The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-23

the presbytery- It was an amazing docu- ment Many of us were astounded ct the force of 1t and at the injustice of 1t; and then. to our further anna cement, the presbytery went into executive sessicn- Everyone of us who was not A member of the presbytery was excluded. We weIc rot even allowed to make a suggestion. We were not fit to be in there. I've had troubled them too much, suppose. They were in executive session about two hours, with the deliverance that you have all read in the newspapers,
 Put Paddock on Lips
 .They not merely condemned pr. Ed monds on one charge which they re- gard as of great importance. but they also undertook to put legal paddock on his lips in this executive session. They were considerate enough to strike out this legal paddock, but left moral pad lock The resolution as finally passed was virtually a convection with suspended sentence for six months.
 "So here we are. Dr. Edmonds is com demned by one of the courts of his church as unsound on what they consider vital point. and that point, they say, going as far as to subvert the funda- mental of the gospel. But. mark you' This document is remarkably inconsist- : ent They agree that his belief in Christ Is flKlI, Dut they say bcCduSc iiS sASSS 'f-'' f subscribe to tho term, yicarious substl- tuition. he is turning over the stand ,rd of the church for 200 years. Those who heard him testify before the presbytery will agree that he glorifed the work Of God in the salvation of mankind.
 ..rhe presbytery has treated him like a 15-year- child; have said to him; My boy, be good for six months. ant we will not punish you, but if you are not good we will punish you
 ''I can't blame him lf as self-respee.- ing man. as consistent Christian. he refuses to continue in the ministry of the Southern Presbyterian church. wlti such handicap about his neck. GAP p'ause).
 ..Presbyterianism stands for rebellion The Presbyterian church was born in rebellion The Southtrn Presbyteri church was born.in rebellion. The Pres byterIanism of the world has taught re- bellion in every country it has gone to- All representative government has been born in rebellion. which has grown out of Calvinism. 1 have my choice. and am willing to keep up the historical standards of the church. I am rebe'.
 Every member of the South Highlands church who believes that pr. Edmond is a Christian; every member of 1t who knows that he has been preaching Chriss oruclfied ought to say that we want hin to continue to preach that to us under such conditions as may be practical. (Applause).
 T believe we can get behind Dr. Ed monds: we can put him in a position in this community by which he can do far greater good than he has ever done before. think it is our duty as Pres yterlans and as Christians to start such a movement here tonight"
 MT. Bowie Speaks
 Mr. Glass then called upon MT. Bowi, for an expression. Mir. Bowie was some what heated in his remarks at times, saying. in part:
 q realize the solemnity of this occa- sion. l, too, am a rebel. I wish to em- phasize, however, at the outset that we must not put our hand to the blow anL ward with the movement to establis new church. we must decide to do it with q realization of the serious cOnsc- quences and with the determination to see the proposition through to the end
 We have reached the parting of the ways. and that 1t is necessary for u' to take high and solid ground is not doubted by anyone here tonight
 T confess to you I was disappointed in the result of the presbytery meeting I believed that somehow some way would be found by which we could put by this cup of humiliation. It was not found. We learned more from Dr. Edmonds' testimony than we have ever before had an opportunity to learn upon tho refine ments of theological learning. The reso- lution of tho judjciai committee convicted him and acquitted him at the same time. Numbers of our friends in the presby !tery actually thought they were confer- ring a favor upon us by voting for tlils -.- ~.