Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-18
SMITH WAKES WARM
Over Argument He Says Accuses Him
Beyond the Indictment.
CULTURE OF CHRISTIAN GRACEs
The Essential of Cody Life Rather Than
Uniformity of Belief.
HIS TRIAL ADJOURNED TILL MONDAY


gle over the minutes occupied the first part
of the session of the Cincinnati Presbytery
this morning, in the trial of Rev. Henry P.
Smith Rev. T o. Lowe then began his
part of the argument on behalf of the
Prosecuting Committee. 1t was an ampli-
fcst1on of the effort to sustain the sufi-
cheney of the Indictment
He stepped aside in his argument at one
time to say that Prof. Smith, under the
demands of Christian honor, ought to leave
the Presbyterian Church. He defined
Christian honor as ordinary business honor.
He charged Prot. Smith with teaching that
= minister may rightfully remain in q
church after he has violated his VOWS to the
church. Several times during the latter
part of his remarks Prot Smith objected
that DR.. Lowe was abandoning the question
at issue-namely, the suffciency Of the in
dictment-and was speaking on the ques-
tion Of the charges themselves
Makes 1t a Question of Good Faith.
DR.. loves argument occupied q large
part of the afternoon session. He made
mnch of the church's repeated dictations of
the belief in the plenary inspiration of the
Scriptures, quoting from numerous ecclesias-
tical authorities TO show opinions, and from
the Bible itself to prove the basis of the
doctrine. He was also, strong in his
assumption Of the enormity of the offense of
a departure from the faith. He dilated
upon the stronger obligation upon the
minister to keep bis VOW than upon the
secular man to keep his contracts. To do
otherwise, he declared, was subversive of
all ecclesiastical authority and would prac-
tically DESTROY the church.
He dwelt at length upon the necessity of
preserving belief in the infallibility of the
Bible; that it is the very Word of God, and
said that to teach that the Biblical histori-
cal writers were so unreliable that the truth
of history therein contained was subject to
such investigation and discrimination as is
necessary to discover the truth in histories
by uninspired men, was to throw the whole
Bible to the winds The absolute inerrancy
OF the Bible is the belief of the Presbyterian
Church, he said, and to relinquish that be-
lief is to give up the entire basis of the
church's doctrine.
Prof Smith Wakes Warm.
In closing be considered the charge which
accuses Prof Smith of denying a full in
spiration by the Holy Spirit, and made an
assertion which Prof Smith construed to
mean that he had sinned against the Holy
Ghost When Prot. Smith arose to reply
he exhibited the first evidence of feeling
vet shown.
If what is now charged against me bv the
committee is to be taken as true, then it is
the duty of this court to declare me guilty,
and to not only depose me from my min
lstry, but to excommunicate me from the
Church. II the committee make these
charges, why did they not put them in the
velopment of the Christian graces-mercv,
kindness, charity, love, and the like-were |
among the essentials of Christian life, rather |
than an absolute uniformity of belief in the |
doctrines of the Confession of Faith. If the /
committee is right, l ought to be e1com--
municated; but let me say, that will excom-
munlcate large portion of the member
snip OF the Presbyterian Churcn, including /
many of its most exemplary, faithful and |
plous ministers. Did mistake the mean
ing OF the committee?
DR.. McIAibben answered that the CON-
mittee had no thought of charging him |
with a sin against the Holy Ghost What |
had been said by Dr. Lowe was argumenta-
tive, showing the logical consequences of
what was claimed to be the error of PROT
Smith.
Prof Smith went on to say that the whole
tenor of the argument this afternoon indi-
Gated that the committee proposed to make
him more guilty than he had been charged.
of hypocrisy was the best
name ne could suggest for the offense which
the committee made in one of its charges.
The Presbytery adjourned till Monday.
The Committee on Theological Seminaries.
A dispatch from Chicago saws: The
committee on theological Seminaries, ap-
pointed at the last session of the Presby-
terian General Assembly at Portland, Ore,
held the first of its regular sessions here to-
day.
Elder J. j. McCook, who was one of the
Committee that hauled DR..
Briggs over the Goals for his alleged hereti-
cal teachings at Union Seminary, addressed
the committee, detailing the circumstances
which led up to and followed the filing of
charges against him. and Thomas McDou-
gall, of Cincinnati, gave history of the
DR.. Smith case.
Before adjournment, Moderator Young
appointed subcommittee to inquire more
fully into the merits of the latter case,
which has not been so. thoroughly investi-
gated as the trouble in Union Seminary.
Rev. DR.. Wilson was made chairman of the
committee, which will report at a future
session