Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-06-03
REV. BROWN s IDEAS
BARRED BY CHURCH +;
PENALTY RESERVED
Retired Bishop CorreCts Ad-
missions He Made in
Friday Session

CLEVELAND, Ohio, June 10y
the Associated ess.)-Declared
guilty" of teaching doctrines
not held by the Protestant Episcopal
church, William Montgomery Brown,
retired bishop of Arkansas, asserted
his case was far from settled.
II cannot be deposed," he said, and
this was supplemented by formal no.
tice Of appeal, filed by his counsel.
The trial court gave he defendant
respite of nearly six months by
announcing that it would. not pass
sentence until October II, next. After
that the defense will have sixty days
/ in which to file it's appeal to the
church'S board of review.
Beyond that lie possible appeals to,
first, the house of bishops and, II
deemede necessary, to a general con-
vention of the church, embracing the
| house of delegates as well as the
house of bishops.
The functions of the trial board
will end with the passing of sentence.
/ This may be, according to the canons
| of church law, either d mere ad
monition, a suspension from the
bishoprie or expulsion rom that
body.
1t was emphasized by Charles l..
Dibble, church advocate, in his clos
| ing argument that there was no pow
err to expel Bishop Brown from the
church, the most severe penalty be-
ing a reduction OF the ranks. This
would deprive him Of his seat in the
house of bishops With its rights and
privileges. 1t also would take away
his commission from the church to
baptize, confirm and ordain. although
the defense quoted authorities on
contention that anything the bishop
might do in this respect would be, at
the worst, only irregular" and not
invalid.
Verdict Brought In
A solemn-faced court of seven
bishops brought in the verdict OF
guilty. Two members were absent,
Bishop Edwin Lines Of New Jersey,
having been kept away by illness and
Bishop John Mccormick, of Western
Michigan. having been called home
Friday. The other seven members
of the court, headed by Bishop John
c. Murray of MARYLAND, as president
! and including Bisohps A-erman Page,
Michigan: benjamin Brewster, Name:
Wilbur F'aber, Montana: Frederick
Reese. Georgia: Edward Parker New
| Hampshire. and Theodore Bratton.
Mississpni signed the verdict. 1t
was p brief announcement. announc-
! ing that each had declared his opln'
lion and concurred in the finding as
| follows:
"The accused is guilty of holding
and teaching publicly and advssediY
(doctrine cortrorv to that held by the
| Protestant FpisnOpal church in the
/ United States of America. in manner
! and form as set forth in the present.
ment. as to each of the charges ana
Specifications in the presentment.T
Bishop Brown was asked II ne
wished TO make a statement, bur
Joseph w STARTS. his attorney. sa' q
the defendant would submit writ
! ten communication to the court
when it meets for sentence next talL
Bishop Murray pronounced a hene-
| diction of peace and the proceedings
were finished.
Bishop Browns Statement
In a statement issued after the
/ trial Bishop Brown declared himself
| gratified with what had been accom-
/ plished ''in making the public see the
real issues involved in all heresy."
"The trial has brought light into
/ theological darkness and the dark
ness comprehended it not" said the
statement
The document reiterated Bishop
Browns regard for the church, com
( planned because the defense had not
drawn from the court "a standard
/ of orthodoxy and added:
THE inference is that one may be
| very liberal, so long as no bishop is
shocked thereby. But every new
thought is shocking and so long as
the church assumes to set limits to
! human thinking, it must exhaust its
/ time and energies hunting heretics. y
The statement concluded:
The trial, of course, is not over.
Long before the higher ecclesiastical
courts can pass upon the question, it
will have become obvious to those
whose minds live in this scientific
ago, that charge of heresy cannot
be sustained More than that, it will
1 become obvious that such a charge
/ cannot even be stated. And what is
obvious to every one must sooner or
later become obvious TO the theo-
/ logians."