The Indianapolis journal., 1892-11-18

lie Thinks the Prosecuting Committee of
Presbytery Is Acting Unfairly.
CHARGES Considered That We're Not in the In
dictment - SubOrnation of Hypocrisy Is
the Way the Alleged Heretic Put It.

q
over tho minutes occupied the first portion
of the session of the Cincinnati Presby-
terry this morning in Its trial Of the Rev.
Henry p. Smith for heresy. 1t appeared
that the minutes were made TO show the
reason why the court sustained the ruling
of the moderator upon Professor Smiths
objection to the argument OF the Rev. Me-
kibben. The minutes were recornmitted
to the committee on minutes, with instruc-
tions TO ask the moderator to write out his
own reasons for the ruling, and say moth
ing about what reasons influenced the
court in sustaining the moderator.
The Rev. T. o. Lowe then began his part
of the argument on behalf of the prose-
cutlng committee. IL was necessarily going
over the same line of argument pursued by
his predecessor, the Rev. Mr.. Mckibben,
and was. to a great extent, an amplification
of the effort to sustain the sufficiency CT
the indictment proposed by the committee.
All that was necessary. ne said. in the in
dictment. was to make 1t sufficient to put
the accused on his defense. The commit
tee on prosecution had only to make case
on prima facie evidence. He stepped aside
In his argument at one time to say that
L
Christian honor, ought to leave the Presby-
terian Church. He defined Christian honor
as ordinary business honor. He charged
Professor Smith with teaching that min
lister may rlRhtfully remain In u church
after he has violated his vows to the
church. Several times during the latter
portion of his remarks Professor Smith OBJ
jected that DR.. Lowe was abandoning the
question at Issue, namely. the sutficiency
OF the Indictment, and was speaking on the
question of the charges themselves.
Dr. loves argument occupied a large
part of the afternoon session. Despite the
fact that all this time the court has not
been hearing the case on its merits, but
simply hearing arguments on demurrers. 1t
has been practically inpossibleto separate
the functions In the minds OF the hearers,
and even in the minds of the speakers.
Professor Smith made frequent objections
to DIR. loves argument to-day on that ac-
count. The latter made much of the
church's repeated declaration of the belief
in tie inspiration of the Scriptures. quot
ing from numerous ecclesiastical authorl-
ties to show opinions and from the Bible
itself To prove the basis of the doctrine.
he was also strong In his assumption or
the enOrmlty of the otfense of q departure
from the faith or the doctrines as SUBJ
scribed to by every minister upon taking
HIS ordination vows. He dwelt at length
upon the necessity of preserving belief in
the infallibility of the Bible. The absolute
inerrancy OF the Bible is the belief of the
Presby terian Church, he said. and to re-
linqulsh that belief is to give mp the entire
basis OF the church's doctrine. In closing
he considered the charge which accuses
Professor Smith of denying q full insDira-
ti0n by the Holy Spirit. and made an as
sertion which Professor smith construed
to mean that ne had sinned against the
Holy Ghost.
When Prof. Smith arose to reply he ex-
hiblted the first evidence of feeling yet
shown. He said: If the committee makes
these charges. why did it not put them in
writing in the indictmeptf If the commit
tee Is right, ought to be excommunicated,
but let me say that they will excomrnuni-
cate u large portion of the membership OF
the Presbyterian Church. including very
many of its most exemplary. faithful and
pIouS ministers" Prof. Smith went on to
cav that the whole tenor Of the argument
this afternoon indicated that the commit
tee proposed to make him more guilty than
he had been charged. Subornatlon of
hypocrisy was the best name he could sug-
gest for the Ofense which the committee
made in one of its charges The presbyt terry
adjourned till Monday next.
The Committee ON Theological Seminaries.
CHICAGO. Nov. 1.-THE committee on
theological seminaries. appointed at the
lasrs session of the Presbyter General
Assembly, at Portland, Ore. held the first
of it's regular sessions here to-day. The
committee is composed of leading clergy
men and elders of the Presby terian Church
from all over the United States. They
have important work, for in the
resolution empowering the appoint
ment of the committee, its members
were authorized to draw up plan to &C.
cure more direct relationship with and
control of tho Presby terian theological
seminaries" The immediate cause for
such resolution being offered was 'the
growth of heresy in the Presby terlan the
illogical institutional The last few years
have developed widely divergent met b. ods
of teaching, as well as p great difference in
the views as to dOctrinal points on the part
of those in charge of the theological sc cho ools,
and two trials for heresy from Presbyterian
theological seminarios are now in progress
that of Prof Briggs of Union Seminary,
New York. and of DIR. Smith, of Lane Sem
mary, Cincinnati. The committee will
make its report to the next General As.
sembly, which meets in May at Washing
ton city.
The committee to-day was in session
discussing the situation, nearly all of those
present taking part In the debate. Elder
j. j. McCook detailed the DR.. Briggs case,
and Thomas McDougal, of Cincinnati, gave
a history of the Smith case. Before ad-
journmcnt Moderator Young appointed q
subcommittee to inquire more fully into
the cases. DIR. Wilson was made chairman
of the committee. which will report at q
future session.