"Mr. Moderator," said Colonel Marvin, getting upon his feet.
"No, sir!" shouted Putney fiercely; "I can't allow you to speak. Wait till
I get done!" He stopped, and then said gently "Excuse me, Colonel; I really
must go on. I'm speaking now in behalf of Brother Gerrish, and he doesn't
like to have the speaking on his side interrupted."
"Oh, all right," said Colonel Marvin amiably; "go on."
"What my old friend William Gerrish really designed in offering that
resolution was to bring into question the kind of Christianity which has
been preached in this place by our pastor--the one-sided gospel, as he
aptly called it--and what he and I want to get at is the opinion of the
society on that question. Has the gospel preached to us here been one-sided
or hasn't it? Brother Gerrish says it has, and Brother Gerrish, as I
understand, doesn't change his mind on that point, if he does on any, in
asking to withdraw his resolution. He doesn't expect Mr. Peck to convince
him in a private conference that he has been preaching an all-round gospel.
I don't contend that he has; but I suppose I'm not a very competent judge.
I don't propose to give you the opinion of one very fallible and erring
man, and I don't set myself up in judgment of others; but I think it's
important for all parties concerned to know what the majority of this
society think on a question involving its future. That importance must
excuse--if anything can excuse--the apparent want of taste, of humanity,
of decency, in proposing the inquiry at a meeting over which the person
chiefly concerned would naturally preside, unless he were warned to absent
himself. Nobody cares for the contemptible point, the wholly insignificant
question, whether allusion to Mr. Gerrish's variety store was intended
or not. What we are all anxious to know is whether he represents any
considerable portion of this society in his general attack upon its pastor.
I want a vote on that, and I move the previous question."
No one stopped to inquire whether this was parliamentary or not. Putney sat
down, and Colonel Marvin rose to say that if a vote was to be taken, it
was only right and just that Mr. Peck should somehow be heard in his own
behalf, and half a dozen voices from all parts of the church supported him
Mr. Peck, after a moment, said, "I think I have nothing to say;" and he
added, "Shall I put the question?"