, 1874-05-17
prof. Patton Closes for the
Prosecution.
He ReIterates that Prot. Swing Does
Not Stick to the Confession
of Faith.
And Therefore the Presbytery
Must Find Him Guilty.


MORNING SESSION.
r4.a rh;caco Presbytery reassembled in the
n,-s+ Presbyterian Church, corner Of Twenty
s-st street md Indiana avenue, the Rev. Arthur
.{t,be1] in the chair. The attendance, az usual,
Fss very large
Nv Eoves. counsel for Prof. Swing, resumed
Ia .ronmeut. He regretted that he should be
ob,;red to Occupy more time than he intended to
~ 6rzt Int it was necessary, in view OF the man.
.sr in which the prosecutor had presented the
documentary evidence, having asked the Pros
h-terr to adjudicate upon the case upon the
ereurnept, and not upon the evidence. The
-7rosa,utor had cast 1idicule upon Prof. Swings
sern,ope, and, while he read in q dignifod and
-osnactfrl manner from James Freeman Clarke's
work. his manner in quoting from Prof. Swing
nss ...
CONTENTIOUS AND sconSrUL.
pevss reminded by this course of 3 clergyman
IN Massachusetts who, to express his contempt
FIR the Governor in reading Thanksgiving
nn,c,amation from the pulpit, read: ''John
Smith. Governor. God save the Common
xealthl" fLuughter.] That expression showed
c7earfr to his mind the manner in which the
documentary evidence was presented to the
Court by the prosecutor. To the garbling OF it
here and there be had already referred.
FAITH.
Thu aneaher then read from sTruths for To-
Dav." to show the views Of tho accused On Faith
xnd other doctrines, and that certain Of them
were assumed or briefly stated, saying that, If
hi. teachings were heretical, there Tas moro
tim one hereto in the Presbytery, and submit
ting whether the extracts quoted by the proso-
cutor #ere not misleading, and his inferences to-
1T 11hn
The Interior, unless they could say that it, too,
#.s yague aud ambiguous, asserted that good
works we're the purpose Of Faith, which WAS
parallel to the charge that Prof. Swing taught
that Faith Saved because it led to holy life,
because he (Swing) spoke of morks ss the des-
tiny Of Faith. What WAS the Inferior coming
to-? II they could not trust it, what aud whom
could they trust? Laughter and applause.l
Prof. Swing used the word t. Faith " In the re-
formed sense OF the term, and did not deny the
doctrine Of justification by Faith, ~ held By the
reformed Churches, IS alleged by the prosecu-
tor, His statements in regard to Gods sover-
eighty were strong, unequlvocal. and uuam-
biSuous.
THE DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE.
After having read about two hours from
"Iru.hs for To-Day" and "David Swings
Sermons" Mr.. Noyes said he might extend the
1cadipg indefinitely, but he felt that the docu-
mentary evidence he had presented Was over
vhelming, and that, if there Was any one. in the
body who wag not satisfied with it, neither would
he be il one arose from the dead. fLaughter.1
He asked them to consider this evidence-to
give it that weight to which it.was entitled, on
account Of the clear and unequivocal state
meuts OF
EVANGELICAL DOCTRINES
H. - Ia 1-r,arr t,p% +1,n ~
had not failed to find iu the passages read, the
Evangelical doctrines, aud that they would not,
in making up their verdict, be inlu-
enced by any fear Of Prof. Patton's contempt
advance that, If they did find evangelical doc
trnes in the scrtnonB. be would believe that they
did not know what these doctrines were. He
{the speakcr) had answered, lie thought concln-
syely, the challenge Of the prosecutor, Wherein
be defied counsel for the defense to point in the
sermons OF Prof. Swing. to any clear and un-
equlyocal statement Of evangelical doctrines OF
the cross ; mud he i'll return challenged him
patton) ),-deied him to poin. to any passage in
the sermons which, i; submitted to an unpreju-
diced end intelligent nan, might not ba con-
etrued by him. easily aud naturally, in con-
forrnity with the doctrines Of the cross.
Tie opening statements Of his argument had
been as lo believed, abundantly proved by the
nothing in the indictment, from beginning
to end. 70 far as the specifications we're
concerned, except the inferences OF the prose-
cptor. Take these away, there was nothing left
Of the complaint and they ought never to have
been admitted into the indictment Mt all. Tho
complaint, On the very face Of it, WIS defective
throughout either in substance or in form. The
form was vague, and the substance Was only
ehadow csst By the dark thoughts which the
prosecutor had entertained Of Prof. SWINGS Ian
guage.
TIE ORAL TESTIMONY.
The speaker then briefly reviewed the oral tes-
timony. Tie prosecutor had absolutely none,
and in this respect tue trial on his part Was 3
farce. Dr.. Patterson's Testimony MAS distinct
and emphatic to the effect that Prof. Swing had
cls1n ~ ''eclacticism Of use;" yet the prose-
cutoE Eaid that that was not evidence, and at
tempted to impcach the reracity OF the wit
ness. The ono assumption upon which. as
basis or foundation, tho prosecutor
bad reared tho whole splendid superBtructure
oI his argument Was that the respondent WAC q
La. To keep the foundation under, and prevent
tho argument from tumbling down into shape
less ruin, all risks were taken. tbs prosecutor
5ad undertaken to impeach tho testimony Of the
Elders OF the Fourth Church Well he might.
einee 1t boIo overwhelmingly against him and
his case On his {patton's) theory, that they
aso been fed on the poison OF false doctrine, ho
thought that Prof. Patton himself must admit
ttat they showed themge1ves to bo pretty eound
and healthy Christians It WIS hardly worth
selto TO be fed Oh the pure milk OF religion. II
f1Ae teaching could make sucn orthodox men-
lLaushter.} The sermons from Which Prof:
Patton sucked only the deadly poisons Of
11se ,a! doctrines were the ones from
Which these plain, uncariling mea e1-
traced tn the honey Of truth. [Applsuse.]
lhat which was deadly to him, was nourishing
70 them. That which filled lis soul With trouble,
1l!ed theirs with light and peace and joy in the
holE Ghost That which made him black With
zs'onlslment, made them "radiant with Joy"
Ina: which filled him With ''sorrow and sighing."
INSPIRED them ito go on their way with songs"
t !. H3s curious phenomenon, worth studying
1ofthe lesson it taught, that a fountain could
sead forth At the same time aud place sweet and
tltter water
Where WAS tho bitterness Of which tho prose-
tutor complained? It must be III him, and not
y sae fountain OF whosc waters he persisted in
te,,n:k1ng so copiousy- tLaughter.1 Tho oral
seslroonE OF the elders hence be-
saole very strong, and, taken in con-
aectlon with tho documentary evidence,
GSaounted ~ to. an absolute demonstration. 1t
sooRed the impressions they received from the
asmona and it appeared that their Impressions
n1le ne1e totally different from those which Prof.
fat:on received from reading them, OF rather
llQm rc8ffjrp fofi ror4;ops nf fhGm. Where