Year: 1874




Monday, and Rev. DR.. Patterson. Chair
man of the committee appointed to pre-.
pare statement of reasons for the
final decision Of the Presbytery in the
case Of Rev. David Swing, in the re-
cent trial for heresy, presented re-
port making a long and elaborate US
tifcation Of the action Of the Presby-
terry, which was received and placed on
file.


The following from Prof Swing was
then read, and without action or de-
bate placed on file:


To the Ghieugo Presbytery:


DEAR ETHREN:--Anxious that
my troubles in church relations and
doctrines should come all at once and,
if possible, be terminated, and wishing
to avoid debate with any brethren with
whom | know the action would hnd
little approval, | availed myself Of the
telegraph to announce course upon
which my own mind has most fully
determined. At some subsequent
meeting Of your body I shall request
letter Of dismissal or that you will erase
my name from your roll, for [ know
not which request will be in harmony
with your laws or customs. To-day |
beg your permission only to apologize
and state fragment Of the argument
which induced me to break the old ties


All through the past year so much
had been said in the Presbyterian pa
pers, and so much had been attempted
in Synods and Presbyterles, that point
ed to me as to a departure" from the
faith, that my heart gradually felt less
and less at home in the old household,
and thus l began to feel that to with
draw was step taken in the line of
duty. | have looked upon church re-
lations as being not simply those of
Christian brotherhood, and W hen, by
degrees, under repeated attacks by
new enemy, the feeling of brotherhood
has been rapidly taken away from my
heart, the desire has daily increased to
terminate the relations which not only
conferred no happiness upon me, but
conferred power upon another to ar
raign me, from time to time, over some
dead dogma or word in the middle
of sentence or over some Sabellian or
Mohammedan word. From the stand
point from which [ am accustomed to
view all reform, it also seems that my
withdrawal is demanded now in order
to secure to the synod and to the as
sembly that peace which alone can
lead to calm review and statement OF
doctrine. If my late prosecutor chooses
to force upon this synod and on the
assembly an issue of this whole matter
and shall compel those bodies to open
and settle at once the question which
should receive five or ten years of calm
est abstract thought, upon him must
rest the whole responsibility OF the
painful results. 1t can easily be seen
from the eagerness with which this
adjoining synod reaches out after this
battle, and from the nervousness which
this assembly has already betrayed
over the recent action of your body,
that it won!d be only a mania for war
to the knife that could induce any one
to carry to those bodies a debate so
radical, so sudden, so and so
olouded by personal friendships and
| animosities. The noble attitude as
sumed last week by your body is les
son enough and battle enough for much
time to some. What the church de-
mands now IS peace, that it may think
some hours and work for its
Master. 1t needs peace. Set down to
re fashion it's statement Of doctrine,
my brethren.


In this act [ hope I do not withdra =
from your gospel mission, but only from
strife forced on you and me, to our
deep regret. In all your christian
labors, if there be any moment at which
| can help you, count me with you as
a fellow -laborer; but when any accuser
looks around for subject to be raised
for military purposes, will you not DIN
with me in blessing God that such a
peculiar position must at last languish,
for want of victim


Hoping that God will confer his
blessings upon your path, and upon
mine also, | remain, as ever, your
brother, DAVID SWING.


The Presbytery then adjourned.