Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, April 20, 1874, Page 2

PROF. SWING. i "His Bermon Yesterday on the * - ‘World’s -Charities, Wliat Dr Thomas Tas to Say of the Profossor’s Trials He Exprosses His Horror. of the Dootrines of Election, Eto, Mr. Bureill Discourses on Bigotry in the Preshyterian Church, Laymen Neod Not Indorse the Confession of Faith---Ministers Must, Pr, Henry Powers Makes a Plea’ for Moresy. THE WORLD'S OEARITIES. Prof. Swing’s Sernon Yesterdry. Prof. Bwing preached yesterday morning at the Fourth Prosbyterian Ohurok, his toxt bemng: *Tho groatost of theso ia charity.” The ser- won was as follows From tho inequality of human condition de- meonds the demand for what1s ealled public char~ tlos. Man ara horn into equal rizhts, but not into oqual conditions. Itisonoof tho enigmas of & world orentod by an -all-wisp and meroiful God that it shonld present such s varioty of moral phonomens, go many of which scom to conflict with the human conception of Divino wisdom and goodnogs. Where resson would bave expectod to find a planot full of happy and sinloss oroatures, it disaovers ono swarming with tho miserable,—the ontlro multitudo boing sin- ful and subjeot to frequont and great sorrows, ‘and o pocial multitndo of thaso boing afictod with hl?ndnnss. or denfness, or dumbness, or 1dlooy, or abjoot poverty, or inhorited disoase. ATRoman orator onco him to chook tho passion for suicido that wes kindlod by his eloguonco. 14 ia tha fact of such & world fall of mingled « happiness and grlef, of wealth and poverty, of readon and insanity, of education and Ignoranco, that has given use to an enormous virtuo calle Oharity, and institutions whore ‘this virtus ex- proesos iteolf. WWhen ho that posscssos light Boes for the blind; when ho that possessos ren~ " son takos care of tho insano; when ho thatis eduoated tenches the ignorant, and when he that §s vittuona plosds for the roform of . the sknmh and when tho rich man gives to tho poor mort: who is without clothing or food—this is charity. Itis o ronlization in human lifo of tha fablo of tho stork, that sho carrics her holploss young npon hor back, orof tho polican, that, on days whon no food has beon found, sho foods hor goung oo blood from hor own brosst, Somo casuists havo found oxplanation of the dark phe- nomena of human being in this einglo virtuo of bonovolence, which is so bullt up in the kind ministration of human hands, mado almost an- elic by these works of love. Whon wa recall g lino of namos_which have gathored in- he lon; describable beauty and honor from works of kindnoss done for those who were suffering un- der some form of misfortune, we nlmost doolare earth's griefs Lo be no m_valnr{v, but to bo a dark night sent .to bring forth the uneoon stars of God's glorious sky. [ P Passing by, for the progont; this genoral ro- mark, I wish to approach tho facts in tho caso. +You who gathor here onoh SBundaycome from counting~-rooms, and from homos whero the solcitor for somo bonevolent wark approaclios you daily, and fllenda with you on bobalf of somo Torm of this Luman sympathy, Loaving your officos and your homos, and coming to tho sanc- tunry, you n%aln meot tho, boggar in the pulpit, whoso voleo 18 too dignificd to be racoived with contempt, and whioh, by common consent, is clothed with something of authority. In these . ciroumstances it scoms proper _to say something about this wholo matter, and to ay if upon a day when tho words aro not to bo mystoriously ro- lated to u collection to bo taken u{mn tho spot,— upon this Bunday, when noepeclal causo is pour- ing out its toars betere you, and when wo nll would gladly seek somo rofuge from the dis- cordant sounds that have jarred all week around us. Turn away from tho econes of tumult, and 800 & fow picturos of peaco and love I shall point out to you. In the “hill countries about Romo ou may see tho society of noblo virgins wandor- E)g about all through -thodark woods, and \lg and down the dark ravines, looking fox any chil bat may have beon exposed to depth thera by aronts lost in ignorauco and vico. Bolwoen flmu desorted infants abd the first night full of wild beasts or death-bringing chills, these virgin arms camo Whon tho civilized world was young. Rooall tho village of Vellola. That whito, stona building _prominont, was built by the Im- oror 'Teajan, to bo tho home of 0 children. There, is a bronzo tablot extant, which is engraved with the his- tory of this beautiful cbarity. In Como, wo may roecall that little house whero tho youngor Pliny supported a echool for poor children at hia sole expenso. Moving around among the Greoks, thero is -Epaminondas ransoming cap- tives in the markot, as Amorica bought the freec- dom of whito slaves in Darbary. There goos Cimon nlong the streots = of . Athens, digtributing “food ond clothes for the poor in _that .oity, which wasthe glory of the world.’ Passing from these .instances of love in the wido acean of cruclty, and coming to tho_ Clristinn ern, this scono of lovo widens na o rivor which approaches the opann. Agapm, or “‘love fonuts,"” which our Methodist frionds con- tinue to observe, did not originate in love for | each other abmply, for the great stores of food | brought there was distributed to tho poor, 8o that & love fonst in the oarly church was only a oat publio dinnor for the destituto. Lucian, E: tho sacond contury, claims that the Christian into their chmeh, kindoess wae drawing m Sabiota fonndod at Tomo In tho fourth contury & public hospitel, and thus, says Br, Locky,. planted by that woman's hand was | ‘4 charit; nvumpruy{the world, and will continue to allevi- ate to tho ond of timo tho darkest sufforings of bumanity,” A monk, Thelasius, collcoted all the blind poor ho could into an msylum on the shore of the Euphratos. is history of the world's character, written from tho dsys when tho Roman and frionds and famillas wore wont to antor into o golemn compact to atand by ench other, and by each othor’s childron, should .dark days como; the history of this lovo, from tho atory of tho poor Bamaritan to the marblo asylums hidden nmong tho Dhills of old Rome,—this story of God’s love, shadowing itself in tho human spirit, all the way from the flrst contury of human Jifo on the globo tothis ninctoonth ™ century - f our Lord would read more gloriously than the bat- tlo rocords of earth’s bloodisst " pago. Of tho charitfes of the German nation alone, the his- tory makes threo large volumes, which one may road only with tears of gratitude that thora ie in man a divine attribute which mnkes him share the misfortunes of his follow-mon. ‘Prussla cs- poolally ia said to havo its bosom decorated all over with institutions founded for the miserable bytho happy—decorations for tho bosom of Btato nobler than thoso bestowed upon the con- quorors of flelds of bloody nmbition, vk “'Thig hasty allusion fo° the history of benefl- ONCE B00MB NECOBHA glogs which surround us to-day aro not o mad- noss of ono contury or country, buta constant phionomenon coming from tho unequal conditions When two clouds'meet in mid-air, which contain Jmoqual quantitics of of tho human family. that mystorious’ other which roales thoir xain. drops dance as if they posscescd a separato life, thero is a sudden flash of light, and soon the oal of thundor tells us tho rich has given its roasuro to the poor, and thero is to bo peace in« ptoad of tompestuous wrath, Ho, as socioty ad- vances In Its two conditlons of prosperity snd nflvorauyl tho lattor vast cloud soys, ** Give of our joy to my sorrow ;" and this is tho Taw that .!mu’m low us all, until God shall have swopt the carih of its sadness, and oyes that have wept ehall grow bright in the millennial glory, - Assuming, theroforo, that thoro is nothing in the ofireaunt that may bo dosignnted as o mania. of entiment growing moro powerful undor tho :mwln llg)ft and gandnnus of tho timos, it ro- ‘maine for us to ask how onch one of us can bast do his part in this honorablo, and ubiversal, and inovitablo work ?' Tho only thougbt that may bo crowded futo this hour is, that thero must bo division of labor horo, a8 in all- tho dopart; monts of work, In Iudian tribos it is diso -than this; and at once the ono begins to m lopiotod 8o terribly tho 1lls of humen lifo that tho Governmont silonced Grook, to assure us that tho bey- |. arity, but that all wo #eoIs only a sacrod %, orod that thiy Indian makes & batter arrow thhn} that ono, and that one can mako a better caubg’ tho world growa largor; and indeod now -tho world hias a0 widenad outfthnt wo all give it up on & wholo, and fly'to some obo of ita )Imrtu.:).a the. hoart cannot fool that all o2 earth Is its-homo, but "longs to bo and atay and dio where 8 fow trees, and n stroam or lake, and a few {acon wwait it, Alwaya to bo grnsped fn)ly by tho intolieot and fiontt, no man “miat" shrinl: boforo all tho dutlos of tho whole world, and must givo his haud and hoart to some fragment which his aoul may.tho botter mastor. Whon wo think of tho arta and acloncos, and of all litoraturo, and of all beauty, it is with doep mulmmhnl{ the soul turns baok, aaying, You are too vost for me, The grava Is° just beforo mo in tho grass, I must give dyou up forovor;" and when wo think of all -lands, what flowera thore aro blooming which wo gannot #o0, and what vornal winds aro blowin; ulsnwhnm.h whon our_winter Is hoarse with cold storms, tho molancholy comes ngaln, 4hat wo muat shut out this pngoant of naturo's lovelincss from our hoart, and live and dio with our own oarth all unknown, unseon, Dub such is our fato, and thila fato ovades tho roalm of theso chnritios just as it ovndes all tho other renlms of man, It rommins, thore- fore, to bow to tho lmitations of love, and of "~monoy and of information, and to wed onch himsel? or hersolf to some ono or moro spacinl oliarities, that there ono's lovo and labor and fold may b athored, until tho world shall foel ita power, and one's own heart ahall feol the roflox influonce of its own sym- pathy, Wo donot gos that Mr. Bumnor com~ mitted any grave offense when ho turned away empty a band that !ouPht aid, with his groat worda that ho was ‘' living for the wolfaro of a race whioh nono olse would holp;” for it was Jjust this concentration of & soul upon ono great mission that not only so powerfully affected tho destiny of the nogro race, but which reacted so Ennurtnlly, also, upon tho charactor of tho enefactor. All imnovo\nnea, that it should ba judiclously npplied, must be based upon in- formation a8 to the objoot, and, that it may bring hnppinm to the giver, eannot bo based on his love of tho objoct. A gift bestowed without any intormation about the canso, or love of tlie cnuso“munt only hinve. brought atnoyance to the O B bty what it I o w what. hattor man_can do whon nt‘unu:a%d ?l'l‘flurnnt porsons - como wishing o dollar each for unknown, or, at loast, unocared- for abjects, than to say: *No; I 'have studied tho wants of India, orof tho wwlnf fllrla, and I would rathor ponr my thousand dollars’ aton, that channol of my own information and foel~ foolings than to scattor my property and Iovo oub upon the four winds,” Ono rengon nll our charities so annoy ench oltizon may be fonnd in tho fact that Lo gives at the dictation or upon the authority of some ono, instond of by thio Isht and in the lovo of his own bosom. Each man’s heart spronds ovor 8o many ub"ncm thnt its love nowhere {s deop. Some ono snid to sn Englishman, of American education, ‘that it was ** vory broad,” and ealled forth -tho foar from tho Euglishman * that such a broad stroam might bo ehallow.” Perhaps cach_one's chanty, by sproading over so_wide o field, bo- comes shallow fo thought, and also woak in its influcnco upon tha bonofactor. chants, and, indced, all our leading eciti- 2ZODg, aroe distractad by o lino of agonts, who urgo thom to part with a fow_dollars for onch ono of thoir crylng noods, and forth comes tho bill n';'mn somo ono of tho National Danks ; but, at tho closo of a long lifo, the good morchant knows of no kindness_ ho has dono n sorrowful world, his memory being’ confined to the fact that hio haa in his day boen barassod byn thousand agonts, and has_ pariod with £10,000.. Charityie robbed of oll its boauty and its Toflox influonce, whonover the solicitor becomes moro conspicuous than the object that neods our love, and when the gift has not done somothing for an objeot wo undoratand and lovo, 80 much aa turn from our counting-room an ob- ject which wo dislike, No one should . ever givo hing wherehis honrt iu raeped, snd is filled with impationco.. Tho monoy thus boatowed may do eomobody somo good, but it has wjured the giver to. an oqual oxtent. ovidont meaning of charity is two-fold ; blesses tho giver and the rocolver, “Cho quality.of morcy i not straned ; 1t droppeth aa the gentlo dow from Licaven Upon the placo benoath ; it 1a twico blcssed 3 1t blosuctl him that gives and him that takes. God evidently hins not gent the misorable into tho world only that thoy may bo carad for, but that thoso mny bo mado more nobla who help thom. Thoe blind have not come into being * for their own sake alone, but for tho sake of thosio who havo tho gift of sight. Henco, oharity is s bigh_education of those who bestow it. It should, therofore, follow tho line ofone’s own in- tolligenco aud love. But the lnrfin sums given,; by our publio mon are not often bostowed alon, tho path of their spooial study and love, bu along tho line of their impationce; in' sums not: that carry out o chorished idea, but that will do- liver thom from tho Eresunnn of that ngont for o onr at Jonst, Thoy have not hwflwd the suffor-' ing world; thoy have only cleared thoir offiue of on suimated ool umnl{.' Every ono should hayo some form of charity, which lie has stadiod and now loves, and then ho Eivns toitasn loving motbher glyes something to. or faithful child. It blesscth him that gives and him that takes,” In Now York City benovo- lenco is more and more becoming snbdivided, and cortain_hoarts aro following their own‘study sud Jove. When a subscription is atarted to buy Gon. Grant a house or a carriage, James Lon- nox, and Jessup, and Btewart send the agent away, tolling bim thnt they aro about to give £5,000 oach to some collego or hospital, and that that paper must be cirenjated among men who want oflico, or who know. Jittlo about colleges or the religious deatitution of Toxas. The world Las-becomo g0 immonso that all loadivg citizons must retront from the wholo to a part, and so Mr. Borgh has given himself to tho uupfimnlun of cruelty, and last wook ros- cued o littlo glr) from dah scourginga which othors had for wecks hoard of without daring to interfero ; as Mr. Cowell ohorished the idea of & school whero “ anybody ‘could fraoly learn any gefonco or art ;" as-the Vagsar Institule, where any good girl conld.find home and culture, arose from aheart that poured jts love uponone grand swoot thought ; as Wilberforce and Sumner ox- Dhaustod lifo's yorrs upon tho study and pursuif of human Uborty—eo" each ecitizen,” however great or: humblo, should bo the champion of Bome public boneficonco; and thus see to it that Somotiing dhali move ¢ his touch, and &t lifo’s cloge thero shall bo somo place known and folt of men where his money exhausted itsolf and whera Lis tears fell. Our, own city abounda in the acbris of old charities, and In the_noglested foundations of ney onos, and this: {8 because many of them sprapg from au agont, rather than from a groat bumsan soul, Some of them sprang up from a preamble and resolulions, and bocause they had no dopth of oarth they withered away, Each one of our public cherities will rise up from the dust into n boautiful reality as soon asa fow good hearts shall study their objeots and love them, aud then upon tho basis of that study and loye make solomn yows that Here my bLeart will plaug its bannor for lifo; Lore shal go my gold, my ploadings, my love.” Yhdor tho Htls of »publio ehasitios” T would not include only hospitals and nsylums, and the Christinu Asgocintion and Olristian Unton, nor objoots for tho oxtremely poor. This istoo narrow a view. ‘Whoover suiall carry forward an bistorical socioty or an ncademy of, solence, or will build & gallery of art, or build & hall for frea loctures and freo preaching, will be in the most positive line of public bonevoleuca; for I am myeelf a paupor whon it comos to buying my own pictures from Dusscldorf, or mnrbles from TFloronca, Wao are all boggars whon it comos to thoworld'a profoundost. thought. and_ highost art, All tho splonflor of oarth ig abovo and bo- yond me and my childron, and you and your childron. I cannot pmannhy own an organ of Haarlem 100 foot in height and &0 in breadch, nor can wo hava in owr numblo homes a Bodloian library, nor tho statuary of Thorwaldson, In the prosence of the world's mental and spiritual magnificenco we are all boggars, and await the Dolp of that chiarity which joius a group of icarts into one, o that the poor multilude may be blest Dy the solomn vows and the combined love of tho favored few, - 1t is time to dismiss our thome for tho day, Trom tho toxt and from all buman history read tho lesson that oharity is one of tha fundamont- -al Inws of humau life,” It is made a porpotusl law by tho perpotunl sorrows of earil; sarrow of slu, sorrow of ignarance, sorrow of poverty. - And 1‘ is made a porpotual taw by _itq rofleotion upon tho mind that lives it life. * No one gan bo callod cduoated if in his basom thero does pot flow, or hasmnot flowad, this wondorful sontl- mont, That virtuo which gave Christ His halo of light, and which now onthrones Ilim in tho world's love and worship, lsa virtue of which no. luman heart can ompty fisolf without lunv;xx;g tho soul only an empty uru whoere, flowors migh have boon, It .18 possiblo -that God gavo this world, "its many forms of individual weakness and unhappluess that noblo sontiments might Lo fully built up upon such a shoro, and that thoso who livo this llra of charity.may conto to the life immortal in charaotor mqrg;angolio and bleased, Tho won- derful dqqds oharity has dono for the.muititude do not surpeas tho marvolous transformation it Lias always mado in those who have done tho eods. le‘artorco not only doliverod slaves rom by 0, but, in tho somo inatant, himself “tromeall Tittloncss, Whilo tho slavos rose up ina ~hopg of ljborty, hle epirlt roso up in s divino Tgrahdeur.” Graco Darling not only dnggnd tho Pfi:ownlug out upon tho sandy sliors, but her it rme, In the esme Instant, draggod bhor irlinki all the arrows, and the other all tho cano l..;é’ ‘YHénrt out upon the shores of jmmortality ; . ‘Phis principlo musk more aud wmore adyauce 88 10t tho immortality of fame, but of kor own ine Our mor- | The ' trinalg worth, Thus Christ, whon Mo llyed and dlod f r man, not ooly rafssd tho Jost world up {0 bleknednoss, bt ltted Himsolf up slso to: a blosnodhess above and boyond that of himanity," In viow, thoroforo, of the Innqunm{ of human oondition, yon wlll not daro slight this gront aqualizor of roliglon, and education, and lappi~ noss; Thoy that have ~must: share with - those who havo not is n vast law that onters oarth's darknoess and makes it radiant with light, ‘And you will not {laro rob imlmoll’ of tho divine char- actor which n oharitablo lite will bring, Educated out of this lmosphore, man is ouly s brute, In Fafth and Hopo the world wiil dinagreo, But all mankind's eoncern Is Obarity, —_—— THE TRIAL OF PROF. BWING. The Rov. ¥, W, Thomna Comen to Iis All. Tho Rov. Dr. H, W. Thomas proiiched an olo- quont snd able sormon on * Tho Trisl of Prof, Bwing " yestorday morning, at tho First Mothod- ist Churoh, cornor of Clark and Washington atroots, to a vory large nudionco, Ho spoke a8 followss a0 o Eolowal Bot e oo Ferboms P et cauno ho follawoth not us,’ But Josun said, Forbid him not,—Mark iz, 87-38, Tt is somotimos urged, in justification of tho oxistonco of the differont donominations, thnt they do good in watching ono over tho othor, Tho Christian spirit shonld certalnly lead thom to fool a deop intorest in osch otler's woltaro, and in consorving tho common eauso of roligion, No ovont of groat intorest to ono can be & mat- tor of indifferonce to tho others, Itisa pecn llarity of our times, that not the Christinn alone, but tho pooplo, aro feoling a doop intorost in nostions of roliglous faith and_practico, and all that pertains to tho affairs of Ohurch as woll as Stato, For those ronsons, I fool that I am not transconding the bounds of pulpt propriaty or brothorly love in discussing Roma of the phasos of Prof. Swing's trial, No event has ocourred for many yenrs In which tho whole city and sur- rounding country has folt so deop an interest ns in thin trial Ji ding, and,whats Tany bo th Secislon, Ho” Shouts hast b fuer roaching in tho influenco upon the Prosbyterian Church, Prof. Bwing stauds ‘charged, smong othor things, with not believing the dootrines con- tainod in the Confossion of Taith as held by that Oburoh, espocially tho doctrine of * Pro- dostination.”: Tho time was' whon to chargo a man with such heresy was about the same 88 tho or‘y, “Mad dog.” The ' Church was formorly supposod to be right in all casos, sud its decisions final, and the powor was not d’mn wanting to mako them go. The ae- cused was branded, shunned by soclety, and in dangor of banishment or death. But in our dny it is different, and, when an honost and in- tolligent man is anid to doubt tho truth of some doctring, the publio will not at once say the man is crazy or false in head and hoart snd can- not bo trustod, but will rathor be led to look ‘at tho dootrine ituclf, sud sso what regsons he hag for doubting. Buch must "be the result in this Whon, at 10 o'clock to-morrow morning, Prof. Bwing, who i3 nnn{onndlg ono of tho ablost ministorsin this_or any other mty, .must meet tho charge of doubting'tho dootrine of “ Prodestination,” * What is it that ho doubta ? and Why does hefdoubt? Thoso will bo the ques- tions forced npon an in%ulrlng public, and then the noxt quoation' will ‘bo, Aro thoso doctrines truo? It may be a littlo tedious ; but, that we may, as outsido partios, havo o 1ull, fair viow of ‘tho subject, X will quoto tho dootrinos, or parta of them, from tha Confession of Faith : + God from all otornity did, by the most wiso end holy council of His own will, freoly and, un- changoably, ordain whatsoever.comos to pass'— Chap. 8, Boo, 1. The Largor Cntochism saya : ** God's decraes are tho wiso, free, and holy acts of tho holy council of “Hia will, whereby, from all etertity, Ho lath, for His- own glory, un~ changesbly foreordained whatsoovor comos to Ppass In timo, ospecinlly concerning angols and men. Tho Rev. Mr, 8haw in the oxposition of the Confagsion of Faith, eays: * The dacres of God relates to all futuro things without oxgoptions, Whatsoover was done in time was forsordalned before the boginning of time.” P. 59, Oalvin, answering objeotious to the doctrine, says of those whom he is opposiug : e ‘Thoy couslder it absurd that o man should bo blinded by the will and command of God, and aflerwarda to be punistied for his blindnoss, Thoy thorcfore evade tho difficulty that it happeus only by the permission and not by tho will of God; but God Himsolf, by tho} most unaquivocal declarations, rejects this subterfuge, That mau, howover, ¢an - effect nothing bLut by the; accret will of God, and_can doliborate on natling but: what H bas proviously deoreed and detornined by His® secret direction, is proved by expresa and innumorablo; tostimontes.—Inatitutes, vol, 1, p, 200, Sk Toplady says : It may scem absurd to buman ‘wisdom “that God abouid hinrden, blind, and deliver “up somo mon {0 reprobate sense=~that Hoskould Aret doliver them over ta ovil, and thon condomn them for that ovil ; but the, belioving eplritual man [such as Prof, Paiton I sup-' pO8e] soo8 110 abeurdity in all this, knowing that God, would be neyer & whit loss good oven thougl he should’ doalroy all mon,—Zoplady on Predestination, p. 63, "Toplady also tedolies that God both willed and, decroad tho fall of mav. P, 84, 0t sbovo statemouts will bo_ considered a fair, though not a full, outline of the dootrine of * Decroes 88.held by the Presbyterian Clurch, and this is one part of the dootrino that tho learned end sweot-spirited Prof. Swing is charged with doubtivg, To my mindit is not: strange that.he rajoots such tenching, but it is o mystery thav any one with his ‘eyos open can; believe thom. The doctrine is most cortainly open to thoss most woighty objections : it makes, God tho suthor of ovil, and dostroys human! freedom and responsibility. I knoy this dig- claimer {8 putin ** Yot go as theraby neither is God the author of siu, nor is violonce offerad to. the will of tho croaturos,” but this statemont does not meot tho case ; it only makea it worse by teaching in tho first placo that God did do- croo all things, and yot in_such & way that Ho did not dooree them, ‘U'he dootrine, faitly stated,: is that nothing can_bo but what way ‘deorced, and what was decréed cannot fail to be, aud it canuot fall to bo bocauso it was deorced it should be, Logically it is this : ** God from all oternity did by tho most wise and holy, councit of His own will, frecly and changeably ordain whatever comes to pasa,” But it comes to pass that mon cheat, steal, lio, and murder. There- fore ** God from all oternity’ by His most wise' and holy council of His own will froely and un- changenbly ordain thnt these things should como to pass,” or that men should cheat, lio, steal, and murder. It the doctrine bo truo, I am at this moment eaying tho very things it was foroordained, from all eternity, 1 should say, and-by uo_possibllity could I avoid saymg them, Tho dootrine of docrees ronders froe agency and responsibility utterly impossible. How ocun there be any froodom in doing what was ofornslly de- oroed I should do, and which by no ])UBBIBIH:‘E I could avoid doing ? Aud how am I to be blam for doing the vory things God dooreed I should do? Tho doctrine is utterly subverslve of both Iiberty and virtue in man. "Ho is_uneithor mors nor legs than a machine, and "can be praised or blamed no moro than u,watch or steam-engino, It avails nothing to say that “violonco s not dono to the will of the creature "—it only means ot bost .that *“‘manp i8 froo to follow his own ¢choice,” but then just bacl of that is the fack that his choice was eternally forefixed, Ho has freodom to follow bhis choico, but no froodom ovor.that choico. Hois todo what ho ploauos, but thon bo can only plesso to do Just what it was degreed he should do, Prof. Bwing has nover uttored & word morae or loas, or other or difforont from what it waa decroed he should; if Lo Las, then “gomething bae como to pass in time cou- cerning angela and mou "—for ho has eaid a good deal about both of lato—that was not deoreed, and theu is the doctrine itsolf not truo, X. will noxt notico the doctrino of Election and Roprobation, which the Professor atands charged with not balloving, In the Confession of Faith, Chinp. 8, yon will ind tho dootrino thus statod : Dy the decreo of God for tho maulifestation of Ilis glory, some mon aud_angols are predestiuatod unto Svorliating lfe, ud olhons foroordsined uito over lanting deaths, 3 Theso men and angels thus prodesthiated and foro- ordained are particularly and uunhungc:\bl{ deslgued, and tholr nuinber is 80 certain nud defiuito that it can~ not elthior be fncreased or dimiutshed, Thoso of mankind that sre prodestinated unto Jifo, Qad, bofore the foundstion of the world was laid, utcording to bis otexnal and -jmmulablo purpose ang tlu seoret counsel and good pleasuro of Iis will, Las chionen in Obrlst unto overlasting glory, out of 1liy more freo qrfiec nud love, without any foresight of falth or good works, or porasveranco in efther of thom, orany othor thivg in the creaturoe as conditions or causca moving him thoroto, and all to the praiso of Ilis glorious graco. As God Liss appoluted tho elect unto nlor[ 80 ath Tlo, by tho oternal and most free purposo of 11is will, foroordained all tho means’ therounto, Wheroforo, tboy who aro olected Lolng fallen fn Adam sra Tedvemiod by Christ,—aro effectually callod unto falth in Obrist by His spirit wor{lna in duo season--nro justified, adopted, sauctified, and kept by hils power through falth unto salyation,” Neither aro oauy othor rodeemod by Chriat, offectunlly callod, Justi- fied, adupted, sauctificd, but tho elect ouly, Tho rest of mankiud’ God wan pleassd according unto tho unsoarchablo counsol of His will, whosoby 1o extendetl or witholdoth moroy as o pleasath for tho glory of 1ila sovere] ower over ll\l oreatures, to rnu by sud to ordain thom to dishonor and wrath for lioir slus to the praiso of 1i1s glorious Justice, In furthor oarrylog out this besutiful achiomo, it is" gald that “all thoso prodostinated unto lifo and theso only are offectuslly. called, etc,,” and that *'oloct infants,” dying in infancy, are enved, Also’that mon “not professng the Cbrigtian religion " cannot be eayed, *be they — 7L CIICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE: MONDAY, APRIL 90, 1874 novor go diligent to ;frama .tholr lives according to thb light of nnturo and tho law of thot ro Uglon thoy do posgoss,” and * to assort that they may la. very pornlclous,” It fs furthor ‘stated flme tho fiorasveranco of tho maints doponds not upon tholr own_froo will but upon tho Immutability of the doorao of olection.” "I will add only ons or two -quotations: from standard works to slow that the above quotatious sro to Do undotataod in thoir platn, litoral monutug. "Tho Eeposition anyas Our confomion (onchion that God mada choleo of and !srulnlunltod o cortaln definite numbor of in. tyidunla sinto evorlasting life, . . . o Ohrish diod oxpressly for tlio olect, and purclinsed rodemplion for them elouo, , -, , . {n no senAo did Ho dla for tho rostof tho race, |, . . Our Gonfession Hrst s sortn, {Wllll"ly. thint tho sleot aro redcsmod by Ohrist, - nnd then, nogativaly, that ono otliors aro radeomo but tho elect alone, & , It this doos not afilrm Lo ; doatrino of a limited atononmont, I know not what lan- guago could, Oalvin says : Many, Indeod, s {f {hey wished to avert odfum from God, ndmit oloction, In ioh way a8 to dony that any ouo fa reprobatod, Tt thin 4a puorile and abeurd, bo- caudo election {taelt conld not oxiat without boing op- poned to reprobntion, Wiom God pasec by, lisro. foro, Mo reprobatea; and from no othor causo than IHis doterminntion (o excludo thom from the fnherit~ anco_which ITe prodostinatos for Ilfs children,—Tnat,, Vol. 1L, p, 103, The above 15 a fair statemont of the daotrincs of Prodostination, and I will not bo biamod by my brothron of tne Presbytorian Church for quioting thom horo, as thoy aro published to the world In tholr books. ”Nor am X consclona of anything but the kindest foolings for tho min- istors and people of that Clinrch, many of whom &0 my porsonal frisnds. Dub thoir theology I do not like, and ) had supposed that thoy woro in thought and haurt growing away_from it worst foaturos. The ‘Confession of Faith, of courgo, has not been chianged, but I havenot folt iike holding tho ministers of this day re- spongible for its atntomonts, as they had noth- ing to do in framing thom, and it {a no onsy task to formally change tho dootrines of a graat and strong church, Knowing that practical 1y they have consed to preach thege doctrines I supposed, and I think tho public genorally thought, that theg wore trylng to carry forward tho roliglans work of the Ohnrah, and lot thoso old dogmas die 'of thomselves, and wo all re- Joload to think that it was so. My congroga- tlona witl boar mo witnoss that in nearly flve yoars' proaching in this'city I havo soldom, if ovaer, alluded to thoso doctrines, and I would glu(]ly oo thom sloop on forevor, and should bo ho last oné to waka thom, buk it scema that Prof. Patton a$ loast still belloves them, and when ho holds them up as the prosent faith of tha Church and tries to convict my friend of herosy and expel him_from tho communion in whioh ho hes laborod balf o life-timo for not bolieving thom, I must not_be thought unkind for protesting against this being called n part of tho orthodoxy of the ninotoonth contury, aud & good man being ealled in quostion for not bo- lieving it. Lovo for my friend and a common {nterost in truth and roligion compel me to speak with these explanations, I am tho moro freo to stato, In_a fow words, my objections to theo dootrinca'of Eloction and Reprobation. It teachos that God created human bolngs with tho oxpress purlman of damniug thom, aud that without any fault on their part or any pos. sibility of ecsoape, It is no rolief to say um‘y aro punished for their sins, and for not believing in ‘Christ. Thelr elus, if you can aall them such, wore decroed, they could not avoid thiem, and Chrlst nover diod for thom, snd to condomn thom for not believing in Him would be to condomn them for not bolloving an un- truth, It tenchos that the eleat can by no possl- bility fail of ealvation. No crimebofore or nfter their conversion can keop thom out of Heaven. It rendora all efforts to save mon utterly useless, It “toachos tho damvatlon of all heathon, “be they nover 8o caroful to framo their lives acoord- lu{: to tho light of nature and the lnw of that religion they do possoss.” Think of it. Two- thirds of tho wholo human family damued every thirty yoars; not from any fault of theirs, but simply beeauso God wanted it so. ‘Prot, Swing ventured to sny that Queen Penol- ope, of the dark land, and the doubting Bocrates might find & wolcomo at Hoavon's gate; and for this hopo ho Is arraigned, becauso it is ** contra- ry to tho confossions of faith,” “Yo gods, it doth amazo me | To this 16747 It ie snid that “eleot infants dying in infancy aro sayed.” What of theothers? But then the damnation of infants is rcally tho most morciful featuro in tho sgstum of Roprobation. They wore damnod in tho purposo of God millions of yoars boforo thoy wero born, and it is better to send them to hell when but an hour old than to Jot them live, and for doiug, what thoy can by no possibility avoid doiug, mako their punishmont more sovaro. This awful systom docs worso than giveus a Matond for bread;” 1t tales away our loving Father and God, and gives us s merclloss tyrant .. In'tho nome of Heavon, I ask, dogs anybody ‘boliovo it ? I know no systom of boliof, anciont or modern, Pagan or Christian, so dishonoring to God and 6o destrnetivolof every sentiment of Justico. Tomy mind, common profanity is ploty comparod to such toachings. ‘Pho poor siroot- awearors are ignorant and thoughtless, but this 18 taught on Bunday, and in tho namo of God and religlon. John balvin says it is “‘hLorriblo.” 1t cgsts mo not & Jittlo to say thoso things, but- truth is above price. And what i tho world to think whou n man liko Prof. Swing is puton trirl for disbelloving such’abominuble stuff ng this, and tho moen who arraign him button up their straight orthodox coats aud call Roberk Collyerand Dr. Rydor Lorotics ? s The wondor ig, thero is no moro infidelity in the world, Universalism and Unitarianism “sre golden besido such dirt, Last wintor Prof. Pat- ton waxed warm, and called upon tho Mothodist COhurch to' take down its bLanners, becauso Gorald Massoy loctured in this room. Gerald Massoy snud nothing balf or a hundrodth part as bad s Calviniem.” What, I ask, is argning against a * porsonal devil ¥ compared to maling thie God of Ieaven avorso than o devil? It T bo- Tioved tho Dible taught auy such doctrine I should, in so far, unhasitatingly rejoot it, It I ‘believed God woro such o boing I should re- sfi:mtmuy doclino oither love or wor- ship. I ahall abido by my moral con- victions, and l;{ to keop what little sonso Ihave, it tho Hoavons fall. Now, lot mo tny sgain, T do not chargo tho Prosbyterians- of to- day with holding ~theso dreadful doctrines. T'rue, they aro in their Confession of Faith, but the publio’ is disposed to judge mildly, and to tolorate them untilsuch timo as thoy oun bo for- mallv changed, But if the Prosbyterian Oburch reaflirm thoir faith in these dogmas, by trying & miniater for not believing them, they will thoreby make them their own, and must bo judged accordingly. Another result of tho trial of Prof. Bwing will bo to call attention still mora to the subject of croods and Christianity. Tho public mind is al- ready quite alive and sonsitive on this polnt, and it X rend aright tho indications of ourtime, thero isa moro goneral feoling than eyer bofore in {avor of the lifo of Ohristinnity, and e inorens- ing opposition to its rigld dogmatio_forms, Ot course, o1l fool that there ara groat doctrines un- dorlying roligion, aud the opposition is not di- rectod ngainat thoae ag such, but tho statewents of 'men coucerning them; and ospecially is it egainst tho spirit that attempts to mako the opinions of uninspired teachors a finality on many disputed points, and to forco thom upon othors as'orthodox, branding overything eldo as berosy. With Prolestants especially, the Biblo is tho'ono and only sufliciont rule of faith, In tho enarly iunrs of Christianity this was the only creod. 'Lho carliest formulated dootrinnl states mont was tho Apostlo’s Orced. It is not known cortainly when or by whom this was writton, but in ite prosont form it 18 probably not of lator . date than the fourth century. Ita offort was to mark tho differonco_betwoon Ohristians, and Jowas, and Pagena. It was-not used in tho liturgy, but simply roquired of catechumens before baptism, Ita fivgt uso in publie worship wag in the Greok Ohurch at Antioch, and, noxt in tho Roman Church In the eleyenth contury, ‘Cho Wost- minster Assombly placed it in thu Catechism, so sl8o tho Presbyteriun and Dlethiodist Churchos, ond it is now used_in the baptismal confousion in tho Grook, Roman, English Roformod, Lutheran, Lpitcopn), and Methodiat Olwrohos, No othor orood has boon used in baptism, The hrawo, ‘‘ho descendoth futo hell,” is omitted y some Protestant Churolos. ‘'hon, as differ- ouces of opinfon grow up within tho Churehes, it whg nmu{;ht nocossary to have something to distingush botwoon thotrio and felso bolleyers, This gavo rise to the Council of Nice in A. D, 8263 ond tho Nlceno Crood was onlarged at tho Council of Constantinople in 885, this enlarged form boing called tho Nicmno-Constantinupoli- tan Oreod, Noxt Is tho Athanasian Creed. Its author i not cortainly known,~—probably it was tho work of Hilary, Dishop of Arley, in the fiful contury, It camo iuto uso in tho Wostorn Churoh in tho sixth contury, and n the Ohuroh of England aftor tho Reformation, T'hese are tho threo anclont creeds, and tho two latter aro mainly occupled in trying to sottlo tho disputod nestions of the porsonality of Ohrist and tho %oly Hpirit, aud the dootrine of the 'h'iulg. tho Nicono “After much bitter nantrnmray,r ; he was adopted ns & finality. Counell of Laodicon docrea that no socond croed shall over appoar, ‘Tho Gouncll of Lphosus declsra that whosoover shall composs any other oreed shall bo doposed from the mialatry If a clorgy- wan, and excommunicated if a layman! And, 28 tha loarned Dr. Haven, of our oity, justly re- marks, ovory time the Nicena COroed " [s rnlrnnud by the ontiro Ohristian world of to-day, with tho oxcoption of one or two Enstorn seots, it comes undeér tho ban of this oxcommunication, for the Nicene, a8 Row recelyed, 18 not that of the Qoun- oil of Nico, but the form a8 adopted by the Qoun- oll of Olialoadon in 461, Aftor theoroeds como tho many confenalons. The Greok Ohuroh adéptotl its confesalon in 1048, and it s atill tho atandard in that Qburoh, Tho Roman Ghuroh hiad no othor Qonfession of Faith $han the theoo nnclont oreods till thie Council of Tront in 1504 ; and then wo havo, atill later, tho wholo army of confessions {n tho Protostant Ohurchos, tho threo Luthoran, the clght Calvin- iatio coutessions, tha thirty-nino articles of tho Egluuopnl, ond tho twonty-ilve of the " Mothodlst Ohureh, oto, It ia the work of a lifetimoe to road thelr Ltstories and litoratures, iTho simplo rolig- lon of our Lord {8 burdenad with croods onough ta broak down an Atlasl Now I thiuk the. pub- 1o mind in quite roady for tho lifo of roliglon, but {s bocoming vory J.mtlnnt at aving any or all upon it on pain of leresy, ‘Lho Athanasinn Orood, used In tho Oburch of Logland, beglos by unylnfix * \Vhosoover will bo Bavod, bofora all things it is nccossary that ho hold {tho Catholio Talth, which "excopt ovory ons do keep wholo and undofiled without doubt ho shall perioh overlastiug.” And tho ono faith {a this: “That we wors HF onoGod in Trinity, and Trinity in Unltfi noithor confound- ing tho porsona or dividing the aubstanco,” Thon comoa the oxplanation of this, and at every lino the mystory and confusion grows upon tho mind, and yet it Is eaid, ** Exuogt every ono do keop wholo, without doubt ho shall porish ever- Lastingly 1" Is It stronge that the public mind fs bocoming confused aud weary, and tho con- scionce sore, over B0 many abatract and mota- Ph{u(enl statomonts, and crios out for a return o tho Biblo snd tho simplioity and rost of tho Cbristian life # No man has a right to put such sobolastio obstructions in tho way of aouls, God made tho path of lifo plain. How differont our confuged philosophio confessions from tha plain tonchings and tonder words of our Blessod Lord! "Ishall always rojoico that ovor the door of our own Mothodist Church is writton: ** Thero i only ono condition proviously required of all who would becomo members of thoso socioties, namoly, a doslre to fleo from the wrath to como and to bo savod from thoir eins in this tifo.” And then whon In the Oburoh itis oxpected, firat, that you do no harm ; and, socond, that you do guul by all puosiblo waya to the bodles and souln of mon, How mnany millions have como in un- der that motto in tho last hundrod yoarsl Thoy havo lved appy, usoful lives by that rulo, and whispored back 't tho last, “All is woll Wo have our simplo form of . dootrinos, but that on which wo must insist, holiness of hoart and lito, is not even mentionod in tho Articles of Fuith. ‘Tlho trial of Prof. 8wing will givo & now intor- ost,_to the quostion as £o how far jt {8 the right and duty of A Church to domand of its members, and espocinlly, of its ministors, an entire adhor- enco to its Ariiclos of Faith, Asa quostion’of Ohurch law, thera can, of course, bo but ona opinion as to tho right or authority of the Church to domand n strice complinnce with tho covonsut of momborship and miuisterial vows. In so far, Bishop Whitelhouse had the Church law on hig sido in tho Cbonoy cago, and Prof, Patton bns it on his side in the caso of Brother Swing; that is, rssuming, whioh I suppose to be the -fact, that Brothor Swing s not in full sympathy with the dootrinas of Calvinism. But thoro is & moral, or roligious side to the question as well a8 n striotly lognl ono, What e right? And thia orgpin opens up the whole question of religion as & tho- ory, and roligion 88 a lifo, and tho rolation of the one to tho other, and the duty of tho Church'in prcsnrvln;} Enmy of doctriues. In the prosent 080, I {hink tho vast majority of Prosbyterian ‘minfators muat feel that in go far as Prof. Bwing 18 doparting from Calvinism, ho iy going in the direction of truth; and if 80 in thia instanco, it is not o quostion of purity of doctrivo, thoso forms forcoi but of fdolity to n Oburch standard, Looked at & brondor 80080, wo find thet porsons come into tha religions Iifo moro through tho loves and wants of tlio heart than by tho theorios of the heed, Lod by theso loves tho goul finds life and .poaco undoer very different forms . of beliof, aa Univorsalist, Methadist, or Prosbyterian, nnd 16 vory apt to think that €ho Churoh In which it is convorted is right. ‘Chis we all know. Thou suppose & courso of study is commenced. Tho first stugo of the mind islargely acquisi- tivo. Led on by tho novelty of learning and tho desire to find evidenco of ‘what ia slrendy ac~ coptad as truo, the mind seos but ono side.” Af- tor this comes tho refloctive porlod, when ono thinks for one's self, and next, the croative pe riod, whon ono's own thoology bng its birth and ona’s own thoughts are given to the world. Now in oll this timo a life-worlk ia talen up, and, pos- sibly, Lnlf dono, essoclations are tormed, and tho ministor, at this ago, i8 not & plant or shrub just ready to bé sot out, .but o'tree, well rooted n the carth. At hoart ho Lknows ho is honost, Lo focls in full accord with tho boart-woik of the Church, but his theology has grown some- ‘what away from-one or more of the formal doc- trinos of ius Oburch, but still ho is_blessed in his work and blamoless in his lifo. What is his duty? Ieny, stay whore heis, apd work on. ‘What should the Church suthonities do? If tha Ohurch oxists mainly a8 8 theory, if its sole work i to defand intellectunl dogmuas long since set- tled, or outgrown; or if it is a wall to hold pogs, upon which to hang up: sliotetons ~ of the dark agoes, this 18 its chiof businoss, thon if it {ind a living man or & thinker, turn him out, or if ono of theso slolotons ehows signs of 1ife talio it_down and hang up one that you know is dead, Xf a minis~ tor i8 made a8 you would make stuflfed ssusago, and after'ho is mado can Lnow no other changa than to bo smoked, to keop him from spoiling, this 18 oll right, but if making ministors 18, planting living soods fn warm hearts, give thom’ & clmnee to grow. If tho miesion of the Church is to do good in tho world, ingtead of hedging its workers about with embarrassments, encour- .ago thom, Thero must be more individual soul- liborty, and what "is called orthodoxy must ad- mut of gomo newor and widor deflnitions. i Were you to-day to turn out every miniator ‘who liolds to the moral viewof atonoment, you would exclude many of the best tbinkers and workorain tho Churches, [v is not a horesy fo hold such a view. If the Prosbyterians turn’out all who doubt Calvinism, or at least all who do not honestly preach if, they will have but fow loft, And this trial'of 'Prof. Swing_is only tho boginning, ‘Thot Church 'must take broader ground, or loge much of the best brain and heart of our time, It onnnot afford to go back to the dark oges, and 1 oy God, for the truth’s snke, that it may not. They cannot put the dusty garmonts of the sixteenth contury on tho livig men of the ninoteonth contury. Thoso who broatho tho ‘fresh, puro air of tho broad prairics of thio West, will not wesr them, The ashes’ of ‘old Genevn cannot abido the Lreath of new Chicago, If they turn ont Prof. 8wing, who that has thought and life will want to remnia ? Out at that door will go Aty mor ‘What I think thay should do ia this: Lat all such good men and workors go on, bid them God speed, and eithor let thoir Calvinism lie as o dead thing in tho books, or clse, at least, ‘8o far re- form it au to take awayits worst foaturcs, \What n goene 16 this for 1874: o hundred grave men asgomblod to try this brother 7 Who is Lie, and what {8 his offenso ? A man known to ud all A man whose Christinn charactor is absolutely abovo suspicfon, A man of rarest gifts and finest culture, = Aman whosa naturs 18 as tonder and gontlo us tho voico of thodove, A mun on ‘whom God's benedictions "evermors abido, and who Liag preached better sormons and to more peoplo durlng the past ‘{ou than any othor min~ 1stor in Chicago. Tho flelde witite for the har veut and crying for the renpers, tho world full of 8in, to bo stayod and souls to be eaved,—woo and want all about us, and this wholo Praabytory on= gagod Iu trylng its bost miufstor ! In tho, namo of Hoavon I protest against such an example boforo the world. Imagiue, if you canm, our Bavior l];muldlnq at such a trinl! Xow soon would Ho say, *Farbid him uot.” Aud Iam Ind to know that the old, bonorod and trled resbytorian_ ministers of Ohicago—such men a8 Drs, Pattorson, and Swazoy, pud Brother Walker, and somo othors, have done all thoy oould to prevont the unfortunato affalr,. Weowo it all to & man whoso ndvout upon earth was un~ fortunately 800 yoars later thon it should huve been. For no olass of men doI havo so little rospect as for these ua\bn}momtufl horosy- huntors, these orthodox inquisitors whoso ‘chiof dolight is to find fault with other poople’s the- ology, and with truo pharisaio hoast call thom- solves tho only ** sound men." A strost-scaven- ger i8 n king compared to them, Look'at theso two long columna of charges, Think of that ghonl going to tho grave of tho lamonted Mrs, Collior for ground of accuaution| As for Drothor Bwing, ho has by degroes, and in tho gontlost and least oifonsive way possiblo, Drokon to tho world tho secrot of his unboliol in_Calyinism, 1l mn{ fool that bo can best sorvo tho cause of truth by staying where ho is, lolding on to tho many good things in his Churah, and nuoklnF to froo it from thoso errors that o soriously impodo its progross. Or ho may feol it bost to withdraw, or homay ho ox- polled. In_oither case ho will be ouo of the groatost and best proachors of his age, and his sormons will bo road a8 long a8 the sentimouts of tho pure, tho beautiful, and the'good, have a placo in humen hearts, ————— BIGOTRY IN THE PRESBYTERIAN OHUROH, . ‘What Layumen May, l\nml Miniaters May Not. 0, ¢ The Rey. David J, Burrell proachod yestorday morning, in the Wostminator Proubytorian Churob, cornor of Jackéon and Peoria stroots, on “Digotry In tho Prosbytorlan Ohurch.! Tho : aninouncoment of the Rubjoot, and its supposed rolatlon to the fortheoming trinl of Frof. Bwing on tho ohinrgo of Lioresy, had the offact of bring- ing out a largo congrogation, Aftor an enrnest prayor for modoration, wisdom, and o fooling of brotherly love in the approaching irial, tho poator choso his text from tho fiftoonth vorse of tho cighteonth chaptor of the Gospel according to Bt -Mark—"Dowaroc of tho loaven of Tharisoos.” The Pharlsces, Lo enid, woro tho arlatoorate of tho old :Jowlsh theocracy, proud of thelr position o8 tho constitutod oraclos of God, and ostontatious in their plety, so that they - fro~ quontly foll undor tho consro of our Lord, and fnourred His .angor. Thoro waro, bLowover, many points in tho ploty and gonora) charsotor ot tho Pharlaces worthy of imitation. Thoy wore vory dovoted to tho Boriptures ; strlot in thoir obsorvanco of tho Mosalo Iaw ; rigidly nd- hering to therulos of morality, 'Tholr chiar- actor as o Seripture-loving aud 'n -law-keopiug pooplo, wna somothing romarkable, Tlhoy tvora vory gorupulous in _thelr obsorvance of thoir sacramonts and ordinnnoes -of faith; rarely absent from public worship; 'a por- footly conscientious poople; very zaalous In the pmpngnfion of tho ‘truths of tholr falth. Thoy wonld compasa land aud gon to mako ono prosolyto, no matter though that {)rouoljlu might bo worse off in the now faith than ho old. Thoy soro bold, with no fear of tho {fago of man, and never quailing bofore a tyrant. In all'thoso respoots thoir charactor was admir- ablo and worthy of imitotlon. But thoy woro extromely bigotod. Bolng blessed, thoy wore proud of having rocoived tho blossing. It was o Pharisco who thankod God that ho wes uot as other mon woro ; who saw o follow-man in dls- tross by the wayside, and, for fonr of defilomont, pagsed by on ‘tho othor-sido; who snid to tho common peoaple, *' Come not near tome; I am holier than thou." Ho Chriat anld: * Bowaro of tho leavon of the Phariseos,” monning tho loaven of their bigotry. Nothing sproad so 4.}\1lak1y 08 illiberality. An oxampla of tuin wao found’ in_bhe oarly histo: of tho I'roaléyturhn Ohuroh. Bervetus, n loarnoe: and plous Spanlard, with all his learnlng and R‘loty Waa not able to recelve the dootrino of the rinily. He wont to Gonoys, and thoro bocamo involvad in & controvorsy, in which i§ oloarly ap- poarod that Lo did not boliovoin that groat fun- damontal -dootrine of the Olristian faith, At the {ustance of » man high in 'nm.hurlt( in Gor- many, bo was soized and cast in prison, and thon brought to ‘trial on the °]""§° of heresy, for whioh he was finally condomned and exacute ed, The namo of the man who brought him to trial nand eignod his death-warrant was John Calvin, nnf from that day tho Prosbyte- rian Ohurch lad never rocovered from - tho stigma resting upon it through tho trial and oxcoution:of Horvetus. It mado no difforenco that such a bloody apisode nover ocourred ngain ; tho record of the Oliurch was still blackened by that ono not of bigotry. Tho spoaker loved tho momory of John Calvin, and was glad ho be- Tonged to o Ohurch which hnd for its firat dis tinotive defendor 8o brave and learnod a man. The Presbyterian Church had gono through the fire of a furnace, and thoy could havo charity for its past nots of bigotry committed in tho dark ago of religious Emeuutiun. Ho did not rocog- nizoany such thing zs bigotry in the Ohurc) now, Ho doplored all tho moro deoply that thoro ehould over bo such o thing ae illiboral fooling. He was always sorry to seo the blue ribbons of Presbytorlanism flouted before the blood of the Oross, and to soo the Westminster Oonfession obseuring tho faithful, sayiog: ** Obrist oame into tho world to save sinnera.” Ho doniod that the Church, {n tho main, was illiboral. Its membors were not ealled upon to subsoribo to suy dootrine or article of faith which othor evangolical denominations did not insiat n[mn with equal tenacity, Its membors were at liboréy to roject the dootrine of olaction, of original sin, 6f tho porseveranco of thoeints, or any or all of tho five points of dootrine con- tained in tho Wostmiustor Oonfession, and still sit ot tho table of tho Lord, and break His brond and drink His wino. The status of tho ministry was different, Thoy wore not loarnors, but tenchers. When & pnstor was received into tho Church, and ordained to tho ministry, he took & vow not only to support the trath of the Gospol, but alao Lo support that trath so laid down {n the Wostminstor Confesslon, and when Lo fuflod to maintain 1t ho was falso fo Lis vows aod obligations. And yet no case could be cited whore a man had beon expelled from & Presby- terion Enlplt for what waa called hercsy. If he -broke his vow to mointain the special truths of Prosbyterizuiem, Lo was hold 08 a dishonorable man in violating tha courtesy of the Oburch in rocolving bim into the ministry, svd as a dis- honest man in that ho broko o golemn vow and -covenant.” A minister was not called upon to defond himself sgainst o charge of denomina-~ tional horasy, but sgsinst thounivarsal doctrinos of the Lyangelieal Churches,—againat tho relig~ fon of tho LordJesus Clriet as held by tho ‘wholo evangelical body, The' speaker entered & protest against tho charge of bigotry, which Lo saw g0 frequontly in the daily papors, and heard reitorated by somo of the clerical mombora of tho Proubytery. Thore was® no such thing as bigotry.” Tho Ohurch was as liboral as any that the Lord evor allowed to exist. Ono of tho Kings of Franco 8aid that ho.would sooner lose his right hand than tolorate Lutheranism, and would gladly shad tho blood of his dearcst child -sooner than’ soo that child o convort to that dootriuo. This, Lbowevor, wns.epoken in_a day and nge of ro- ligiona intolerauco snd porsocution, when wo could not blame mon for Leing bififuud. . A minister of the gospel might violate his vows of ordination, and still be nllowed, by courtesy, to remain in Lis pulpit, but there wore cortain vital, fundsmental truths which if a man rojcoted he could not romain in the Presby- torian or any other Church, If » man rojootod tho divinity of Christ, ho had no right to ba in the I’rua\gtm-lun .or any other Evangolical Oburch. -Luther, when a monk, once -journoyed to Romo, whoro ho was told that thero was virtuo in aaconding Pilate's staireaso, over which Obrist had once passod. As Lulher was slowly and dovoutly bowing his body and face upon tho stops be heard within him'a grent voico, saying ;' * By faith aro yo saved.” .. That hour marked lfia boginning of the Protostant Church, and this wos the fundamental truth of the grand evan- gelioal body—*By faith sre ya saved.” It was panuxlu:fl the faith of tho Presbyterian Church, which traced it back not meraly to Calyin, but to Luther ; not to Luthor, but toSt. Paul;'not to 8t Paul, but to the Liord Josus Chriat, A man who donied this great truth, or who meintained that faith would save unloss it weore fixed on_Christ, was guilty of herosy agatnst the whole Evangelical Church, ‘This waa all that should exposa a guilly one to oxpulsion from the Church. If any man love not Obrist, let him be anathoms maranatha ; if any .man . preached other salvation - excoph throngh Him, lot him bo anathemn maranathn, ‘Tho spenkor was sorry that any controversy had arigon in Chicrgo botween two _loarned lendors in tho Church. Ha should jus- tify tho chargos Dbrought, _because -~ hio Delleved the prosecutor was moved to his courso walely by o songe of bis duty 2a a detender of tha faith'; but-he also hoped tbat the man aguinst whom they were bronght would come forth like pure gold from a furnaco—sovon timos triod, At ano time, during the pondency of n war bo- twoou England and anothor nation, two armed ships mot in mid-occan at night, and each, sup~ posing the other to be au enemy, openad firo, All tho night long the torrible cotibat was aone tinuod, and, a8 morning approachad, . both vossels woro in o sinking condition, thoir sides riddled - with. shot,—thelr decka “siipvery with blood, As the day broke and rovealad tho trua aftuation, at the mast-head of ench ship the English llag way ll)'lng. . Ho hoped that it would bo so after this pending trisl, and ho tiusted tha, aftor orimination and reerimination had censed, it woula bo found that each Lind o com- mon fath in Jesus Ohrist. It only neoded the sunlight of power and closer fallowslip to show to both that they hnd ono faith, one Lord, ono baptism. This Prosbytorian faith was not mado up of doctrines, nor was it one truty, or any sorien of truths,—it was porsonal friondship for our Bavior, ) W1, anid tho speskor in conolusion, * uy ‘man tolls mo thut hio bolloves thnt in Cliriat fs atornal life, it is nothing to mo what lio bolloves about original sin, tho doctrine of olaction, or of tho poréeveronco of tho ealuts; all theso aro noth&’ug, it wo cun onlysay: ¢ Lord, my heart ia fixod on Thee, and Thou knowest § lovo Theo.’ I oxpoot of a man but ono doctrinal tonot, and that Is, ¢ that noithor death, nor life, nor angels, nor prinoipalities, nor powoer, nor things pros- ent, nor thiugs ta como, nor Lulght. nor depth, nor auy othor croature, shall bo ablo to soparate mo from tho love of God which s in Obwist Jesus our Lord.’ " 3 ——— A PLEA FOR HERESY, Sormon by the Rov. Honry Powers at the Church of the Mesulah, Yostorday evoning the Rtov. Henry Powers, now temporarily flling the pulpit of tho Rov. Laird Oollier, prosched at tho Chuzoh of the Blosalab, his text being ¢ Aftor the mannor which thoy call Loresy, 50 Worahip (lio God of my fatlors.—Acls, aziv., 14, Attor explaining what the ohargea wero which tho ecolosiaatical party among thoe Jowa had pro- forrod againat Paul bofore tho Roman Governor, tho anssror which Panl mado to theso obarzes, aud tho result of tho Lrisl, tho prescher went on to oxplaln in what popao the word *horosy " 1 muado uso of by tho Apostle. Hlo nssortod that a heretio, nccordiug to Paut, n this conncotion, ja not ono who consclowaly rejoots any. fundamontal truth of roligion; or ono who substitutos his own concoptlon (of *'ohioice,” which is what tho word moans, oty- molbgically) of n gospol trutli for tho gonoral ono, and a0 creates schism; but one who mnkes use of the Iatoab snd bost rovelation of God's truth In such woy as to consorve the truth of all pnst rovolations, enlargo tho domain of truth, and causo 1t to bo a Hving and growing power for good in tho world, flanco, horeay is novelty in tho coucoptlon of spiritual things and their ox. prossion, Itisthe religion of tho lmllghknud and faithful mluorltyi it 18 tho olomont of lite and progress in tho world, and tho groat noocssity of tho hour. In this sonso, Abrabam woa o horetlo, ond Mosos and tho prophots, Jesus and Iis disciplos, Corneliug and Luthor and tho Roforrors ; Chanuing and Theodore Parler and Fruu-llnh;finnluta gonorally of theso last days. And thua it I8 that from tima to timo s Bomo groat truth, God's now Mossiah, offering each e bloom or uigut, Parts the gonts upon tho loft Land; parts tho shoop upon the right, And tho cliolce goes by forever, 'twixt that darkuess and the aight, Mr, Powers maintainod that thore would al- Waya bo horetics, bocause chango i tho condi- tlon of progross and progross (s an element of religton ; beoauge tha Gospol demands that new Wino must be put conatantly in now bottles, and it this bo not douo there is loss and corruption, Tho bistory of tho world wns appealod to in proot of this nssortion, and $he oxporionce of Bacty and parties in Churoh and Stato was olted to show Low all great organizations’ doteriore ated and must be roformed or destroyed. So soon a8 tho Oburch booomos establishod, it be« glng to bo impuray and.- from that time on the numbor of {tg horetics must increaso until the horesy of to-dsy becomos tho orthodoxy of to-morrow, ¢ In commonting upon tho Swing-Patton caso, Mr. Powors eaid that Prof, Patton was flim in tho course hio was pursuing, sccording to tho standards of the Presbytorian Church, bus that fact wna the condomuatlon, not of Prof, Swinj but of tho Presbyterinn Courch. Ho lhmlggl thnt tho intogrily of Prof. Swing's gospol, tho quality of hig £rumh(ug, and the purity of his influonco, would bolargoly inoroased by breaking tho fotters which now Dind him. What s wante ed in theee days is fidelity to truth as it is hold in tho heart, andits fearicas proclnmation in tho pulpit at whatoyor cost of popularity or polf, that thore may be faithfulnoss in tho pews. Son- timont, rhetorio, general and vaguo statomonts of universal trutlis, will not answor, Tho wholo hond {8 sick snd. the whole hoart 1alnt, beoauso our people are not positive and enorifleinl enough in thoir spooch nrnr livos, Lib- erty is not liconso, nor charity indifferenco to the woll-boing of others. Tho fault is that tho dog- moa which have been formulated and taught in tho name of tho Gospol have been falso and devilish, and honco the reaction agonst sl posi- tlvo tenchings, The pointa were expanded and {llustrated ab length, and, in conolusion, the proacher roolted this oroed : v As othier men hsvocresds, o have T mino} I koop the haly {aith in God, in man, And [n all aatiits that mintafor betwdon, I hold to ono trus church of all truo souls Whote churchly seal is noither broad nor wine, - Nor hym":“ of hands, nor holy oil, But ouly the snolnting of God's graco, Ihiato oll kings, and easte, and prido of birth, For all the sont of men axo sons of God § Nor llmpa boggar butis nobly born, Or wearas slave yoko, or Ozar n crown, it malies him less or mors than just s man, 1 servo my country and hor righteous causs, Bo dara I not keep silent at ber sin ; And aftor freodom may her bella ring peace, Ilove one woman with o holy fire, Whom I rovero a8 priestess of my house ; I atand in wondering awe before my babos, Till thoy rebuke mo to a nobler life, 1 kept a sncred friondehip with my friend, Whom loyally I serve ore myself, 1 lock my ifps too close to apeak a lie, I wasl my bonda too whito to touch a Liribey 1 owe no man a debt I cannot oany Excopt tho love which men should always owa, Withal ench day, bofors the blesscd heayen, I open wide the portals of my soul, And pray thoHoly Ghost to anter fn, Thus runs the falr confossion of my faith, Bo crossed by contradictions of my Mifo, That now may God forgive the spoken lie, ¥et still by help of ¥im who helpoth mnn, 1 faca two worlds, and fesr not Life or death, Ob, ¥athor—lead mo by thy hand—Amenl el Volocipedoes. ‘When those two-whooled croatures camo Inta our country, thoy made & great denl of morrl- ment. It Was o sort or nine-days' wondor, and thon rapidly diod away. Thoy seem to have Fained & foothold in England, and are made “objocts of encourngement ™ at agriculturcl 1airs, as much 80 ag our Lorso racesor plowin, matchos, A contomporary says of this ?flngllgfi Buccoss with thom ; “In England bicvoling has a department asgigned to it in such journals as _the Field, and is not only practiced as & pastime, but turnod to Bood, practical account in taking journoys. Oce cosionally wa reed of bicyclo ridors running a race with tho Bt. Alban's or some other fast stage-conch, and the two-wheoled vohiclo gonere ally comes out winner. Recontly a trinl on spoed was bind to test tho question, ‘man versug horse.’ A race of 20 miles, for £25 n side, was arranged and carriod out, the compotitors boing Joln Keon of Burbiton, the champion bicycls rider, and Polly, a good " pony, belonging to Mz Goorlor ot Birtugham, "A¢ et *tho-Eioylic Lod considarably ; fawards the middle of the raco the pony got ahead; during the -14th mile Koon again took tho lead, the pony beginning to be & good deal fagged ; and et tho closo of tho 17th mile tho pony was lod off the couree, and the triumphant bicyclist was duly notifled by Dolly's Lackers that they did not require him to {lnish the distauco, The pony was well ridden, and evorything so managod 18 to mako it faif compotition. Koen’s bost time was run in 8 min- utes 82 seconds, and he mnde the first 10 milos— half thoe race—in 87 minutes and 11 soconds.” Eioa siseming it vy Singular Coincidences. Tho Temps noticos tho singular faot that whon M. Olllvier, whoso part in the disastrous French war stamps bim, (n the o&:(nlon of his conntiy~ men, as an unlucky individual, took his soat for tho firat time_in tho Fronoh Academy, his col~ longues were busy with the dictionary, and, have ing reached the letter N, wero ongaged in dig~ cuasing the word nefaste—innuspicious, A simi- Iar colncidonce, remarks tho London Echo, ia snid to havo boon noticod on tho occasion of the * visit paid to tho Acadomy by tho Queen Chrie~ ting of Swedon, in 1668, Affer tho royal visitcr hind boon henrd and admired a copy of vereer, tho production of an Acadomioinn, “it was pre= posed, in order to give hior somo idea of the e~ rlous Iabors of the Joarned Asgembly, to' road her nprge of the dictionary. This was accordingly done; when the word jew, n gamo or Enahmr. happoning to come first, tas fllustratod by ce.~ tain provorbial phrases, among which occurred tho following: “Jeuz de Princes, rogal pastime, agraoablo only to thota who originate it—o plece of spite or act of violence porpetrated by one in power.” This was torribly npropos,” Queen Christina, hnvh:’; but threo months boforo en- gaged in’ tho ‘‘regnl pnstimo” of putting her equerry Monnlderchi to doath, aud act of arbi- trary power which, oven at that poriod, was re garded by the publie in the light of a murder. L Pardencd by the President, From Pomeroy's Democrat, Aprit11, Preaidont Grant hos insued tho oxeoutive par- don in favor of Loauder and Byron Fox, fathor and gon, of tho firm of the firm of B. Fox & Co., 801 Oanal stroot, New Yorl Oity, who, at tho ine stanco of Anthony Comstock, Woro prosceuted and convicted last yoar of sending obsceno booka through tho mails, Thoy claimed at tho timo that thoy had bought tho books us purely scien-~ titlo medical works, and were nob aware of thelr coutaining anything that could be construed into moro obscenity. - Thoy wero, noverthoeless, found gulity sugd sontencsd to one yoear's imprisonmort snd o fino of $500 each, The Prosident in con~ sidoration of tho possibility of their being de- colved s to tho character of tha books, now ro- mits the torm of imprisonmont and orders their dischinrgo, on condition of their paying tho fine and tho coste of the prosccution, 44 Art” vorsus Law, From the Montyelier (Vt,) Argua, Qoorgo M. Clatk, of largo fi'onzx\\'nans a 8lowe man, aud of goodty roputo a8 o gontleman, woR giving nd«}mumon in Mauchoster, N, II., tho oiher duy, in tho onso of Kolsoy va.- Osboire. Jumes I, Briggs, counsel for the plaintiff, did not liko tho looks of the deposition from' M standpoiut, and undortook to weakon it by Low littling tho witnoa, Henoo ho began, with ® &noer; “Ygu aro In tho nogro minstrol businor: , I holieve ? *Yos, 8ir,” was tho roply, “Ycu blaok your faca and sing for s living, do youz" *Yes, air," " Well, don't you ‘call %but Tatbee low busiuoss to follow 2" ° 4T don’t know but it 1g, slr; but it 13 80 much bottor than that of fathor bofora me that X am rather proud of it.% +*Why, what dld your fathor do?" ~ Lio was & ‘Inwyer," - g :