, 1874-03-01

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PROF. SWING AND BRO. PATTON.
CHANGING at the caption Of the Interior IRE
Hgious newspaper), We find that it is edited by
Ernncis L. Patton THIS person is recent im-
portation from Brooklyn, consigned to Cyrus q.
Mccormick under duplicate bills Of lading, in
order to extetminate hercsy III the Presbyterian
Church hereabout. He won his spurs BY valiant
efforts to suppress Miss Smile as g. preacheress
in Dr. Cuyler's pulpit, and is supposed to have
attracted the notice OF the Chicago Defender Of
tho Faith by that exploit. In the last number Of
bis paper be pours three and half columns Of
corrosive sublimntc On the sermons OF Prof.
Swing. What we admire most in this article is
the seH-6atiaded mir Of the writer. Ho has tho
easy assurance Of coxcomb combined with the
wcighty responsibility of Pope. After reading
SO long au article We arc ct q loss to say what
appears to bo the g-arcst oTenso Of SWING hut
think, on the whole, it must DO lis notions Of
the Trinity, for Mr.. Patton Frnncs L. says:
The only positive statement VIC lave Known Prof..
Ewing to have nadu respecting the Trinity fully JUS
tides the doubt have exp7cssed for II it has any
meaning It teaches the 6abean doctrine OF modal
Trinity.
Now if there Ii any thing that needs to be evils
cerated, diasected, and exposed in NIL its hideous
deiormity to the public gaze, it is the doctrine
OF q modal Trinity; and Air. Mccormick has done
wisely in sending to Brooklyn for 80 skillful q
demonstration Of anatomy rs DR.. Patton. Before
taking up the scalpel, however, be invites Prof:
Swing to define his position in ten lines, and Of
fera him tho columns OF the Interior for that pur-
pose. To speak moro exactly (for the doctrine
Of B modal Trinity requires exactness, Of all
tlings), he asks Prof. Swing to tell in ten lines
whether lie subscribes to the doctrines Of the
Presbyterian Church, and offers him the columns
OF the Inferior for that purpose, unmindful Of
the fact that Prof. Swing has both newspaper
and pulpit to announce his own viexs from,
and forgotfu1 OF the fact that EusebiuB was un-
able to tell in ten lines whether he subscribed to
the doctrines OF the Council Of Nice.
..Hw were in the habit Of risking money at
games Of chance, ne would wager large sum
tint III. Patton cannot tell in ten columns what
6abei1ianism is go that Mccormick can under
stand him. We would wager IN equal cum that
he cannot tell ia the same space, what sabel-
2ianism is 30 that an ordinary jury can UNDER
stand him, or 60 That an ordinary congregation
Ct church h-mc,aters can understand him. We
will give him EN- approved modern definition Of
Eabellianis1n, from Milman's History Of ChriB-
ti2ait:, aA q starter, aud invite him to enlarge
upon and expound it in his next attack on Prof.
SWING:
sabellias African Of the c,renaio Province
According to his system it WIS the sae Deity under
different forms, who existed in the Father, Son, and
the Hslv Ghost A more modest and unohending
sste1ianis1n might perhaps be In accordance
with modern philosophy The manifestations of the
ea1ne Deity: rather Of his atributes through which
the Godhead becomes comprehensive to tho human
mind, may hare been thus successfully made
In ccudcsccnson to our weakness Of intellect. It
would h the Deity assuming, It were, IN OBJ
1ecvo form SO "a to within the scope Of the hu-
man mind rea difference as regards tho conception
OF zan crfec: Unity In its subjective existence Thia
however, though some Of its terms may appear the
same with the sabelanism Of antiquity, would be the
Trinitarianis1a o1 philosophy unknown ut this
period. The language Of the sabe1nna innpe1 to the
Jealous their opponents that tho distinction be-
tween tho persons Of the Trinity altogether unreal
While tn SaEcan party charged their adverBares with
He4tlan Tr3taaistic worship they rctorted by &c
c11snE Sabolauisn OF annihilating the separate
tstence Of the Son and holy Ghost It is but
jEdgiug the common principles Of hu1nan nature
conclude that the grandeur Of the pHze temporal
donanion1 supported the ambition and inlaued the
passions OF thu eontending parties; that human
motives Of pcHhcal power and age7andizement
mingled with the moro spiritual influences Of tic love
OF truth and zeal for the purity Of religion.
AL this except the last sentence ia hard enough
to understand as definition Of Sabellianism :;
but, ne turn to Gibbon, whose fault is not OBJ
scuEity OF language, We get no better satisfac-
ton. This luminous author, after stating what
Sabellianism appeared to be in the fourth cen-
tury, eays rairc1y TINT The incomprehensible
mystery which excites our alteration eludes our
inquiry" But, in proportion as these hair
breadth distinctions Of things inscrutable we're |
lard to understand, the fury Of the contending
Eheologians Waxed hotter and hotter, until the !
zrl power Was fain to Interfere and force them !
% decide the questions ut issue somehow-in |
,ne csse locking them up, like modern jury.
N bread aud water, till they came to an agree-
nent. The Council Of Rinaini a. D. $500 con
1umcd seven months in wrangling over the re-
lnements of the Trinity. 'sTaurus, tho Pre- !
ozian Pre1ect, ~ says Gibbon, Was instructed
lot to dismiss the prelates till they should all be-
lnjted in the game opinion, aud his efforts were
imported by the power OF banishing fifteen Of
he most refractory, and promise OF the Con-
nlship il he succeeded in so difficult m advan-
zrc." The Emperor Constantius, who gave
hese orders (Which we're executed to the letter),
Though g. prosetyting .A1ian, Was chip
rom the same block as Patton. His
aea was to bring everybody to the,