The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-01-07
DIR. Swing.

A correspondent of the " Y. EUon-
geltst thus describes this most popular
preacher in the West.
From his published sermons, and from infor
nation, l gather that he processes a belief in
the divinity of Christ in an atonement, regen-
Grafton, and an inspiration of the Scriptures.
But he will define them for himself He takes
nobody's dogma symbol. Do his definitions
meet the requirement?
As to the manner in which he exemplifies the
qualities above attributed to him, before an au
dience, he has very clear and excellent rheto
richie faculty of saying accurately what he
means In fine terms, in well turned sentences,
and without any gaudiness or a stilted ambi-
tousness. He has a very fine asthesis His
perceptions of the beautiful, remind one forci
bly, of DIR. Claiming. And though he would
probably shrink from saying that religion con
slsts in beauty q. that the two are identical he
would go far to produce that conclusion in the
minds of his hearers.
To sum up the matter, Prof Swing is a man
made in spirit widely abroad in this day.
And there is the secret of his success as public
speaker Like audience, like preacher; like
man, like congregation. In great city like
Chicago, there are multitude of people who
are more or less religiously ahoat. A good MANY
of them have cut loose from the old forms of re-
lglous thought and worship. But they read
and their minds active sometimes to excess
Their reading is largely fiction, the magazines,
newspapers, with more or less of science, espe,
clally that 80 called" They are theatre goers,
club men, card and billiard PLAYERS: and with
fierce devotion, 1t may be, to business, they try
to take life easy-especially the seventh part of
1t, their Sabbath being a Sunday. And yet they
like some religious service once at least. especi-
ally If without too much religion in it, In the
Sunday evening many of them will be at the
theatre a concert" The sermon to which
they will listen must be keenly intellectual and
aesthetic
Now if any man has the power to draw and
satisfy these sorts of people, in such city, he
will have large congregation. Those who
know can Judge how far this description meets
the case in hand But some such man will such
hearers seek. 1t may be Robert Collyer, and it
may be David Swing.
Now as to the value of this kind of preaching
with such supposed audiences common idea
is that a multitude who will not eat at any other
table, are fed here; and though the vands may
not be so substantial they may still be suffi.
cient to sustain life. Perhaps that is the hone
OF most. But after listening with what atten-
ton and candor | could command. nv reluctant
conclusion was that Prof Swing will be likely
to produce more skepticism than he will cure
Whether he Is aware of the general effect which
that style of teaching is calculated to produce
Is uncertain. But 1t seemed, while listening,
that he had some perception of it; for he com
monty managed to stop where the next natural
step would have been into open denial of some
belief sacred to religious people
1t Is clear enough now that he is not a Cal
whist nor Presbyterian. And my conviction
Is, what it was from the first, that if let alone,
he would soon have found out where he did not
belong, and without any considerable convul-
sion~would have taken his place. But the ar
dent and the Jealous, who thought differently,
are Justified in their conclusions, whether or not
in their methods.