The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-05-09
"Knox" and Prof. Swing.
Editors otths lntelligsacer.

KNOX" saw ut 10 enter the lists as o d
fender or, rather, apologist for CalviT
J ism. BE very coolly Informs the publ
! generally that they should manifest I
sympathy with the accused Prof. Swim
that at this time they should mot expire
an opinion In regard 10 the matter, an
that the settlement Of tho case should
left wholly with the Chicago Presbyter,
1'hisssavors little OF infallibitity. Til
time II is not The iniallibility Of Plus II
but Of Presbyterian Presbytery. On
fortunately, however, for "Knox," Ii
tendencies oi this age are repugnant alik
70 Pspal and PreSbyterial 1niallibility
The public Is deeply interested In thl
trial, and the public toll erpreSS its opinio
ever and anon.
rRoF. SWING AND PRESBYTERIAN DOC
TRINR.
"Knox" vSinly endeavors 10 cover u
the hideous doctrines inveighed agains
and totally repudiated by the schOlarl,
and progressive Prot. Swing. He assert
that the Presbyterian Church does no
teach fatalsm. This Is true OF the Pres.
byterian Church actual, but 1t Is not trul
oi the historic Presbyterian Church. ThC
doctrine Of absolute and unconditiona
predestinatlon logically involves q darl
fatalism. II Gods eternal decree be per
fectly independent oi human conduct, thu
doctrine Of fatalism is true. The formel
Is the doctrine Of the Presbyterian Church
viz: that the election OF God is irrespect.
i've Of human merit. II, then, men are
elected to eternal life or death, without
any regard to their characters, solely by
the arbitrary decree Of God, dark and
damnable fatalism governs the universe
Knox" cannot deny that the Presbyte-
fian Church historic strenuously main.
tanned the absolute, unconditional predes.
tination Of certain men and angels to
everlasting death. How, then, can he
avoid the conclusion Of Prot. Swing, that
q dark fatalism is implied in such q
decree@
INFANT DAMNATIoN.
"Knox" denies that the Presbyterian
church teaches or sanctions Infant Dam.
nation. This 10 true oi the church actual.
1t Is not true OF the church historic. /
was personally acquainted with q Pres.
byterian Doctor Of Divinity who public.
ly and repeatedly taught that there were
infants in hell mot q span long" Does
Knox" dare 10 deny the charge Of Prof
Swing that "mothers used to baptise their
dead born little ones, piteously beseeching
God to sntedate the sacred rite2" II he
does, he denies the plain truth Of eccle.
siastical history. His quotation from Dr..
Hodge only substantiates what Prof.
Swing himself says, viz: that the Pres.
byterian church actual does not teach in.
FAINT damnation. 1t is a matter ol public
record that the Presbyterian church has.
tortc DID teach that doctrine: For wholly
renouncing and repudiating this and sim.
liar eftete dogmas, Prot. Swing, q mem.
Der Of the church GctnGl Is accused Of
heresy and ministerial untaithtulness by
Prof Patton, a member OF the church
historic.
CALvIN1sM AND INFmRLITY.
Prof. Swing declares that the dark side
oil Calvinism gave birth TO inadellty.
This "Knox" denies. Here again, Knox"
collides with history. Where did the
destructive Rationalism Of our day take
its riseH In Germany and Switzerland,
where Calyinism, pure and unadulterated,
was constantly dispensed to the people
from the time Of Luther and Calvin until
the rise Of Semler and his destructive
school of criticism. By law as all per.
vading as that Of attraction, the harsh,
repulsiye, cruel features OF Calyinism be-
got that dedication Of reason and con-
tempt Of faith which deprived Germany
of living and true Christianity, and cul:
minated in David Frederic Strauss Leben
Jesu. New England early became .inocu.
lated with Calvinism in its worst type.
Il ever Calyinism had an open field and
q fair chance, 1t was In New England. It
was first on the ground. It laid the toun.
dations Of New England educational In
stitutions. It's ministers were cultured,
scholarly and refined. II had no foe to
dispute its progress. What was the result3
From New England Calvinism sprang
Unitarisnism, Universalism, Rationalism
and the Boston Society Of Free Thinkers.
What city Of the Union boasts Of nine
teen Unitarian ChurchesP Boston, for
merly the hot-hed Of CGlyinism. In
what city did Theodore Parker preach to
crowded housesi Boston, where Calvin.
ism once reigned supreme. In what
city does the Free Religious Association
hold its sessions2 Boston, where once
the pure doctrines OF John Calvin found
no opposition. The ablest, the keenest,
the most uncompromising skeptics Of
America were New Englanders by birth
and education. In no part Of our land
is infdelity and skepticism so respectable
as in the New England States. These are
the facts which justify Prof., Swing in de.
clAring that the dark side ot Calvintsm
invariably gives birth to infdelity. It Is
Just where jonathan Edwards drew such
terrible pictures Of perdition and hell
that day the people are found who do
not believe In a hell. For this state Of
things the Oalvinian theologians have
themselves to thank, They are reaping
what they have sown.
THE L1BERTY OF A MINISTER. y
"Knox" declares that 1t Is "simply in.
famous" ior a man 10 remain In the
ministry ol church whose doctrines he
denies. He says also that II Pref Swing
holds the opinions attributed 10 him by
the charges Of Prof, Patton he ought no
longer 10 "be minister in any eyangeli-
cal church, and especially in the Preaby-
terian." Win Knox" (who Is undoubted.
ly Presbyterian minister declare in his
pulpit tomorrow that he believes that
"God, for the manifestation OF his glory,
hath from oil eternity predestinated cer-
tain men and angels to everlasting
death" How many Presbyterian preach.
ers believe thats how many OF them
dare preach It to their conEreea ations /
According 10 @Knox" every Ffesbyterisn
preacher who does not believe and teach
this dogma Is "dmply ,intamouSP Then
q maiorityofi his brethren IN the ministry
are Infamous, for Il Is ipreposterous 10
deny that the majority OF Presbyterian
ministers repudiate with holy indignation