Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-05-25
PROFESSOR SMITH.
His Case Before the Presbvte.
ran assembly.
GREAT CROWD LISTENS ToH1s PLEA

Which IS IN Enect Ihat the Presbvtery at
Cincinnati Was All Wrong and That the
Washington Assembly Evaded the Meat
of the Briggs Matter and Ran Against
Snag in the Confession.
SARATOGA, N. Y, May 2s.-The interest
in :the case of the appeal of Professor
Smith was early manifested. During the
devotional service the gallery was unusu-
ally full. The only vacant seats at the
opening of the general assembly at half
past were two reserved for the family of
Professor Smith. They remained vacant
until the appeal case was ready and then
Mrs. Professor Smith entered accompanied
by Mrs. DR.. Briggs of New York, DIR.
Henry NJ. Field, DR.. Rollin A Sawyer and
Professor Smiths mother and brother. The
judicial committee asked to have their
report on the Smith case returned to them
for slight change. This was granted and
the proposed change made, affecting the
rule for the hearing of members Of the as
sembly. 1t was provided that the assem-
bly, shall be heard upon roll-call. three
minutes beng granted to each member.
The assembly was then constituted as a
court and the reading of the records in the
case proceeded with.
Argument on the Appeal.
Their papers contain the record of the
synod, the notice of appeal and the ap-
peal of Professor Smith. After the read.
ing of these papers the assembly without
opposition agreed to entertain the appeal
of Professor Smith, and at half-past 10 he
| arguments on the appeal was begun by
DIR. Smith. The reading of the full rec.
ords was waived except so far as they were
to be used in the argument. Professor
Smith stated that he proposed only to
argue six of the grounds of appeal in
stead of twelve. The argument
at the start concerned the existence OF
prejudice in the members of the presby-
terry which originally tried him. Profes.
sor Smith sought to show that the records
| Of the original trial proved that the Judi
catory was prejudiced, in that it allowed
| members of the body to sit in the case who
| had published opinions touching the guilt
of the accused. 1t was further shown
| that the regular order prescribed for judi
| cial process by the constitution of the
| church has not been complied with in the
preliminary stages before the beginning
| OF the actual trial.
Charges Fatally Defective.
The third point argued had reference 20
| the fol in which the charges were cast,
and here il was argued that those charges
| were fatally defective. in that they did not
| formulated the doctrine against which of.
Tense was alleged. 1t was expressly said
| that The doctrine of Inspiration mentioned
| IN the charges WAS one implied in the
| confession of faith, whereas the coustitu.
ticral Jaw demanded OF the church that
the doctrine offended against shall be
Fundamental" That which is fund.
amental will never be left TO
Inference. The doctrine of the
inspiration alleged in the charges
was contended TO he one not taught in
Scripture or in the confession. and in
tact TO be contrary TO the doctrine OF the
confession of faith OF the church. The
inerrency OF the origina. autographs of
Scripture was claimed TO be entirely out
side of the doctrine OF inspiration and IN
dependent of it. 1t was further shown
that the doctrine of inerrancy has the.
illogical origin. not n bihlica! origin, and
that the consern as it stands is no support
TO the position of the prosecution. Pro.
| lessor smith then went on to argue that
| the implication of the charge contained
a contradiction OF true Presbyterian doc.
trine.
| Utteranccs of the Last Assembly.
| AT this point the speaker said: "And
now we have reached the point where we
may examine the utlerances of the last
general assembly. | do not mean, of
course, that it is the duty of this assem-
bly, to review or revive any particular lie.
cision of the assemblyoi 1s43, with the idea
OF setting it aside. The confession OF
iaith says that all sonods may err or have
lerret,, and their decisions must BE- exam.
med
Professor Smith went on to show that
the W ashinGtou assein bly, evaded the is
sue raised by tue doctrine OF the confes-
lsion in failing to declare that the Script
ures not only are the word of God, but
are inerrant. They say that the orig.
inal autogra phs ''weir" inerrant makes
it necessary to say that the Holy Scrip
Itures were" the word of God. But, on
the contrary, the doctrine set forth by the
confession was stated to be that the Bible
is contained in ''the present Hebrew and
Greek copies as the present arbiter OF
present controversies
The next objection had reference to the
identity of the two cir3rges upon which he
was found guilty andahe lack of definite
ness in their allegations At the close OF
this section of the defense the assembly
took recess
As.~~~