Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-15
SMITHS HERESY TRIAL.
He Makes Objections to the Suf-
ficiency of the Charge.
HIS POINTS ARE OVERRULED.
Ministers Who Said They Believed Him
Guilty Sit as judges.
THE SUMMARY OF THE ACCUSATIONS

CINcINNATI, Nov. 1.-The trial of Prof.
Henry Preserved Smith, of Lane Uni
versity, on charges of heresv commenced
here to-day. The sum mary of the charges,
is as follows:
Charge l, That Smith taught in articles
published in the New York Evangelist OF
March q and April Z. contrary to the rules
and regulations of the church, abando ming
the essential features OF the doctrine OF the
church.
Charge 2, That he taught. In a pamphlet
entitled"Biblical Scholarships Inspiration" 7"
that the Holy Spirit did not so control the
holy writers in the Holy Scriptures as to
make their utterances absolutely truthful;
that is, free from error when interpreted in
their rational and intended sense.
Charge 8 That in the same pamphlet,
while alleging the Holy Scriptures are in
spired in an infallible rule OF faith and
practice, he denied IN fact their inspiration
in which inspiration is attributed to the
Scriptures by the Scriptures themselves, and
by the Confession of Faith"
Incidents Surrounding the Trial.
The trial is held in the First Presbyre-
rian Church, the oldest church organization
in the city. It was this church that pl anted
valley Of the Ohio. Inasmuch as the
charges rest up on papers published by the
accused it is more than likely that the
opinion formed by the members of the
Presbytery from a reading of his papers
will hardly be greatly modified by the pro-
fessor's own argument in defense of his po-
sition. The Rev. DR.. Lyman Beccher,
father of Henry Ward Beecher, was brought
to trial in this church.
DR.. j. P. Scott, of Lebanon, is Moderator.
Prosecutors DR.. McKibben, Rev. Thomas
Lowe and Elder S. H. Shields and several
hundred interested listeners were present.
Rev. E. D. Morris, being unavoidably de-
tanned in Brooklyn, was by vote enrolled as
present
Prof Smith made q specific objection to
three members of the Presbytery sitting as
jurors or judges. They were Rev. Mr..
Dawson, Rev. Robertson and Rev. Francis.
These ministers had in published inter-
views in the newspapers publicly declared
that they believed him guilty of the charges
against him.
Upon a motion by Rev. Frank Monfort
that Prot. Smiths objections to the organi-
zation of the court be not sustained, a large
majority voted in the affirmative.
He Presents HIS Case.
The professor began then, in calm way,
devoid of feeling or passion, to present his
case. He first argued against the regularity
of this proceeding, claiming that the Com
mittee on Erroneous Teaching had no right
to inquire into the ministerial standing of
individual members. That was a judicial
process He further charged that the COM
mittee was prejudiced, appointed to repre-
sent one opinion only. This, he declared,
was avowed in open Presbytery by the
Moderator in making the appointment, and
it was further evident from the form of the
report ITSELF
He further declared that it was irregular,
because this judicial proceeding was taken
without the distinct inquiry on the part of
the Presbytery whether it be necessary
for the ends of discipline to investigate the
alleged ofense. This violates that provis-
ion of the book of discipline which de-
elares that effort should be made by private
conference with the accused to avoid if
possible, the necessity of actual process
This had not been done in his case. The
committee had only sent him demand that
he retract what he had written. But as
these objections had already been virtually
overruled he simply put them in the record
for such use as may be possible hereafter
He then proceeded to remind the court of
mining the questions presented to not let
process of reason.
The Sufficiency of the Charges.
'Those familiar" he said, "with the re-
cent history of our church must realize that
Just now we are in the midst of influences
to calm and unbiased consider.
alton of doctrinal issues. The very fact
that we are revising our confession of faith
seems to make some minds more sensible
than usual to doctriual issues. The sole
question now before US is the suf1iciency OF
the charges and specifications presented by
your committee. Except this everything
bearing on the case, or supposed to bear on
it, should be resolutely shut out of your
minds"
1.-THE charges of the committee allege cer-
tain facts they allege further. that these
facts constitute an offense against the Pres
byterian Church. Whether the average
facts are true is a question of evidence to
be proved in the trial ITSELF Whether,
even if they be as alleged, they constitute
an ofense is question not of testimony but
of law. In other words an Indictment
must be sufficient in law before it can be
pleaded to and tried upon the evidence"
He then took up the charges against him
one by one and raised objections to their
suficiency. On these grounds he asked
that the charges referred to be stricken out.
At this point the Presbytery adjourned.