Swing's Sermons [pp. 512-532]

SWING'S SERMONS.
workl of the Holy Spirit, the nature of saving, faith, of good
works, and the relation of both to justification, to say nothing of
what is hinted and what is omitted in regard to eschatology, or
the manifold ways of jostling all these subjects out of place by
what is said and what is not said, what is suggested or intimated
without the responsibility of express affirmation. We have been
conversant with the controversies between the theologians
known as Old School and New School in both the Congregational and Presbyterian bodies —even the chiefest of them-nay,
we sat at the feet of Gamaliel. Dr. Nathaniel W. Taylor was
the only teacher in theology whose lectures we ever attended.
We have not the slightest hesitation in saying, that had any one
imputed such views to him or to any of the recognized expounders
of any recognized form of New School Divinity, Congregational
or Presbyterian, he and they would have indignantly repelled it as
a calumny, and justly so. Prof. Swing's peculiarities are outside
the points in controversy between the two schools.
And very decidedly are they outside of any theological platform or basis understood by either party to be included within
the covenants of Reunion. This admits of easy demonstration.
For the present it is sufficient to refer to the successive documents and discussions by which the nmind of each church became known to the other, and sufficient mutual confidence was
brought about to induce reunion. We refer to the successive
articles on the doctrinal basis of the two churches, by Drs. Hodge
and H. B. Smith, the Protest by Dr. Hodge, and its Answver by
Dr. Shedd in the 0. S. School Assemnbly of 1868, to the discussions and resolutions of the celebrated Philadelphia Convention
as related to this subject, and, above all, to the manner in which
these were received and understood by all. Says Dr. J. F.
Stearns, (Am. Pres. Review, July, 1869): "Both of the admis sions of Dr. Hodge, and the denials and assertions of Prof.
Smith, tended to the same results-the conviction of the substantial oneness of both bodies in receiving and adopting (the
italics are his) the Confessi)n of Faith, in the true, honest,
liberal, common sense, and Presbyterian signification of those
words;" and this as he makes fully appear, was conceded on all
hands to be "the Calvinistic or Reformed sense."
Not only want of time and space, but other considerations
prevent our touching th i trial of Prof. Swing, of which we have
529
1874.]