Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-26
PROF. SWING.
A Letter Explaining His With
drawal.

He is Endorsed By His Congregation.
CHICAGO, May 24.-The Rev. Daniel
Swing publicly announced to-day his de-
termination to apply to the Chicago Pres
bytery for a letter of dismissal from the
ministry Of the Presbyterian Church. He
will, however, remain as pastor or preacher
for the Fourth Presbyterian Church, in &C
cOrdance with the expressed wishes of the
elders and leading members thereof.
Prof. Swing preached in the Fourth
Church to-day, TO congregation which filled
the edifice to Overflowing, and more than
five hundred people were unable to gain
admittance. He made no allusion to The
recent trial. After the services were con-
cluded a collection was taken TO pay of the
debt of the church, and the entire amount
(over $4,000 was raised in five minutes.
Action OF the Presbytery.
CHICAGO, May 25.-The Chicago
Presbytery met to-day, and, after filing a
statement of the recent trial, received the
following
Letter from Prof. Swing,
which was read and, without action or de-
bate, placed on file:
To the Chicago Presbytery-Dear
Brethren; At some subsequent meet
ing of your body 1 shall request a
letter Of dismissal or that you will erase
my name from your roll, for | know not
which request will be in harmony with
your laws or customs. To-day l beg per-
mission to apologize and state a fragment
of the argument which induced me to
break the old tie. By degrees under re-
r,aata1 affa aGl-u h. I,o
of brotherhood has been rapidly
the desire has only increased
to terminate relations which not only con-
terred no happiness upon me, but conferred
upon another power to arraign me from
time to time over some dead dogma, or
over the middle of a sentence, or over some
Saballian or Mohammedan word. From
the standpoint from which am accustOm-
ed 10 view all reforms, it also seems my
withdrawal is demanded now in order
to secure TO the Synod and TO
the Assembly that peace which
alone can lead to a calm review and
restrainment of doctrine. If my
late prosecutor chooses to force upon this
Jynod, and upon the Assembly, an issue
of this whole matter, and shall compel those
bodies to open and settle all questions
which should receive five or ten years of
the calmeSt abstract thought, upon him
must rest the whole responsibility of the
painful results.
The noble attitude assumed last week by
your body is lesson enough and battle
enough for much time to come. What the
Church demands now is peace, that it may
think in some hours and work for its Mas
ter in all hours. II needs peace as to
theology, action as to gospel and work, and
then in days of subsequent peace and So
berneSs not far removed it can by commit
tees and without the strong passions that
gather around an accuser and an accused,
sit down to refashion its statement of doc
trine.
In all your Christian labors, if there be
any moment at which can help you, count
me with you as a fellow labOrer, and when
any aceuser looks around for a subject to
be used foEmilitary purposes, will you not
join with me in blessing God that such
peculiar passion must at last languish for
want of victim? Hoping that God will
confer his blessings upon your path and
upon mine also, remain, as ever, your
brother, DAVID SWING.
The Presbytery then adjourned.