The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-25

Saratoga, May 24-The only vacant
seats at the opening of the Presby-
terrain assembly were those reserved
for the members of the family Of Prof
Smith, whose appeal was set for hear
ing today
The judicial committee changed the
rules so as to provide that each mem
Der have three minutes on roll call to
discuss the case.
The assembly was then constituted a
court. After the reading of the rec
ords, the argument was begun by DR..
Smith, who stated that he proposed to
argue only six grounds of appeal. in
stead of twelve.
The argument at tn start concerned
the extent of the prejudice in the mem
bers Of the presbytery which originally
tried him.
Prof. Smith sought 10 show that the
records of the original trial proved
prejudice, as members were allowed to
sit in the case who had published opin-
ions touching the guilt of the accused.
II was further shown the regular order
prescribed for judicial process by the
constitution of the church had not
been complied with in the preliminary
stages before the beginning of actual
trial
The third point argued was that the
charges We're fatally defective, in that
they did not formulate the doctrine
against which offense was alleged. 1t
was expressly said that the doctrine of
inspiration mentioned in the charges
was the one implied in the confess
sion of the faith, whereas the consti-
tuuonal law demanded of the church
that the doctrine offended against
shall be fundamental" That which
! Us fundamental will never be left to
inference. The doctrine of the inspira-
ton alleged in the charges was con-
tended 10 be one not taught in Scrin-
ture or in the confession and, in fact.
10 be contrary to the doctrine Of the
confession Of the faith of the church
The inerrancy of the original auto-
graphs Of Scripture was claimed to he
entirely outside Of the doctrine of in
SEPARATION and independent of ii. It
was further shown that the doctrine
or 1nerrancy has a theological. not 2
biblical, origin and that the concern
as II stands is no support to the nosi
tlon of the prosecution.
Prof. Smith then argued that tbe
implication Of the charge contained a
contradiction Of true Presbyterian doc
trlne. On this point the speaker said;
AND now We have reached the point
Where we may examine the utter
ances of the last general assembly. I
40 not mean, of course, that it is the
duty OF this assembly to review
or revise any particular decision
of the assembly of 1898. with
the idea of setting it aside.
Inc confession of faith saws
that all synods may err, or have erred
or that their decisions must be exam
ined''
Professor Smith went on to show
that the Washington assembly evaded
the issue raised by the doctrine of the
confession in failing to declare thai
the scriptures not only ARE the words
Of Cod" but are 'inerrant." To saw
that the original autographs were
1nerrant, makes it necessary to say the
Ho!y Scriptures were" the word OF
God. But, on the contrary. the doc.
trine set forth by the confession was
stated to be that the Bible as contained
in the present Hebrew and Greek
copies, ''as the present arbiter of pres.
Ynt controversies.
n The next objection has reference tc
} the identity Of the two charges l1nor
which he was found guilty and the 1ack
OF dehniteness in their allegations. All
the close of this section of the defense
the assembly took a recess.
AT the afternoon session, Professor
Smith continued his argument, con.
tending that in its verdict of guilty the
Presbytery affirmed that the accused
had committed the crime charged, but
that the evidence adduced had failed
10 support the accusation.
The appellant maintained that the
verdict OF guilty implied that he denied
inspiration in the sense implied or ex.
pressed by the Scriptures themselves
but since the Scriptures and COMES.
sions contain no definitions, he claimed
1t was not crime in Presbyterian law
to decline to say what the confession
goes not say or to decline to say that
Sod must make all he does perfect &C.
coFding 70 our idea OF perfection. It is
not an offense to affirm the facts which
careful examination discovers in the
Scriptures themselves
The argument was concluded by the
claim that II cannot be a crime to as
seft that Gods work is more effectual.
~ done by his permitting some human
error TO show itself in his instruments
This fact has always been recognized
IN the office Of the preacher, and why
not elsewhere? The whole areun1ent
was briefly summarized and an appea
made for careful consideration and en-.
lghtenment Of the holy spirit
The afternoon was closed by quota.
tons by professors connected with the
new school branch Of the church. tc
show their accord with the prosecution
The evening session was taken I'D BIZ
Mr. McKlbbens' arguments He read
extracts from Professor Smiths book
on inspiration, from letters and other
records, and was frequently interrupted
with cries Of, Go on, read further
etc.
SOUTHERN PRESRVTrERTAxe