The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-06-06 00:00:00

Or orrespentience,

REV. MR. NEAVE AND MS DISSENTIENTS.

To Ike Editor.

Sir—Although my expectations of " Discene were not
the highest. I did think he WAS man enough, and,
certainly, from his continued protestations, Christian
enough, to confess his faulta when once they have been
brought home to him. I did flatter myself that he would
have seen the gross impropriety of publicly attacking the
government and conduct of a Christian :hurch which be
denounced as the worst he had known, so bad indeed as
to lender it impossible for a saint like himself to connect
himself with It; nor were in expectations lass that on
my pointing out his inexcusable ignorance, accompanied
as all such ignorance is, with intolerable bombast, that at
least he would have cried peccari, and given some ground
for amendment My expectations, I need not say, have
been disappointed, and instead of any :Tendon of
regret " MMUS' holds himself up as m maligned
and ill-used man. lam sorry for this, because it leaves
little room to hope for improvement, and suggests that he
had better be left to his own sweet meditations. I did
think, however, that if any wanof the sense of the
becoming might prevent his apprehension of his serious
blunder in connection with the church at South-street
his mental perception would have been bright enough to
detect his Militias with regard to the Puritans but
instead of a generous and manful confession of his
Ignorance, and an acknowledgment of indebtedness for
*e information kindly volunteered, which scarcely fits
in with his theory of my lon of temper he flings back My
kindness and disdains to know sy-tiling at all about
history, and esthete himself, after flinging Sir R. Philli.
more, Gladstone, Quartrriy Reviews, Principal Tulloch.
and Geed W.vs to the fishes as perfectly to •
gentleman of " Discens" gate who gets history evi Uy
by intuition and manufactures it for use, contents him-
self by referring me to an authority no less than Dr.
Parker, who in his paper happened to express a wish to
hear more of our poor country ministers on the Genera.
national Union platform, as likely to lead him and others
like him to take a livelier interest in the question of
Disestablishment ! I don't suppose "Discerns" had this
part of the Doctor's speech in his mind's aye, but it 0017
shows how difficult it is for some men to play with two-
edged tools. I am sorry net ink better things 0,
oma'," to think might well have shielded himself under
great examples who had been guilty of greater indiscre-
tions, and manifested greater ignorance than he, but who
were honest enough to confess their faults, and after due
repentance to be forgiven. That forgiveness I would
cordially and aNectionately have extended to him. I
regret much that he refuses to allow me what would have
been the sweetest drop in this cup of personal bitterness
and antagonism. There is but one thing I must refer to
in his letter. lie charges me with attributing words to
him which he never used—the expression was "that
sweet culture and mild reasonableness which I applied
to the Puritans, a phrase which the modern apostle of
culture has spoken of as altogether lacking in our modern
Dissenting Philistinism. The phrase, therefore, was not
meant by me to be placed to the account of " a," •
fact which I rather regret since the authorship of such a
would have redeemed him from the charge of
phrase
barrenness, which NOM might be wicked
enough to urge, and would have indicated the primenee ,
at least of one bright spot, which might by careful hos- I
bandry give promise of other flint than growl meantime
su his mental soiL Here, bm.- .ver, I must take leave of
Discens" for the presen., in doing so will abets*
from ---,sting any doubt uto the victory which hefan I
, has achieved, only reminding him that to sound ,
his own trumpet, which in this case hardly reaches the
dimension' a a penny whistle, is, in the judgment of
other folks thith. Discens." proof not of victory achieved,
but of defeat sustained, a defeat which is all the more ,
humiliating that it is felt to be • victory.
I am, yours. ie.,
Thos. Nuys.
Dorchester, May 30th, 1876.
P. 8.-1 have purposely avoided discussion on the various
points of " Discens" letter, deeming it wiser to confine
myself to exclamation and expostulation. I cannot how- '
ever, forbear • word of criticism on ths heading of his
letter, "Are peaceful Dissenters worthy the name?
The question is of course sheer nonsense, and the letter
has tU merit of sticking to the text Does " Diacens" ask
whether peaceful Dissenters are worthy of the name of
peaceful? A gentleman of less intelligence than he might.
be expected easily to answer. If, however, Dixon' s
meaning be as is most likely, whether Dissenters are
worthy of the name who refuse to contend for their
distinctive principles as preferring • puce which I regard
as more us than strife, then I hope there are few
Dissenterdrwirwill be at a loes for • reply. If we have
• true ground of separation from the Establishment, as
we have, then it is at our peril, and at the peril of truth,
if we refuse at any cost solemnly to proclaim our
antagonism. And if " Discetur feels compelled to stand
apart from the "Establishment' on what he deems vital
matters, then inasmuch as he stands apart from an insti-
tution which is upheld by the State, I hold that he is
responsible for these very errors while he refuses to use
his influence, ass citizen, to change them. It is useless
for him or anyone else to contend that he seeks not to
interfere with another man's liberty. This were all very
well, if these men were members of • Free Church, as
"Discens" and I are : but when it is remembered that
these men have resigned their individual liberty by con-
forming to the Establishment and entering in its service
and its par, it is foolish to talk of refusing to interfere
with their liberty or the position of the Establishment
It is the Establishment of the nation, made and ma
tioned and upheld by the nation, and whatever is in it
which "Disoens" or I cannot uphold, and which we deem
dangerous, on all grounds of reason end religion, we are
bound, net only not to give them our support, but to use
our influence, so far as it goes, to rid the nation of such
evils. This is the sum and substance of this controversy,
which has failed to keep to the point at issue, but has
wandered into irrelevant and useless matters.

Since writing the above I have seen the additional
letters in the Telegram, which, however. do not seem to
me to call for further remark. They add nothing to the
controversy, and what I have already said sufficiently
answers therm At regards " Discens, he has found con-
genial occupation in crowding together detached ohniess
in my letter which have greatly otiended his pious soul.
Perhaps if he woithi read them in their connection, he
might be reminded of an apostle who withstood another
to the face because he was to be blamed: and further he
might even he reminded of the Great Teacher himself,
' who mane not to send peace on earth but • sword." As
to the quotation, it doe* seem as if " DISCISLUI" were
hardly capable of holding two different ideas at one time
in his head. He evidently cannot distinguish between
men fighting heroically and grandly for their own liberty
and yet failing to see the logical consequenms of their
acts, in refusing a similar liberty to others. The very
fact that the Puritans fought so grandly for their liberty
led them, as we think falsely, to deem it nece.T.ee for
the preservation of their liberty, to allow of no opinions
or worship different from their own. Does " D im"
see the difference, and does be see the absurdity of his
position and quotation ? He quotes Burns ; it will take
all the wit of your readers to see the application.
As to "A Lover of Peace," unfortunately he seems
unable to distinguish between the honest rejection of
most dangerous principles as enunciated by him, and the
loss of temper—a favourite subterfuge with both himself
and " Moms" I will only say that men who lose their
temper are not in the habit of carefully coining phrases
which are meant to sting, and which sting so effectually,
and the full vindication of which would be seen in the
repentance of those for whom they were meant. And
here let me say that while "Disowns" reminds me of one
ic precept, he forgets another which possibly in
apostolic
may be more applicable, at least so I have thought
—"Wherefore rebuke them sharply that they be sound
in the faith." It was out of sheer good-will I did so.
" A Lover of Peace" hardly sees his whereabouts yet,
which is explained by his antecendenta,m stated in his
letter. "Re sees men as trees walking. By and by he
will have a fuller and clearer vision, -by which time he
will probably be found to agree more fully with me than
he does now. In conclusion might I suggest both to "A
Lover of Peace" and "Disown? that • little less obtrusion
of their religious sensibilities and the ease with which
they are seemingly wounded, would be an improvement
in their controversial tournaments, because it does not
fellow that those who profess less, possess lass. In 41
this they have no doubt furnished aa admirable specimen
of molluscota Christianity, which I hope may devekili•
into the vertebrate special before I have the opportunity
of again encountering either.
Dorchester, June Ist, IV&

CHRISTIAN CRUELTIES IN TURKEY.
A correspondent of the Dsill, Neone. writing from
Kustendgee (Turkey) says the charge brought sound the
Turks of cruelty to their Christian foes represents only
one side of the question. The residents in Turkey know
that very dreadful atrocities, barbarous in the extreme,
have been committed by the Christians whenever they
have the chance of committing them with impunity.
One instance of their cruelties (I could mention others
but this will suffice) occurred some days since. They
(Bolters) in numbers surrounded some Turkish sapteas
(Policemen) in a house, and, confining them, set fire to
the house, and roasted them to death. Can we, therefore,
wander very much at the exasperation of the Turks.