Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-05
BAD FAITH ADMITTED.
DR.. George Makes a Red-HOt Speech
Before the L. 2. Synod.
OIL AND ACID ALTERNATELY
Poured Down Upon tho Heads of the
Seven Young Ministers.
AN UNUSUALLY INTERESTING SESSION

While the suspended ministers of the r,
?. Church are making the best fight they
can, they say the libel proposed to be pre-
ferred against DR.. Mc-Allister is not Endorsed
sJy them. The church on Eighth street WAS
again crowded, and Rev o. b. Milligan was
put on his defense. The first point he.nade
WAS "a refusal to speak from the platform, as
la said tho Prcsbytery having forbidden
him to speak IN 9 Reformed Presbyterian
pulpit be could Eot do so until his hands
were loosed and he felt himsc!fa L free man.
lie could not take the platform unless the
coGrt assumed the responsibility. 1t did
and he assembled. 'Twould be superfuous
to 20 into the argument made by Mr..
NIiIliSan, as the ground has been
covered so often, but it is due TO him 70 say
that il was able and gave the Synod some
nuts TO crack, even admitting its position to
be the logical one according to the laws of
tho Il. p Church. lie denied that he had
been false to his ordination vows and said
that If il be the decision that he must go out
Of the church he would carry with him all
irs principles and obligations. He asserted
that he believed the Pittsburg Presbytery
had exceeded its authority, and that the
man, or men, who framed the call for the
elders meeting had maliciously misrepre-
sented the object and purposes of the East
End platform.
brought ISlulcule On lne ShlrCI.
In conclusion. he said the Pittsburg Pres.
bytery in suspending him had suspended the
r p Church between heaven and earth and
subjected it to the ridicule of the Christian
world.
Rcv !. r. J. Milligan next came and said
hewould not have appealed to the Synod had
ne not thought an injustice had been done
him. Nothing charged against him had been
supported by evidence. In comforting with
the Committee on Discipline, they thought
they were treating with fair and honest
men. and honorable men, and did not think
their statements would be used against
them The charge that they had he left to
the court He protested, as did the rest,
against the suspension from the ministry, as
Illegal and il direct violation of the laws of
The church. He said the organization they
were charged with having formed existed
only in the minds of thc men who had found
them guilty. He paid his respects to the
judicial Committee, and charged that it
would be, II possible, the X. L. Church itself,
and fOr PrCsbytery 10 ask him to withdraw
from an organization of which he was not a
member, and the existence of which he had
iiial.
Mr. NImigan's eloouence tended to excite
apnlaGSe, at times, but the court would not
allow il. The arguments by Rev. o. B. and
J. i. J. Nllliscan consumed the forenoon ses-
hjon. When the afternoon session had
cleared she decks for business, Rev. E. NJ.
Mnlig;n asked to he allowed to present
statement he had announced early in the
session, hut had deferred. 1t was with ref
Crence to the commission or committee of
the PlUtsbuTg preSbytery. The statement
was that Rev. !. q. CrOZier went TO Parnas-
Sus and called on DIR. Matthews. MT. CroZier
urged y. i. Copeland TO attend the meeting
and get the matter settled. Mr. Copeland
had said he went to the meeting with firm
conviction that it was commission, and not
a committee, or he would not have gone.
The significance Of the matter is that COM
mission would have had power to extend
the right hand OF fellowship, which, it is
held, Il committee would not have.
An objection to Hearsay Evidence.
Prof Wilson said that if the witnesses
We're living hearsay evidence should not be
accepted.
MT. MilliCan said his statement was simply
made to Ill ont former one, when his mem
Ory fliled as TO names, and he had a right to
make it. lie said he would get the main wit
ness il the synod would pay for the telegram.
The matter was dropped at this point Tor a
time. until after Rev. q. B. Milligan had
made an explanation, when Rev. Mr.. CroZier
got up and said he WAS certain he had not
used The word commission, as such would
have been opposed to his plan OF settling
church disputes.
Dr. Il. J. George next began his argument
for the prosecution, on behalf OF the Pitts
burg Presbytery. referring 10 some charges
made before the synod against linn, Dr..
George IChearsCd them, he said, to give
the court TO understand he felt the gravity
OF the situation. He called attention also TO
the tenderness exhibited by the proseeu-
fiUn as to the moral character of the ac-
Cu>ed.
Getting down TO his work, DR.. George said
Pittsburg PresbyterN was acting under the
authority of the higher court, and read a Sc
lection in proof. lie referred to the veil of
uncertainty that hung over the East End
meeting 1t had been said it was one for
PRAYER, one for consultation, that it was Il
secret one, and yet outside no one seems yet
to know just what kind of a meeting it was.
i appeared to be one OF that kind that sug-
geSt dynamite plots or almost anything else |
Dr. George held there was reason to believe,
from the newspaper report, that organiZa-
lion WAS either being effected or intended.
As this straw has been pretty well
threshed previously, of course there can be
little new said, but still there is enough
humor IN it to tighten it at times. DR.. George
yesterday, While talking, entered into what
one called an eNcgeslS, and WAS corrected by
another who termed it an exit-Jesus. He
read the memorial of the Beaver Falls con-
ETegation, which has Occasioned consider
able comment, and planting both feet there
on, said, in effect, what have You to say
against it? lie said it WAS the sentiment of
che Church that when the East End plat
form doctrines prevailed in the II. Z. Church,
the Church would cease to exist
The Extent of the Profess.
As to the charge that no memorials were
sent asking the trial of the ministers, Dr.
George said that six-sevenths of the
presided were represented in the protest
against the East End movement.
Dr. George opened a big hole into which |
Rev. II. ". Iced was to be tumbled on ac-
count Of his statement that some OF the |
names to the memorial had been forged, |
but II WASH quite wide enough to catch |
linn. As to Beaver Falls, DIR. George had |
plain sailing. but in the case OF Elder John |
Ewing, OF near Youngstown, Mr. Ewing |
stated that his name had been appended by |
tie other elders, As he had no time to do 1
80. They signed bis name and sent him no
tiCe o. their action by mail He subse- /
Quentlr ludOrsed the action but. replied the /
liberals, 1T was a forgery, all tbs sanlen In |
the case OF Elders John A. Dodds and 4. B. |
Copeland, referred to by Rev. +. NJ Milli-
gan a. the action Of Parnassus Church, it is
pretty nearly case OF you're another
As 10 the charge Of some of the suspended |
mems friends that they should have been
reconstructed with according to the law of /
Cbri T. Dr. Georges answer was in effect |
that ''they DIDN'T haveter," Is the law OF the
church did not require it. However, he con-
tended Jl5S The action was conducted in a |
Christian spirit by Presbytery, and that /
some OF the accused had been asked to pray,
While anyone was allowed, and every oppor- |
tuHity Was given the accused to clear their /
skirts
As 20 the charge by Rev. H. ". Reed that |
the word committee had been written i'll lead |
pencil, so far as the first syllable, and then
concluded III ink, and strong suspicion OF /
Intentional alteration took possession of Mr.. /
Reed. Dr.. George called on Mr.. Reed. He |
said the clerk OF Presbytery, Mr.. Laird, had 1
told him that he had never seen the original |
report but copy. In the report OF the Com
mItJec on Supplies Mr.. Reed had seen the 4
combination OF ink and lead pencil.
This went on until DR.. George came near /
falling on Mr.. Reed S neck, and both visibly i
write out the minutes, and while they were /
SO lnUerllneC as to be confusing to an out