The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-30
STATEMENT ISSUED BY MODERATOR HAY Case Carefully Considered
 by Presbytery ERRONEOUS FACTS' Saws Friends of Dr. Edm0nds Were Given Every Opportunity to
 Defend Him at
 Fayette

The Rev T. P. Hay. moderator or the North Alabama presbytery, has issued a statement ill which the statements that Dr. Edmonds friends were not given fair chance to defend him are denied In toto The moderator says that he feels statement of facts is due the public because of the many erroneous statements and misleading headlines
 The statement follows:
 Tn view of the many erroneous state ments and misleading headlines which have appeared in the daily press relative to the presbytery's method of procedure in the case of the overture of the session of the South Highlands church, touching the doctrnal views of pr. H. M. Edmonds, we desire to present the following state- ment of facts. The merits of the ques- tions at issue are not here involved. By it's unanimous vote, the presbytery has recorded it's judgment of those questions. This statement concerns only the methods of the presbytery in arriving at it's de- cision.
 "The public mind is sought to be im- bued with the conviction that member of the presbytery was unjustly treated. was d1OrQeu no opportunity to piesciie the merits of his position that the door was closed in the face of his friends, that all efforts the part of friends to secure action that would be favorable to them were ruthlessly brushed away; 1t has also been stated through the press that some members of the presbytery affirmed after its judgment was an- nounced, that they really thought they were doing Dr. Edmonds a favor in cast ing their votes as they did, and also that it required over two hours for the presbytery to arrive at its decision, which assertion taken in connection with the preceding statement, might lead some to infer that the members of the presby- tery were at war among themselves in the framing of their deliverance.
 Official Statement
 We beg to submit to the public the following statement of facts:
 "1. The whole matter herein involved was brought to the attention of the pres bytery of resolution of the session of the South Highlands church, to the next highest court, which in this instance was the presbytery. The paper was carefully read in open court and referred to a judicial committee, of which, provision is made in our book of church order, to meet such cases as this. The ministerial members of this committee held pas torates outside the city of Birmingham and were thus free from local considera- tions which might have crept into the proceedings.
 Opportunity Offered
 "2. Immediately after it's appointment the committee heard Messrs. F. P. Glass Sidney J. Bowie and Borden Burr, fol one hour and 10 minutes in the pre- sentation of their views and desires The committee next heard Mir Virgi @ c. Griffin, an elder of the First Pres byterian church of Montgomery. Thel all the men who had journeyed iron Birmingham and whose views had beei expounded by Messrs. Glass; Bowie an Burr, were admitted to the committe room and shook hands with the commit etc, expressing in an informal manne their high regard for pr. Edmonds am their earnest wish to have him con tnue as their pastor. Opportunity wa next given pr. Edmonds to meet tn committee and make any expression that he might desire. pr. Edmonds me the extended opportunity with fran statement of his views
 "3. The question before the com mittee was the proper disposition 0 the resolution referred to it from tn session of the South Highlands churcl After considering all that had bee presented. the committee recommends to presbytery that Dr. Henry M. Ed monds be questioned concerning hi doctrinal beliefs.
 A. After an examination in ope court which covered a period of almos one and half hours, and during whic pr. Edmonds was not grilled, but aske to state his beliefs in certain doctrine the matter was again committed to tn Judicial committee to draft report | be submitted to the presbytery. Afte