, 1874-02-28
PROF. SWING,
His Reply to DIR. Patton's Article
in the Interior.
He Declines Coming to That Gentle.
mans Confessional.
And Simply Points Out Some Defects In
His Article,

And Simply Points Out Some Defects In
His Article,
The 4nidnce Of this morning contains the
following letter from Prof. Swing, in reply to
the article By DR.. Patton, publiahed couple Of
days ago in the Inferior:
To the Editor ef the Interior: -
While I reciprocate the kind offer you make
Of your columns, by stating that the columns OF
the Alliance ara open also to you whenever in
condensed form you may wish to state your
views upon topics Of public interest, yet at the
same timo must decline coming myself up to
your "confcssionai" except through the ordinary
channels of Sunday preaching; and Il IN in-
torprctine my future sermons you should be as
unfortunate as you have been in reading tho
mast ones you will still be wrestling with my
creed when Macaulay's New Zealander u look-
ing down upon the ruins OF Loudon. MY wish
in this letter is only to point out some defects in
your long article this week. The diguified letter
OF DR.. Patterson has no doubt stimulated you to
exert your full strength at last, and for tho
present you no doubt in full communion
with EggIcston's IS Church Of tie Best Licks,
go that after year Of intellectual work along
this one path, your argument has now, without
doubt, culminated.i in this chef fmuyre now be-
foro me in Jour evangelical journal:
Il Is true that tho humanitarian view Of Christ Is
ElOauEnllJ t14It lAc
ness Of Jesus is spoken Of aud that The eplthet d
vine ia constantly applied to Him. But these
epithets abound likewise in Unitarian literature.
It would seem from this that your argument
has eliminated without telling your readers how
YOU know that use the word dlyineneBs " IN
tho Unitarian sense. Prof Patton caves by
faith, so does Robert Collyor; therefore, Prof
Patton agrees with Robert CollYer. Ihu columns
to point out the difference between faith in your
sFste.u mud in TINT Of Mr. ColIyer.
Prof. Swing deyose8 sermon to Pauls four leading
ideas What ore they7 Spirituality, oneness of hu-
1nauity. new life, and love for jesus. Not one word
about tho cross, stonemen condemnation, juhtidca-
ton.
This comes from my not knowing that the
stcrosB," :" atoncment,' etc., were peculiar to St
Paul, for up to the moment Of reading your ar
ticle, va lad supposed those ideas prominent
also il the other Apostles. The Alliance ls
open, ETC., etc.
Christianity Is not forced upon us. Our orn nature
Inns forced it up out OF the spirits rich depths; d,
vine flower urged up By the warm soil Of tia immortal
Anothcr fact: We understand that Prof. Swing
took occasion the death Of John Stuart Afi no
torious atheist, to preach sermon n his pfasse We
did not read tho printed report Of that sermon, hut
member OF tho Preslytery Of Chicago informed III Of
it, and spoke Indignantly respecting it.
It would appear from the first paragraph in
this quotation, aud from your horror OF it, which
the Presbyterian has caught (for the contaglon
OF heresy follows certain isothermal lines always)
that YOU. DeleVe CnIlhLl1ult3 ~ po ao " luaA
wholly db ezra, and not in any way on account
OF any popularity OF mans soul; and, such being
YOUR belief. the columns Of the Alliance are
open to you, should you wish to show what in
your theory exists to prevent Christianity from
having been conferred upon the genus horse or
OK, II Christianity was not at all db intr0, but
wholly from without then you and the Presby-
te1ian are left without any explanation OF the
fact that it did not miss the human family and
confer Its blessings upon tho brute world While
vol, are pondcring upon these things, permit me-
to continue saying:
Christianity is not forced upon us. Our own
raturo has forced up ont Of the spirits rich depths -
diriye flower urged up By the Warm soil Of tho 1umor-
tal heart
Mans nature demanded it. It Was no creation
By priests, but was wruDg from tho creator by
tile souls need and long agony. The grief Of
your Office over the sermon on Mr. Mill, and
your boastins honor and sincerity, ought to
have led you to quote the following paragraph
at its close:
But there is no perfection upon these shores And
to the shadow that falls across this grave
BIZ day aud night. That Mr. Nil did not accept the
orthodox creed is not what liberal world need regret
the most: but that lie revealed little Of the religious
shadow upon Lis memory. Ills career veries What
Lave sad here often. that 1t has become, fear,
wearisoms to Jou. that the intellect oue does not lead
TO Bavior or God in tho religious tcuse. Mr. Mill,
like Locke and Buckle, Darwin and Tyndal 80 idozed
the rational facnlty, so idolized the Tisible, The
see t. inS ha1s 'n1 peshed By Neglect Wien
human mind will 60 no farther than 1t clear
~ It cannot far from its cradle Il argues ht;le
great brain powers hare rejected their clats for they
lave gone further and have, for The most part dealt
hearts do not fail Of Christianity, but Of Ill religion.
This phenomenon Of thousands Of practical ph1loso-
pliers parting With religion does not teaen me- TAI .s
| sentiments in the heart which, shghted, VII
convert the earh into laboratory, and death. and
Gn1tin Of Frnuce vas tts rival Of Stuart nil in
wisdom, in genius, In intellect; and SO 6uizot.
n'f s h5,S Tsts er m of
hope that hangs around religion enveoped Victor
sa,ne points Of thought Cousin slways came Up to
God and Heaven and Mr. MILL to ths practical Of this
to the happness Of n nan here ~ aad tnen
From tho same fathers eide.
From the mothers knee,
One Journeys to gloomy tde,-
One to peaceful soa.
And Cousin md Guizot teach MS that there IL no
mental greatness too large for religion That religion
deDeuub not upon the worlds cretulity; theJ teach
u.s. syen beside The grave Of the lamentel m that re-
gious sentiment il divine part Of human character
and ought to maks is sn9eh. nla5 n every tUso
more divine may u its colors On the souls horizon"
Tie passage following ought to lead you to
erlghten your readers AZ to how far beyond the
'scountiess years Of eternity it is necessary Tor
me- to extend the remorso Of 1 sinful soul IN Or
But reason looking upon the GATHERINGS dc Med'ci,
OF upon the violent murderers Of our own Land can
not see anything in ths countless years Of eternity that
could eaca the vision aud memory Of the black spot
We reserve for future day some discourse
about your doctrine OF Salvation by Faith, but
| meanwhile the Alliance is open to you should
YOU wisl. to show your belief in the inspiration
Of ST. James, who Gays: ''WhercfoIe By works
| man is justified and not by faith only" and
aside from st. James, you 30 by book which
says: ~ That tho soul is eaTed By christ's
blood; !; (2) That tho soul is saved by decrco
from eternity out Of Gods more pleasure
:. nothing in man moving Him thereunto;" - not
from ANYTHING st IL forssesn in man who :ais j.
alone, not by imputing faith itself.". ~ That
faith in Itself ID an act Of mind which comes
after salvation, an effect not cause; ahd hence,
! standing az you to in the midst Of these three
vnys OF salvation, you certainly would not make
your doctrine Of faith 80 prominent os to make
| ,cople doubt about your orthodoxy IS to saliva
Tim bv Christ, and IS to an election regardless
NJ mans mental operation, and as to faiths be-
inc result Of conversion rather than cause.
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