Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-11-18
The Cincinnati Prssbytery Spends the
Day Listening to
ARGUMENTS OF THE COMMITTEE
On Prosecution-Prof. Smith De-
murs Very Forcibly Against the
Apparent Determination Of the
Committee to Declare Him
Guilty Before He is Tried-He
Thinks Many Others Believe as
He Does.

CINCINNATI, O., November 17.-An-
other struggle over the minutes occu-.
pied the first portion Of the session OF
the Cincinnati Presbytery this morning
in the trial of Rev. Henry P. Smith. 1t
appeared that the minutes were made
TO show the reason for the objection
TO the argument of the Rev. McKibben.
The minutes were committed 10 the
Committee on Minutes with instruc-
tions to ask the moderator to write out
his own resons for the ruling, and say
nothing about what reasons influenced
the court in sustaining the moderator.
The Rev. Il. G. Lowe then be-
gan his part of the argument
on behalf Of the prosecuting
committee. 1t was necessarily going
over the same line of argument pursued
by his predecessor, the Rev. Mr.. Nc
Ribbon, and was to great extent an
the sufficiency Of the indictment pro-
posed by the committee. All that was
necessary, he said, in the indictment,
was to make it sufficient to put the ac-
cused on his defense. The committee
on prosecution had only to make case
on prima facie evidence. He stepped
aside in his argument at one time to
say that Prof. Smith, under the de-
mands, of Christian honor, ought TO
leave the Presbyterian Church.
He defined Christian honor as ordi-
nary business and charged Prof. Smith
with teaching that minister may
rightfuily remain in Church after he
has violated his vows TO the Church.
Several times during the latter portion
of his remarks Prof. Smith objected
that DR.. Lowe was abandoning the QueS-
tion at issue, namely the sufficiency of
the indictment and was speaking on
the question of the charges Of them
selves. DR.. Lowe had not finished his
argument at the noon recess, and
his argument occupied 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 SIM
ply hearing arguments on demurrers, it
has been practically impossible to sepa-
rate the functions in the minds OF the
hearers, and even the minds of the
speakers.
Prof. Smith made frequent objections
to DR.. loves argument to-day on that
account, for the fervd speaker aroused
what seemed to him to be defAnse of
the doctrines and practicoS UI his
church. More than once he seemed, to
the accused at least, to be trying the
case instead of defending the sufficiency
of form and legal effect of the indict-
ment prepared by the committee. He
made much of the church's repeated
dictations of the belief In the plenary
inspiration OF the Scriptures, quoting
from numerous ecclesiastical authori-
ties to show opinions and from the
Bible itself to prove the basis OF the
doctrine.
In closing he considered the charge
which accuses professor Smith of deny
ing a full inspiration by the Holy Spirit
and made an assertion which Prof.
Smith construed to mean that he had
sinned against the Holy Ghost.
When Prof. Smith arose to reply he
showed the first evidence Of feeling yet
shown. "If what is now charged against
me by the committee is to be taken as
true, then it is the duty of this court to
declare me guilty, and to not only de-
pose me from the ministry but TO ex-
communicate me from the church. II
the committee make these charges why
did they not put them in the indct-
ment If the committee Is right l
ought to be exeommunicated, but let ne
say that to do so will excommunicate a
large portion OF the membership OF the
Presbyterian church, including very
many of its most exemplary, faithful
pious ministers. Did l mistake the
meaning of the committee" he asked.
DIR. McKibben answered that the
committee had no thought OF charging
him with a sin against the Holy Ghost.
What had been said by DR.. Lowe was
argumentative, showing the logical con-
sequence OF what was claimed to be the
error Of Prof. Smith.
Prof Smith went on to say the whole
tenor of the argument this afternoon
indicated that the committee propose to
make him more guilty than he had
been changed. Subornation OF hy-
pocrisy was the best name he could sug-
gest for the offense which the commit
tee made in one OF its charges.
The Presbytery adjourned Till Mon
day next.