Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1874-05-28

On my dear ''nnknown's" grave to-day!
Wherever the Nation has haliowed bed.
Wherever her thousands of heroes have bed,
Wherever marble and granite pile
Marks where they fought in RAM. and file,
Oh friends, strew rarest flowers of May
On each brave 'unknown's grave to-day.
Our h. handsome boy. g Noble and bright
All still zee the light brown hair
shading q brow 80 wOndfeua fair
On friends, strew sweetest flowers of May
On our beautiful " unkuown.s grave to-day!
Egiz
For the Courier.
THE SWING CASE.
If the public have not taken deep
interest in this remarkable ecclesiasti-
cal trial it is not the fault of the Press,
and especially of the Daily Press of
Chicago. There are few within the
Presbyterian fold, we apprehend, who
do not view this trial as thing to be
deplored. Many regret that Prof.
Patton felt constrained to enter upon
the prosecution. A still greater num-
Der deplore the seeming necessity for
such prosecution arising out of the pc
culiar views and teachings Of Prof.
Swing. And larger number still
view with regret the spirit which ami
mates q large portion OF the Press in
reporting and commenting upon the
trial.
At the same time we look for bene-
fetal results ultimately from this trial.
lit lead the public to scrutinize more
closely the tenets OF religious belief,
and inquire more intelligently into the
principles of religious liberty, it will
not have occurred In vain.
That the press should report and
comment upon such trial is not to be
complained Of We have right to
expect however, that the reporter be
competent. To be able to report the
state of the markets, or the latest po-
hce sensation, is one thing; TO be able
to do justice to . theological contro-
versy, or Q legal case before the SUE
prcme Court is quite another. We
have . right to expect, too, that the
Press be not one sided In such contro.
versy, and that the pen be not contin-
nally dipped in gall. One Of the most
damaging things to Prof. Swings good
standing, in our view, is to see cor
tain Chicago paper patting him on the
back, claiming TO be his adviser, en-
dorsing his orthodox, and layishing on
him every laudatory epithet, while his
prosecutor is pronounced q bigot, .
heresy.hunter, an inquisitor, fiend,
and IAN incarnate theological devil"
For the opprobrium cast upon Prof.
| Patton there does not seem to the wri-
ter to be any good cause. He did not
assail the private character Of the &C.
cnsed, nor deny to him the standing
of . Christian. So far as We know he
did not say an unkind word to or OF
Prof. Swing. His soundness as pub.
lie teacher was what he called in ques.
ton, charging him with violating the
vows he had voluntarily taken upon
him when no became q minister.
But some one will ask, is not this a
free country. Certainly. But not a
free country to violate ones volunta-
rily assumed obligations. Episcopacy
may be the true form of Church gov.
eminent or It may not. The Westmin.
| lister Confession may be correct or II
may not Close communion may be
right or it may not. Bnt because we
live in q free country it does not fol
low that q man may preach upon com
| munion and Infant Baptism in the
Baptist Church, or Independency In
the Episcopal Church, or the peculiar
doctrines of AEminian or Unitarian
Theology in the Presbyterian Church
Ali who have any interest in the
subject ought to be aware that every
| Presbyterian minister at his Orilina.
ton processes to sincerely receive
and adopt the confession of faith-as
cont aiming the system Of doctrine
taught in the Holy Scriptures." This
does not involve assent to the sup
posed doctrines Of Dark Fatalism and
infant damnation. Presbyterians lind
these doctrines neither in the confess
sion Of Faith or the Bible. Nor are
private members upon admission to
the Presbyterian church required to
express their assent to the Confession,
of ministers however this is required
Ifthen minister whose soundnese
in the faitl, is in doubt be called to &C.
count before the college of Presbyters
of which he 10 . member, and to whom
he has promised subsection in the
Lord, what principle Of religious lib
erty, is violated? and who has any
right to complain? Certainly not tht
accused. 1t he is innocent the tria,
will make the fact apparent. If moi
he cannot object to fair investigation
showing the real facts. And If the
parties Immediately interested, and the
large denomination of Christians par
ticularly concerned can stand it, the
outside world including the secular
press ought to be able to.
But 1t is not to be concealed thai
much of the venom poured forth by
the secular press lie directed against thu
principles of evangelical religion il
general, and the cherished doctrines Of
the Presbyterian Church in particular
That intelligent men should be found
in the blaze of the 10Th century teach
ing aud maintaining the doctrines o.
Calvanism astonishes some persons
Well If they had been better informed
they would have been less astonished
Informal - to what Calvanism is
and whatit is not. Bnt / DO not wisl
TO provoke controversy. Suffice it Il
say that Presbyterianism has history
as well IS : creed. She has vindicat
| ed for herself . place in the confidenc,
and respect OF the intellectual and re-
ligious world. Along with othel
forms OF faith and polity Presbyterian
ism is . fact not to be ignored. Hel
fundamental principles should be nm
derstood bef0re they are asssiled.-
Their influence upon individual char
acter should be noted their connec
ton with the assertion and maintain
ance Of civil and religious liberty
should be taken into .account; and
their relation historically aud casually
1 18th fha {ntAl1i~ArcA ana nanAral a.