
We find in the book denial that the Suf-
ferings ot Christ were necessity" and he
quoted from the work passages which he
interpreted in defense of his argument.
IF Bro. McLane's sole motive was in de-
fning orthodoxy and ranking with Calvin,
Luther and Hodges, instead of his desire to
become an author, l think the work had
not been conceived yet why his ideas
upon sacrifice even are sadly at fault, and
here upon this Milligan built one Of his
most forcible arguments. He acknowl-
edged that the book contained
laber and research. but he would be guilty
OF neglect of his duty to God and his fel
low men did he not point out the glaring
errors. He closed mis- argument by sub
mitting the case to the Presbytery on its
merits, pointing out the fact that in all
their dealings with DR.. McLane they had
been aCtuated by motives of charity, and
! hoped q similar case would never again
occur in this Presbytery. Dr. Sweeny
! then arose and in q few words closed for
the prosecution,
DIR. McLane Then Took the stand
to correct some false impressions that
seemed to exist, and after a few remarks
retired. A motion was then adopted au-
thOriZing members TO give their opinion
on the book with reasons for so
doing. Rev. DR.. Parkinson thought
| kindlier of the book since the ex-
plantations given by the reverend author,
but found doctrines contained in the book
were contrary to the Presbyterian standard.
DR.. Reid, OF Steubenville Seminary, be-
lieyed DR.. McLane sincere in his behalf
promulgated in the book, but that belief
was erroneous. He declared that the au-
thor was virtually in accord with Unitar-
ianism and that his doctrine was virtually
that held by DR.. Charming. He regretted
that he could not vote TO keep DR.. McLane
in the Presbytery, and cited letters from
diyines in other parts condemning the
book. In this manner the majority OF
ministers and elders present expressed
their views on the book generally, agree
ing that il contained
Some Truth and Elegant Passages,
but that il not only contlicted with the
Presbyterian standard, but that ii aimed at
the vtalS OF religion.
The assembly then adjourned until l:30
?. w..
Upon re assembling in the afternoon, af.
fer listening to the opinions or several
ministers, the clerk was instructed to call
the roll, and upon the four charges being
presented, the entire body of thirty minis.
ter and elders voted for conviction.
Rev Sweeny then offered the following
resolution, which was adopted unanimous
ly:
THE Presbytery having carefully and
patiently examined the charges presented
against the Rev. W. W. MCLsne, and the
members having pretty freely stated their
opinions on the merits OF the case, the vote
OF the PreSbytery having been taken to
sustain the charges with remarkable de.
gree Of unanimity, as follows:
Therefore, the PreSbytery do here and
now declare their conviction that the Rev.
W. W. McI.ane be and hereby is suspended
from the exercise OF the function OF COS
pei minister until he gives evidence OF re-
DentaOCe ttN erroneous NGdCulLSS
Moderator TilSon then called upon
DIR. McLane.
who was in the back part OF the church, to
come forward and receive his sentence,
which he did, accepting the inevitable with
COOlneSs and resignation. He then gave no.
tiCe that he would appeal from this decision
at the General Assembly to be held at Sar-
atOga this month. Rev. DrS. Grimes, Mil
ligan and Hamilton were then appointed
to defend the cause OF the Presbytery at
this assembly. After declaring MclaneS
church at Steebenvil!e vacant, the Presby-
terry ad jOUrned.
Thus ended one OF the most famous trials
ever brought to our notice in this state.
Being pastor OF one Of the largest and most
influential congregations in the State,
great attachment naturally existed be-
tween pastor and flock, and II the General
Assembly confirms the rulings OF the
Prssbytery, it is more than likely that DR.
McLane will secure home.
Indignation at Steubenville.
SrErBENyTLLE, May l0-About seventy
persons returned from the scene OF the
heresy trial at Wellsyille this morning; al
were highly indignant at the manner DIR.
McIane had been treated by the presbytery.
Nor only his friends, but those who took
no side in the matter, thought Mclane had
been treated outlandishly.
A prominent and wealthy citizen OF this
CITY, and one OF the leading lights of DR..
McIane's church, told your correspondent
thar the Steubenyiile parties who returned
on the special midnight train were so
worked up over the matter that they held
Formal Indignation Meeting
on the train. and passed resolutions de-
nounciug the Presbytery's action, but that
the resolutions were suppressed by Few
of the timid ones. He also said that the
Presbytery tried and succeededin gagging
McI.ane, and that il was a gag game sll
through. When the adjournment for sup
per took place last evening DR.. McLsne
asked that it be for one hour, as a large
number of his SteubeuVille friends were
present and would he compelled TO return
home on the midnight train, and that they
came for the purpose OF hearing his argu'
ment. But the Presbytery wouldn't have
it, saying they were under no obligations
tO l1r Mol auafs T-iny1FlS and