The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-16
INTERESTING HERESY TRIAL
Rev. Henry Preserved Smiths Defense
Before the Cincinnati Presbytery.
The Lane Theological Seminary Professor Max
ing Many Friends by His Manly Stand
Points from His Argument.

anu neresy, Wnlle IL mas not Hot cIo"ooo
the church with listeners. 10 assuming
more and more interestinR proportions.
When the time for opening came this morn
ing there were but q half dozen persons
present, but in q few minutes the entire
committee had Assem- bled, except four. who.
By their absence from roll-call. will lose
their votes under the rule OF the presby-
terry. These were Revs Acomb, Carson and
Pollock and Elder J. Dorette. Four elders
were absent yesterday. making the court
now consist of only sixty-nine judges
This absentee rule. 1t is already limited at.
is furnishing loophole. of escaps for mem-
bers who may be convinced that Professor
Smith is right and do not want to put on
record a vote to that effect The specu-
iator who cannot wait for events is already
estimating that Professor Smiths defense
read yesterday has made serious inroads
upon the opposition. and it IL claimed that
while there were but three eyowed friends
OF Professor Smith before the trial, there
could not he found now in the presby terry
two-Jhirds to vote against him.
The reading OF the minutes of yester-
days session By Temporary Clerk Francis
raised storm of objection. and to the
sharp eye of the worldly observer, always
demeanor Of q religious body. it was ap-
parent that the ways of q political conven-
tlon were to some extent copied.
The craftsmanship of the prosecution
almost every notion made. The clerk had
recorded that on the question of the eligi-
bility of himself and two other ministers
the vote TO sustain their eligibility was OIL
most unanimous. Qnick objection was
made to this by members who declared
that at least one-third. of the pres
bytery voted in tho negative. 1t
was voted to amend the minutes In
that particular, and on further reading;
shat the clerk had Incorporated in the
minutes his own speech on the motion just
referred to, and had not included those of
other persons who had spoken, 1t was
ordered that speeches be- put In as exhibits
Professor Smith then began the re aiding
OF his defense to the second charge. hich
contained the gravamen OF the charges
against him, namely. that he taught that
the inspired author of the Chronicles had
been guilty of asserting errors OF historical
fact and OF suppressinR sundry historic
truths He had not completed his defense
when DE-. Roberts raised the point of order
that il was not proper for Professor Smith
to incorporate in bis argument citations
from his phamplet made by the committee
on prosecution In lite report. At this
point the noon recess was taken. as the
members LETT the church hot comments
were heard among the members and Others
arc in he outcome.
Reflection during the noon recess seemed
to have modified the views Of Dr. Roberts.
for. on reassembling. he asked leave TO
temporarily withdraw his point Of order
Leave was given. and the point was not
urged further during the argument Prof.
Smith read rapidly. with very little at
tempt at oratorical effect, with q manner
that kept his argument easily before his
hearers. Even those who disagreed with
his conclusions couid not fail to DO pleased
with his treatment of the matter. He was
entirely free from passion, and had mado
little or no use of the weapon OF ridicule,
but constantly treated the questions as
serious and weghty, add looked upon the
issue as one of principle, and not personal
His argument displayed easy familiarity
with the matter in hand. The second
charge, to which he devoted the entire day,
is as follows:
The Presbyterian Church in the United States
Of America CHARGES the Rev. II. p. smith, being
a minister In said church and a member OF the
pamphlet entitled, "Biblical Scholarship and In
spiration," contrary 10 a fundamental doctrine
OF the word of God and the Confession OF Faith.
that the Holy Spirit did not CONTROL the IN
spircd writer's in their composition OF the Holy
Scriptures as to make their utterances ahso-
lutely truthful l. e.. free from error when inter-
preted in their natural and intended sense
From this Professor Smith began his ar
raignment of the committee thus:
1t is plainly the intention of the committee to
assert that the Holy Spirit did so control the
inspired writer's in their composition OF the Holy
Scriptures to make their utterances absolute
ly truthful, free FROM error when interpreted
in their natural and intended sense" Now ask
what Ia "the natural and intended sensei'
Is not the natural sense the intended
senses. Or is the intended sense some
thing different from tho natural sensei / cam
not help seeing In this phrase an cbscurity
that seriously mars the force OF the proposition.
The intended sense-intended by whonil II by
the divine author, we shall agree. Ii by the hui
man author, doubt whether any will affirm 1t
In the face OF Peters assertion that the prophets
sought and searched diligently who propnesied
of the erace which should come unto you,
searching what time what manner the spirit
of Christ which was in them did point unto"
Or IL any assert that the intention OF the
divine author Is necessarily the intention OF the
human author. this proposition also Is at least
debatabe. For In the first chapter OF Genesis.
intention of the human author was to describe
natural week of six natural days. Probably the
majority of those who hear me hold that the In
tcntion OF the Holy spirit was TO describe
geologic week of ak creative days." TO the
question whose intention the committee means
IN its phrase Is net supernuous And In that
view alone the language il ambiguous and
should be amended. For II ministerial standing
Is to depend on tuggle with word, the sooner
we know it the better.
Prof. Smith then went on to object to tho
charge that it was insufficient in legal eff
feet In that while il affrms q certain
doctrine TO be fundamental 1T brings no
evidence that it is fundamental. Taxing
committee mad not adduced any scriptural
text 10 support the position II had assumed.
The strongest text of all upon which the
committee relied was that in ii Timothy
iii, IT, where it is declared that all Script
ure is inspired by God, and Is profitable
for reproof etc. He asked why the com.
mistee did not quote the revised version of
this text which reads: Every Scripture
inspired of God il profitable" etc. His
| argument was that the word inspired de-
| scri bed the quality, not the origin of the
| Scripture. 1t was after dark when he con-
| cluded, and after a brief PRAYER the pres
bytery adjourned. On the way from church
Prof. Smith met several enthusiastic
| friends. who warmly congratulated him
| on his argument
The Conference Of Catholic Prsinr-s.
| New YORK. Nov. 15.-All arrangements
| have been made for the conference of
Roman Catholic archbishops. which will
| be- held here tomorrow in the Archepisco-
pal Palace. More than ordinary interest
attaches to the meeting because of the be-
lief that decisive action will he taken upon
| the school question. Archbishop Ireland.
| of st. Paul. who arrived in the city this
afternoon. and who will participate In the
| pared To answer all questions which may
lie pnt "a him touching the niuch-d iseussed
| Faribault system. Archbishop Reardon. OF
! San Francisco. who is at the Bucking CHAM.
called on Archbishop Corrigan to-day.
! Archbishop Feehan. of Chicago. and Mgr.
! Satolli the Papsl representative. also called
o, a.x- he Avrka Palace.