, 1874-05-07

ashue' VI oouree shofc aro exceptions. There
arc some very thick-headod mon III tho number,
Ihero aro Hono mon as gar1u1oua aB old women.
and WHO talk to AZ littlo purpose. Thoro are
| somo eut-and-tlriod thcologiaus who suspect tho
dogma Of 4 modal Trinity lurking in ovory third
proposition TINT ia made, and who aro unhappy
| until 1t is turned inside out. md ia shown to bo
frce from all traces Of sabslliunism. There arc
provincial members Of tho presbytery who feolit
incumbent upon them not to return to
their aocks without leaving their tracks, either
on the minutes or in tho newspapers; aud thoso,
hardly daring to vonturo out into tho doop
waters Of theology, whore the Doctors and Pro-
fesaora arc hounderiug about, contont thom-
selves with picking up lttlo points Of order and
questions OF routine, to which they cling as per-
tinaoiously aa little dog to d rag which be is
shaking undcr tho impression it IL rat. There
is another class In tho Prosbytory which ,ntlu1ccB
Ill tho distressing idea that tho witnesses aro on
trial for herosy also, aud propounds lending
questions to thom as to thoir own bolofs and
dl5belefs' One Of this clase, at the oloeo of the
examination Of Mr.. Miller, yesterday morning,
detained tho witness to ask him what ho believed
about tho Divine call to tho ministry. Tho
Prosecutor, tho older Prosbytors, tho Moderator,
and the Stated Clerk, however, sat down upon
him in lump, mud suppressed him; and he
sadly subsided. and will probably always regret
that ho did not obtain Mr. Millor's vows On this
important point The forto Of tho presbytery
is In purely theological discussion. When any
parliamentary or worldly question comes IN.
.he preHbyters manifest at once TINT blind and
childlike ignorance characteristic of thoologias,
They losc their mooriugs and each ono drifts
away without chart or compass. Thus, yesterday
morning, two hours were wasted over
ths questions about printing testimony
md adopting minutes, which fourth-rate law-
yor could have Hottled in moment. As lawyers
are never good enough to become Presbytors Of
course no such opportunity was offered.
2. Tho audience Is in itsels q curiosity. ABif
by tncir understanding tho fricndH Of Swing arc
on tho zight-hand sido Of tho house, and the
friends Of Patton on the left. The unlucky yis-
itor who is = friend Of Swing and, unawaro OF
this fact gets Oh the wrong sdo Of tho house,
soon discovers ha mistake, and pice ue,sa. It iB
made very hot for him. The result Is TINT
thero ia more or less disturbance occas,oncd by
these un1ucky victims changing placoa-which
might be remedcd by putting up sigus
"Patton's HcadQuartera and "swiug's
Headquarter,s' on either side Of the room. In
point Of numbers md personal appearance, tho
Swing faction is the superior. Tho general
character OF the audience Ia feminine. Ono
visit is usually enough for man. The thing ia
altogether too exciting for tic male being. The
ladies', however, are constant aud pertiuaoious,
and tho minority Of them are over on tho Swing
side. Thore arc probably very few Of them who
know the difference between sabcllinuisn and
sardine, but. By tho bond Of sympathy purely.
they array themselves as audacioua little hero.
tics on tho Swing side. There js loss in num-
her on the Patton side, and most Of his
adleronts show unmistakable signs Of
the ravagos Of theology. Tho amount
Of interest manifested by tho fair
adhesonta on both sidos il painful. 4 little
12-year older, OIL the Swing sido Of course, WAS
observed by tho man up q tree, diligently po-
rusng the account Of the preceding day's aes-
sion In The TRIBUNE.
.. The Prosecutor ia the very personiloation
Of theologfan, and shows tho Objects Of q pro
longed diet Of this aort. Thin, spare, wiry ner-
Vous, specialized, phlogmatio, ferrot-ey aud
dry-as-dust, ho looks like one Of thoso ta thin,
hide-bound folios Of the fathers, whose priuci- |
pal use Ia to gather dust and afford an unob-
structed medium for the siuuous course Of the
nook"orn' heiskoon, n,Hharp, and inoisive imper-
turbable asa granlto wall apparently cold -blooded
NJ frog aud az 1uiceless as last Ootobor's oak
leat' ThuH far lIe has been making bricks with.
out atra" but no one can help atlmiring the in
duatry, tho postinacity, mud tho cooluoss with |
which he pursnea his tlaukless taak, Ifit were
the year 1856, he and Calvin would lave made it
hot Tor the sorvetusea but, IL it ia tue year
1674, ho Is Calvin ahorn Of power, though atil |
desperately holding On to tho whoel Of tho world
TO kcop 1t from turning, and still opposine |
thought, progress, and religion. with dogma;
creed. and theology. Willis ono may
admire tho grit and nerve with which.
he conducts John Calyin's business, one
cannot hep wishing that be belonged to this
gooa!y year Of graco, aud would use the saruo
qualities In sympathy with the aspirations and t
"oakneasoH Of mankind TINT ho wore a yar4m
living fact instead Of HI historical curiosity.
:. Tho n'an whom he is prosecuting evidently
does not lanRuish uudor tho operation. Calm.
quiet, and unohtrualVo, he Is Tho last man tp the
ProHbytory who would be auspeotod BY a
stranger ~ tho defendant On trial, Ho rare. |
" uttera word, and, whon bs does,
II u vssy spt ~ bs soma auxestiisoau