, 1874-05-15

position as gentleman, and aa a mombor Of the
troshyterlhn Church, and rs a common Prcsby-
ter With Prof. Swing. How far ho had succeed:
bow respectfully to @0tI toir verdict. Tic Views
| brought out by Prof: swing In tho controversy
Woro OF suoh character, wore no .pronounccd'i In
their hostility to w]1athe (patton) regarded AZ
tures,-n doctrine whicl, had received tho sano-
tlon Of tho Prosbytery not long ago,-his viows
were IN such direct conflict with It: that l'o DID
not Hesitate to say that Prof. Swing. holding
such vows, with tho VOWS Of the Presbyterian
Church, could not consistently ronaln tn hor
| communion aa q tnn,stbr. He (Patton) doubted
his aoundnesB, aud ll!s doubts woro honest. aud
| bnHed upon perusal Of Prof. Swing's published
utterauces uo had no word 10 say in solf-yndl-
caton,: nothing to nay in referonco 10 those WHO
honestly and sincerely differed from him as to
tho propriety Of luis expressing tho doubts as
he did, or AZ to tho propfiotY OF saving that be
had them. Ho bud them, and he expressed thom,
weight Of odium which lie had not anticipated.
THO prosecution Of tho case, ho regretted to
say, bad not removed those doubts. had not
1csBcned them. but had ouly enrycl 10 vindlcato
him as to tho justice Of his former position. and
10 WAR ready to say now that lo not only douotol
that l'ros. Swing did not hold certain doctrines
Of tho Proabyterian Church. but that he did not
belioyo thom,
rLENARY rAsr1nAT1oN OF TIE p1DLE.
The Speaker thbn wont Oh to provo from
Prof. Swings sermons that ho did not belloye In
the plenary inspiration Of the Diblc. Tho quos-
tlon was not whether he believed IN tho inspira-
ton OF tho Scriptures, but what 10 masnt bY the
inspiration of tho Scriptures. Ho (swing) said
III Ills declaration tAat that was oue Of the doc
t,inea on whice he was willing to mcot Rkentic-
al aud sinful world. Ho dcs'rcd to know II
tllere was n Uhitnriau or 4 Uniyorsallst who al,-
not do tllo san,o thing. Iio Baid 10 used tho
word "inHpiration" IN its evangelical BonBo; ;
audi {rat:on) was AZ much in tho fog as over,
for what did Prof; Swing moan by eyangolic-
IL How much simpler It would J. have heon for
tho Confession of Faith as to the inspiration of
the Soripturea as to tho divinity of Christ. as to
tho Trinity, Us to Justification by Faith,
aud aB to future punishment, mud holioye thom
Of any interpretation or any explicit avonal on
his (Sw,ug's) part as to what ho meant about
the inspiration OF tho Scriptures, would 1t bo
thought unjust If ho (patton) undertook to i'm
poso upon Ills language moaning, finding tue
words j? During all the dlacusslon which 10 had
had with prot. Swing III the Interior, le had
tried to get from him IN oppression Of opinion
as to what inspiration was. Again aud again he
had asked the question whether lio believed God
wrote the Blblo-whothor tho Scriptures wero
inspired in such SENSE TINT God did, by His
Holy Spirit, teach tho writera Of the Now aud Old
Teatamout, and that ho stood in such q relation
10 them TINT the holy nen OF old spoke as thoy
80 'fs teas oss s1as y 'As said nPf Pses 0ss ss
and what potor anid God said. That vas what
tho Presbyterian Church bel,evcd,-what evan-
gelical Christendom believed. And in vindiea-
ton Of Gods truth III tho question respecting
thority Of Goda Word as 1t was declared Ia tho
Old and Now Testanout, he appealed not to tue
sympathios and tho support Of the Presbyterian
Church 1lono, but t. tho Aympa.hies and tho
support Of evangelical 0hris.oidom. and thoy
were with him.
THE 100Tn psALa1.
Whht did Prof. Swing mean BY 'sfnspiratiou ?"
What did he moan whon le said TINT the Scrip
lures were given by inspiration Of God?" Did
he believe that tho 10ath psulm WAS written by
the Holy Ghoat in such Bonae as that what
David said, tho third person Of the bleasod
and adorable Trinity said ? Did lie baIiego that
the sentiments expressed by David in that
Psalm were Hes put into hs mind
might be at liberty to say nos only that David
said this, but with equal propriety Say tho Holy
Ghost said it II be did boliovo It, it was very
singular ttat he should speak ct the psalm as
having - temporary Significance" and COM
that it ioRt it's value when tho wars Of the Jews
wero over.
That rrof Swing did not boliovo that tho 109th
Psatm WAS inspired, must DO perfectly paiu to
thou read what ho (Swing) wrote in tho laterioy
III September. 1879:
The prominence given the 1o9h psal1n arises only
from tho fact that It has long heen public at Of tho
yalue Of Any given theory Of inspiration.
What did that mean 1t meant this: You
beieys in The plenary inspiration Of the Scrip
t,ro. do you Do you betievo tlat 109tA Psalm
was inspired ? It has long been n tost as to the
value OF any given theory of inspiratiol."
Did it over bother the brethren Can they
detect Gods authority evan in the 100th psnlm
Then again
TIs IL ouo Of the places where tho Tntional world
words.
the Scriptures were given bv inspiration Of God;
that inastnuch as Jobns gave bis authority and
sanction to the Old Testament in words WHICH
distinctly affirmed that not one jot or little
could pass away Or bo brokon,-arl the author
ity Of Jesns Christ oolored cyerythipg to winch
ho attached Ills signature. There was nothing
boastine about that. Tho APOSTLE Paul knew
what he was about; and, knowing what ho was
about, could not have based any sucl, argument
upon any such portion OF tho Scriptures unless
opiRtlo took tho position that the Scripture was
inspired; and therefore ho challenged them to
prove TINT it Was not positive, that 1t WIS not
simply God manifested IN the aosh.
terry WAS III doubt ABOUT Prof. Swlng's views Of
the 10oth Psalm, tho intelligence Of nations would
have to leglBlato upon tho questions Of con-
struction; aud It Prof. Swing did not indorse
what Froude, the nationalist, said Of Tue psalm,
LIE would give up reading English, md pro-
nounce himself fool. (Laughter.]
Tho Presbytory having pronounced its opinion
i'll favor OF plenary Inspiration and giYen its
Judgment against Dir. McKnig. could not full to
pass sentence against ono proven guilty OF such
q charge aa that for which Prof. Swing wAs
arraigned.
In concluding tho discussion Of tho first
charge. Prof. Patton read from tue Bible to
prove that Prof. Swing hnd denied tho authority
Of the Word OF God.
PERSONAL.
In view Of the evidence he had addncod aud
the arguments he Ind pressed, tlo loft 1t hi thu
hands OF tue Presbytury, assing tlsem to dismiss
oil prejudice to forgetting altogether tho qlos-
tonn involved, 80 far M they concerned TIM per-
sonal relations OF the prosecutor ind tho nc
o,ssed, and to act in yew Of tho testimony with
their iden Of the responsibilities which reBtod
upon Presbyterian m!niator, and judging from
their own personal oxpo,iet,cs az ministers aud
elders % to what constituted fidelity in the pas
toral Office. ne asked If lle had sad a rasl, thug
or hard thing.-if lo had transsrossed TIC
boundso proplioty or crossed the lu,ts of truth,
-wlother ha had not acted in a!l sesiousnoya
md al sorrow, with good imuuaoH In his hnart