, 1874-05-20


The speech Of Dr.. Patterson ut tho Monday
session Of tho Chicago Presbytcry waa worthy
the occasion aud the man. It gives voice to the
belief Of thousands Of Christians that thor re-
ligton Is not o fossil Of tho sixteenth century,
but living growth Of the nineteenth, and that
the typo Of porfoot minister, the standard Of
comparison, Is noithcr Patton nor any other
theosogian, but Christ.
DR.. Patterson began by saying that there arc
two groat ldens Oh which eccosiasttoal courts
must act. Tie first IL that Of liberty. Uso
authority only as last resort. Tho second is
the necessity Of consulting, in Judgment, tho
conscieueos Of Ill fatr-mindea people, In aud
out Of the Church. "Any action TINT seonas to
savor OF needless soyority ii lawful, is not
expeaie,,t, unlesa vital interests azo at stake.'
With this preface, he entorod upon full dis
cushion OF the caso. There hnve bpen mistaken
ideas about tie points at issue. There are four
questions tho preabytory is not called upon to
decide: ~ Whether Swing has exactly the
right views OF historic and actual preBby-
torianism. He has right to q wide range of
views, provided he holds to the essentials.
Those essentials arc not as many as some por-
think t2) Whethor his language Is am
biguoua. Saint James was. He says: IA man
is justified by works, and not by faith only"
Christa was. He said: "bIy Father is greater
than T." Both these expressions are vc1y am
biguous Shall We, therefore,, condemn Saint
James and Christ as horetica7 90 Whether his
language cannot DO rcconci1od with Unitarianiem.
Ohrist's sentence just quoted can bo Was He,
therefore, an Unitarian2 Prof. Swing must bo
believed innocont till proved guilty. ~
Whether ho uHes faulty language. His sermons
are not intended as essays In theology. Ho uses
words In their common renHo, and Qiyos his
| aentences poetic form. Ho does not profess to
| be q trained theologian, and must not be ortiz
! oiaed aa auch.
| These four questions do not concern the
preabyters. They must decide whethor 1t is
clearly proved that Swing does not accept tho
Westminster Confession Of Faith, and whother
1t Is clearly proved that he has boon m unfaith-
| ful minister. The Confession can DO accepted
In different ways. Tue reunion Of the Old and
| Now Schools has settled that, Tho two Schools
separated In 1888, because they Interpreted
tho Westminster Confession differently. In
August, 1887, tue Now-sohool faith had boon
| ton At Auburn, NY. In 1868 the Old-school
Association at Albany assorted. By largo ma-
| jorlty, that the Auburn statoment embraces
all tho ossentials Of tho OalyiniBtic oreod" In
1860 each Of the Assemblies 70. 8. and N. 81
| agreod TINT tho other WAS F." Bonnd md ortho-
dox body" On this basls they united. 1twaa
| well known that they hold dif1oront viewa of the
| Confession. BY this action. thon, tho right Of
holding such different views was fully recog-
nized. IA man may, therefore, be good pres-
byterian In the Reunited Church who doea moi
accept tho doctrines Of Reproduction and Eloo.
tiou according to tho atornor interpro.
tations OF thom that wero given by Calvln and a
Iarga portion OF tie Presbyterian Church.
Prof. Swing Processes his belief In tho New.
School Interpretation of tho WeAtminHtor Con,
fosalon. Tho Reunited Church has declared
such boliof allowable. Prof. Swing, than, docs
accept the Confession. Tho hrst charge
must fall to tho ground. " II such q reception
| OF tue UonfosRlon ID not allowable" said Dr.
Patterson. "if wo must all hold md teach the
very worda Of tho Confession at all points, lot
mo bo assured Of It, and will instantly asaer.
my freedom and manhood by going out Of the
Church into broader aud greonor pasturea; but
I do not bollevo that our Church requircB a.,5
such thing"
Az for the charge Of unfaithfulneaB, 1t ia mol
necessary for a man, IN order to DO faithful, tt
preach Old School or New School, or any formu
lated theology. Flo can preach broadly,-eyot
as Christ did. Bwlng'a congregation, who ars
the best Judges on this point, regard him rs
highly-fatthful minister. His looae wording
must be interpreted by circumstances. Ho iH
poetic speaker. He speaks to very mixed audi
onoeH. Moreover, hls sosmons must be com