The Washington times., 1924-05-29
CONTINUED from First Page)

(ContInUeu from FIrDC rage
oepts It a. he accepts Assop'S fables
but in no other way.
IF we can show that other
educated church men likewise re-
fuse to believe these things ever
literally happened" said the bishop,
''then the case against me falls
down, or the vast majority Of
bishops in the church must also be
brought to trial for heresy."'
Chance Seen As Slim.
It is regarded as extremely
doubtful whether the trial court
win permit Bishop Brown to sum.
mon the other bishops or to pre-.
sent their views to the court In de-
Tense Of his own beliefs. The
court, thus far, has taken the post
ton that Bishop Brown-and not
the Episcopal Church, or its COM
ponent parts-is on trial. and that
for present purposes the examina.
ton Of Bishop Brown alone 10 suf-
ficient.
Thus far. Bishop Brown has met
with a series Of rebuffs in his
efforts to challenge the authority
OF the bishops court to try him
ana to get the court to specifically
define the doctrine Of the church
which, it - claimed, he violated in
his teachings and writings con-
tanned in the book Communism
and Christianism."
No less than a dozen objections
registered by Bishop Brown through
his counsel, Joseph w. STARTS, of
Dayton, have been unanimously
over-ruled by the court.
Obstructive Tactics.
The defense is taking advantage
OF every technical point to obstruct
the trial, both from the standpoint
OF common, civil law and canonical
law. This much was frankly ad.
mttted today by both Bishop Brown
and his counsel.
I'VE are sailing on seas in this
trial that have been uncharted
since the days Of the reformation, !"
said Bishop Brown. 1--WE want to
establish presidents, and leave a
record behind US that, / believe,
will make this the last heresy trial
for all time"
Another reason for the continual
objection and delay, although not
stated in So many words, Is that
counsel for the aged bishop are pre-.
pairing an appeal to the civil courts
when, as they expect, the verdict
OF the bishops court goes against
them and Brown Is economically
branded a hereto"
See Victory in Courts.
In civil courts, under common
law, they believe they can force
the church to specify its doctrine
and show wherein the writings Of
Bishop Brown violate that doctrine,
They believe, too, that in a court
Of equity they can force q COM
parison Of Bishop Browns beliefs
with those of other bishops-all de-
signed to show that while Bishop
Brown may be a hereto" other
bishops are also "hereticaI" to vary.
ing degrees.
I'VE all started out many years
ago." said Bishop Brown, "a fam
jly Of red.headed gentlemen. We
were all orthodox Now the hair Of
some Of us is getting tinged with
the grey Of unorthodoxy. My hair
Is snow white, but the other mem.
bers Of the family have lost their
red hair, too, and are getting grey.
Am / to be kicked out Of the
church because my hair il a little
winter than theirs?"
DOctrinal Changes.
STARTS, in his affidavit presented
TO the court. this morning, said II
the court would only take the testi.
mony Of other bishops in the church
It would be disclosed that their
beliefs on matters pertaining to
church doctrine and the miraculous
passages Of the Bible approached
those Of Bishop Brown.
The doctrine Of the church, he
pointed out. has changed many
times and very radically at times,
even since the establishment Of the
Protestant Episcopal church In
American, 1913 years ago.
He said he expected to prove by
the witnesses he asked be sum.
moned that few If any present-day