m, for he needed plenty
of space in which to make himself understood.

"The p-p-parish c-committee h-h-has d-decided that M-Mr. McGowan is not
the m-m-man for our ch-ch-church. Elder F-F-Fox has the report of the
c-c-committee. I m-m-move we h-h-h-hear him now!"

Mr. Fox mounted the platform and came forward to the edge. He looked
into the faces of those before him with deep sadness in his own.

"Friends, this is one of the saddest moments of my life," he began, his
voice shaking with feeling. "Some--er--have come to love our young
brother who has been called to our church. And he has many very
estimable qualities. For that reason I feel very keenly what I am about
to say. The committee feels that Mr. McGowan holds ideas that are too
far advanced for our humble little church. We must not overlook the fact
that we hold sacred some of the things to which he flippantly referred
to-night, and it is our duty to protect--er--the sacred doctrines which
have been handed down to us from the more sacred memory of our fathers
and martyrs of the past.

"Our minister does not believe in the divine inspiration of the Bible.
The question was put to him by one of the members of this committee, and
he replied--er--that even if every jot and tittle were personally
dictated by God--which he doubted--the Bible would remain a sealed book
unless it inspired those who read it. It is evident from this answer
that he does not believe in--er--our sacred doctrine of the verbal
inspiration of Scripture.

"You have heard him to-night, asking us--er--in the common slang of the
dock to rid ourselves of all these doctrines on which the church has
been founded. What he said proves that he does not believe in the
fundamentals of Christian faith.

"I need not go back of this sermon so fresh in our minds to prove to
your intelligence that Mr. McGowan is not orthodox. I could call to
your attention many unfortunate statements, but I feel that it is not
necessary. Your committee has gone over every detail--er--prayerfully
and thoughtfully. Truly, it gives me a pain----"

"Get a bottle of Watkins' Relief!" piped a shrill voice through the
partially opened window.

Taken by surprise, and with his mouth open, the Elder lost every
expression of dignity as he gazed in the direction whence the advice had
come. Before he could again gather up the threads of his closing remarks
several men were demanding the floor. The Elder scanned the faces of
all, in o