, 1874-10-11

OF these qualities chR1 cctcr,Ze P:of. swing. III
whole contest tetvecu himself aui Prof PISTON
al.houEh lts side oi it was sustained by LII
friends in tle rre,hy.e.y nad IT his chunh
WAS e1cee,ug: tlisiaste;ul to lt::A 1'ti the tia
before the p.osh;ttry upon Prot. Patton:
CHARGES vas avoided by hin 10 far AZ it WIS pos
sib1e. Az the t:n'e approaches for the hearing
Of tito appeal bcforo tho Syuod tho Whole matter
| returns in ita original form, and tha d.ears
ground must be trayerEed again. 8. Rather than
| do this Lo has withdrawn himself from the con-
test ty having his name stricken from the roll.
! Personally. therefore, be will avoid the bitter
ness and modification Of another trial. He will
escape tlat personal publicity which has always
boen 80 unpleasant to Tim
Second, in removing himself from the Fresby-
tery, lie undoubtedly satlst!es his Own conscience
in refusing to euter sE,ain upon struggle which
is destined to work injury to religion, as 1t
draws It'll vitality not from . love Of useful
ncaa Int from fsnat:tisn u. Jsina, as he ex-
presses himself in his letter of1eaisnaiion. Cn-
Ioubtedly Prof. Swing esn nsye1 be thoroughly
cisn OF dogma. It is E rtanst.ut check Upon him,
60 long as lie knows thai the d, gmaGc theologians
are 1ea!ousiy watching hin, ready to pouuce up
on eEery departure which his innate charity and
humanity may cause him to make from The old
theological 1uts in which Calvin trundled hun
dreds Of yeara ago. He mus: bind down Lis
OWL asp;rat1onE aud restrain whatcvtr generous
promptlags come to ihe surface. II he does
not. then ho must be in perpetual wrangle aid
controversy With men WHO hryo nothing 10 do
with either charity or humanity in religious
Benae. Ey tbs etcp, therefore, ho has escated
: coarse of action which is personally, and
fanaticis1n OF dogma which is rehgiously, dis
tas,efal to him.
Thore can bo little Doubt that Prof. Swing.
although be has technically severed the ties |
which lound him to his denomination. still re- |
aims the love aud respec. OF the vast maiority !
II that denomination, and that his sphere Of
1sefu1neRs will be largely increased now tt.at he
occupies an independent pulpit, which is not &C.
orntable to Prot. Patton or Mr.. Mccormick.
though not with the Presbytenans ho Is still OF
hem, and lis sentiments are shared by
he larger part Of them. This being the
ase, it still remains An open question whether |
Fas no. his duty to Tai7e his personal preju- |
ices and fight out this fight inside the deuora-
nation. I: is folly to suppose TINT Prof. Patton
i'll shsow Up the contest e;rp:y becarne Prof.
Wings came has been stricken from tie roll
rof. Patton haa not ociy 70 convict Pref
ming: I'll: lie E.s to justify bi1nee!f. His asht is
ow will the Preshy:err. E;Eich decided esana.
IN IN tha original csrse~ Although the
rosecutor III that cause, le n4s yir-
tally On trial Il much aa Prof. Swing,
I'D tue decision which acquitted the laser con-
cted the former. Prof. Patton las too much |
1iet under such conditions OF thmgtt, merely
:causc Prot. Swing no longer appea in tho +
I'D III pesEon. Ha Eiu fight it out. It was a :
ruSsle between dcgna, With its fo;ms and +
Mt, and faith, with its charity and all-:bound- !
G hope. Prof Patton IVES the leader on the =
10 side, Prof. Swing on the 6ther. md | I
3 friends would have stood BY him +
rough thick and thin. They must now 70 into
e fight without their lender. ard dogma thus +
$ An advantage. Prof. Swings Withdrawal t
tiles nothing 50 far as tue contest itself ia | +
ncerued That will s.il! 20 on. I, Is the eyer p.
curing struggle between the fapaticism of d
gma ard :ae faith Of humanity Prof. Swing i
d nothing to lose in the struggle, for. il 8
'rsted, he could still hare occnDied ;,
9 position he does no9. Prof. Pat i,
4 had everything to lose, for defeat r
him would hare been 1oss OF prestige, indu- =
&C, and power. We still think it would have ii
en- wiser for Prof. Swing to hare fought tho e.
ht out; but. as he has decided differently. ho 8,
to be congratulated tina: he can now give his IS
ne End thought undisturbed by religious war Ii
. to those things which concern mankind
ire intimately than the dosmHs Of Calvin and
beilrs>