The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-05-16
TIE SWING TRIAL.
why ii is That the Public Take So
Much Interest In the Proceedings
and the Result.

Westminster Confession, and the Large
and Shorter Catechlsm. 1t holds that tht
Scriptures arc the inspired word Of God
The Westminster Confession and The
Larger and Shorter Cstechisn contain .
creed founded, as the Presbyterians sup
pose, on the Scriptures. The world know
that PresbyteriAnism Is creed, and Il
well informed as 70 what certain Of the
tenets Of that creed are. Among these
well.known tenets arc the Dominion oi
the Divine Win over the human will, ,the
total depravity oi our nature; original sin;
tho fall Of man; the doctrines that grace
Ionce given is never lost; that part Of man
kind are predestined by God TO everlast'
Ing perdition; that salvation and dAmna-
ti0n arc both Ioreordained; that human
merit Is utter vanity; that faith In these
things juPtifes man and makes
him acceptable to God. This "a
orthodox Preabyterianism. These doc.
trinea Prof. Patton and DR.. Swing
alike, 80 long as they are known as Pres
byterians, are supposed to hold. When
ordained, they avetred that they sincerely
received and adopted the Confession Of
Faith Of the Presbyterian Church as con.
tanning the system Of doctrine taught in
Holy Scripture; that they would be zeal.
ous and faithful in maintaining the doc
trines ol Pfesbyterianism; that they would
believe and teach tho utter moral rotten
ness Of all mankind; that God has given
His grace to some and refused II to others;
that the only ground Of this divine favor.
itism Is Hts holy will; that one part Of
mankind were created TO be damned, and
others TO be co.hcirs with Christ forever
in glory.
Mr. Patton still clings to his faith, and
intends to cling to it forever. Mr.. Swing
Is charged by Prof. Patton with recre-
ance to his faith, and with a violation OF
his ordination VOWS" He frames the
indictment Of Mr.. Swing as q hereto, and
the world looks on, wondering at the res
lurrection OF such intolerances. In his
argument for the prosecution Mr.. Pat
on brings out his points. He accuses
Prof. Swing Of not preaching Presbyter-
ianism, BE nowhere charges him with
denying positively any point Of the Pres
byterian creed. His charges are 10 the
effect that there Is, in the defendants ser.
mons, an absence Of allusion to some dis.
tinctly and peculiarly Presbyterian doc
trines that in them there is no professed
statement of these doctrines; that Mr..
Swing has been guilty Of using equivocal
language; in fine that his sermons are not
Presbyterian. In civil court, such on
Indictment would be quashed immediate.
" as charging no oifense; for, 1t must be
remarked, 1t Is not claimed by Prof. Pat
ton In his specification or argument that
Mr.. Swing has denied any point oil the
Presbyterian faith. He charges him only
with having preached number 0tsser-
mons which have In them no traces of
Presbyterianism, but which contain many
uncertain utterances. He charges that
Prof. Swing has occupied doubtful po-
sition, and said certain things which
Unitarian might subscribe to.
1t may be that Mr.. Swing is not Pres.
byterian in the technical sense Of the
word. II Is certain that Mr.. Patton Is.
II Mr.. Swing claims to be a Presbyterian
and is not, viewed from the point Of
Of Church polity, he ought to leave the
denomination; and Mr.. Patton, however
unpopular his position, Is technically
right. Presbyterianism Is an organization.
Il has It's discipline, and its conditions Of
membership. Whoever violates tho discip.
line may be excluded from its fellowship;
and proceedings may be rightfully insti.
ltuled against him as q refractory member.
Tho public acknowledge all this. The pub.
lie suspect that MIR. Swing Is mar. Of too
high degree Of intelligence, too broad
In his culture, too warm In his affections.
to hold TO the doctrine that a portion Of
mankind are doomed before their birth to
endless and indescribable torments. And
yet all their sympathies are with Mr.,
Swing. The reason Ia plain. Mr. Swing
represents his age. Men find in hin
their other self. His rebellion against
J the view Of God which makes Him
an irresponsible tormentor Is their
own rebellion against the same
idea, His rejection Of the doc
trine OF justification and salvation by
: faith alone, Is their rejection oil the same
They view Mr.. Patton's proceedings not
as q prosecution but as persecution
persecution for opinions sake. Hence
their sympathies for Mir. Swing, The
feeling evinced in favor Of tho defendant
lin this case is q feeling not only against
MIR. Patton, but against the form oi Pres
byterianism Of which he Is the champion
and defender. Whether his form Of Pres
, byterianIsm Is the true form, VIC are moi
the Judge. 1iitis, the public opinion to-
wards the whole Patton-Swing proceed
ing Is significant. 1tshows that the Pres
byterian creed Is contrary to the genius
| OF this age; and that, il 1t be truth, the
children oi perdition are growing ma
iority. Mr.. Patton and few followers
come 10 the surface as tho only ones who
have that faith which justiaes the elect
the chosen few of God. II Pattonism be
: Pfesbyterianism, the majority Of mer
, will say, so much the worse for Presby'
terianlsm. Time was when there were
more Pattonists than now, but, as a wrtteI
In the April number OF the Fortnightls
ReVietO says: "This dogma OF jusliaca-
Q ton by iaith alone Is tAntamount to the
consecration Of immortality, and the set
ting up Of false god for our worship"
Q Mr.. Patton Is the type Of the man who
hoops himself In cast.iron suit to pre-.
vent his growth, impede his progress, and
keep him from following the lead OF en-
q lightened conviction. Mr.. Swing 0nct
A wore the cast,iron coat, vest, and pant
a Of Scotch Presbyterianism. His soul wa
too big for them and he burst them. Les
:. penetrating intellects are sometimes will
D ine TO continue TO wear them; but thl
I Presbyterian denomination may see II
the feelings Of our citizens awakened By
this prosecution the handwriting on tn
0 wall. unless Il will allow its members I,
. entertain q view Of God and Of humal
, iII0 with more OF the sweetness and ligh
in II than Mr.. Patton's,
Il THE Chicago Tribune, Of wedesday