The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-11-16

CINCINNATI, o., Nov. l5.-The trial Of
the Rev. Henry Preserved Smith by the
Cincinnati Presbytery for erroneous
teachings, or, In other words, for
hcresy, while 1t has not yet crowded
the church with listeners, is assuming
moro and more interesting proportions.
When the time for opening came this
morning there were but half dozen
persons present, but in Il lew minutes
the entire committee had assembled
except four who by their absence from
roll call will lose their votes.
! This absentee rule. il is already
hintGd at, is furnishing loophole OF
escape for members who may be con-
WINGED that Prof. Smith is right aud do
not want to put on record vote tothat
effect
At the opening of the session the
reading of the minutes OF Yesterdays
session by Temporary Clerk Frances
sharp eye Of the worldly observer, al
ways quick to discover anything in the
business demeanor Of religious body.
it was apparent that the ways OF a po.
litical convention we're to some extent
copied The partlsanshin OF the prose-
cution and Of the defense was apparent
in almost every motion made. The
clerk had recorded that on the question
OF the eligibility Of himself and two
other ministers the vote to sustain their
eligibility was almost unanimous.
Quick objection was made TO this by
members who declared that at least one
third OF the Presbytery voted in the
negative. 1t was voted to amend the
minutes in that particular, Then it app
peared by further reading that tho
clerk had incorporated in the minutes
his own speech made on the motion
lust referred to and had not included
those OF other persons who had spoken,
1t was ordered that speeches be put in
as exhibits. Prof. Smith then began
the reading Of his defense to the second
charge which contained the charges
against him, namely that he taught
that the inspired author of Chronicles
had been guilty OF asserting errors OF
historical fact and OF suppressing sundry
historic truths. He had not completed
his defense when DR.. Roberts raised
the point of order that it was not proper
for Prof. Smith to incorporate in his
argument citations from his pamphlet
made by the committee on prosecution
in its report.
For more than three hours did the
members OF the presbytery sit listening
to the reading by Prof Smith of a
logical and keenly inclsive argument in
his defense. Not only that, but by way
OF proving his position to be the proper
one, lie was compelled to show that for
the position assumed by the prosecuting
committee they could not cite a single
text of Scripture insupport.
Prof. Smith read rapidly, with very
little attemptat oratory, but with man-
ner that kept his argument easily be-
fore his hearers.
The second charge, to which he de-
voted the entire day, is as follows:
"The Presbyterian church in the Uni
ted States of America charges the Rev.
Henry Preserved Smith, d. D., being q
minister in said church, and member
OF the presbytery Of Cincinnati, with
teaching in a pamphlet entitled 'Bibli-
cal Scholarship and Inspiration con-
trary to the fundamental doctrine of
the Word of God and Confession of
Faith, that the Holy Spirit did not so
control the inspired writer's in their
composition Of the Holy Scriptures as
to make their utterancea absolutely
truthful, i. e., free from error. when in-
terpreted in their natural and intended
sense"
In the course Of his argument he
said: Now ask why the natural
and intended sense is not the natural
sense, the intended sense, or is the in
tended sense something different from
the natural sense? cannot help see
ing in this phrase an obscurity that
seriously mars the force OF the propos-
ition. The Intended sense-intended by
whom? II by the Divine Author wo
shall agree. II by the human author
doubt whether any will affirm it in the
face OF Peters assertion that the
prophets sought and searched diligent-
ly who prophesied Of the grace which
should come unto you, searching what
time or what manner the spirit of
Christ which was in them did point
unto Or II any assert that the
intention Of the Divine Author is
necessarily the intention Of the
human author, this proposition also 10
at least debateable. For in the first
chapter OF Genesis, for example, itcan
hardly be doubted that the intention OF
the human author was to describe q
natural week Of six natural days. Prob
ably the majority Of those who hear me
hold that the intention Of the Holy
Spirit was to describe geologic week
Of six creative days. So the question
whose intention the committee means in
their phrase is not superfuous. And
in that view alone the language is an-
biguous and should be amended. For
II ministerial standing is to depend
on a jugVle with word, the sooner we
know it the better"
He then went on to object to the
charge that il was insufficient in legal
effect in that while II affirms certain
doctrine to be fundamental, II bfinRa
no evidence that is fundamental.
Tho prosecution will begin Its reply
tomorrow
The Rordan Case.