The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-07-16 00:00:00

POLITICS IN TIIS PULPIT.
Po as Miter.

Sir„—lo them dull commonplace days it Is, I think,
dectdedly unusual to Sad originality and freshness in sat'
one, and I must thensfore thank you for the treat I have
lately had in contemplating, throtigh the medium of your
columns, tome of the characteristics of tit • Rev. T. Heave.
I like • good discuelon in the newspapers. Never mind
it.. ...fleet provided it be one calculate" to create a little
earth-meet The baler it bec uses the more I calm it
Tnere is an especial iutered for In. in the "correepondence
c "limn,' both in the way of instruction and ammenient
The in•ellectual lout is In many respecta sitipler to his
non coition brother. The asubstanta in each case
invariably begin the eiseoun'er upon the understanding to
chivalrously regard the etiquette of debate, no hitting
below the belt, hid when ones they 'et over the little
preliminary skirmishing it ',generally groddire to all this,
sod oak, " ononter and tonic" Hike • b dd. sturdy,
stubborn, blunt, independent opponent. I might include
• le* more adjectives lathe hot, but them will perhaps be
sufficient to show !he kind of individual I admire. I like
a nim who
hard-beaded doggedness and infallitelity—a man who
worships himself and wonders why other. don't follow bin
example Just, such • luau in feet m I should imagine
Mr. Nears to be by biz letters, which I have lately tied
. the good fortune to woes. "Man, know thyself." lain
old adage, and Mr. Heave hag poseihly Dot been blind to
the necessity of acquiring a little of this knowledge The
result liaa evidently afforded the utmost satisfaction to
Mr. Heave, who DO doubt fitris bitumen a greater and
wrier man than be hail ever previously imagined hitnieU
to he, and this diacovery had no doubt lead to the belief
winch he ape dire to entertain of the etupendousnese of
his own mental organisation in comparison with that of
others. Many of your readers may be such egregious
WING (nothing like full flavoured epithets', Sir), as to
condemn Mr. Nese* for his idioeyncragies, but to me they
are glorious Individualities if I may so terra them, the
outward and visible tifgal of Mr. Neave's inward and
spiritual trams. Mr. Naive believing In himself is to me
pmfectly cutiffed in his assumption of which
Ignorant. II natured or envious personateoch us "Isonmay"
for instance) may Mem unwarrantable either by logic or
politeems. But moor toted them trumpery materna.
Let us look at the prominent features of the case. Mr.
Bradley calla Nil. Neave to account for dioplaying a
political animus in the pulpit and therein calling the
Preonler Jestieh cuitmity. Mr. Heave, of course,
objects to Mr. Bradky'e unneceasery interference. and
rates him smadly for his intionsioddling impertin dice
Mr. Nesse le eo doing, Is, I maintain, perfectly Justified
by the eviileace adduced of a sinews belief in Inmost"
Mr. Bregileit Ignoreace in this respect la no excuse for hie
realisese is attacking Mr. Nealte Mr. Bepadieler kao.ing
that the libels nod now and then may that this
intellectoal Colloseus wee slumbering, aid that it might be
nate to ',rod upon his corns, but lo the giaat awakes and
prmsmptioo is punished in the annihilation of Mr.
Beadily. mad the verdict should be—served him right If
people will play with fire they mint expect to be horsed.
Wbat would become of society if Ur. Bin iley's
prevailed I If people dared to think for themeelvee, in
qminion authority which denies even the passibility if
confutation, to think of such twaddle as the nght to an.
offensively stores. • conscientow opinion. Think, Sir I
People have no right to think when their betters are coo.
istantly thbeking for them. Action hr follows
thought, consequently let us beware of such pernicious
fellisciee as Itherty, education, and novena, the first
being but another name for license, the second for
irreveyenne and the thint spoilatton. You will perceive,
Sir, that lam studying the enaracteri.tice of Mr. N•-aee
to adreStalts Mr Heave. I observe by the Islettessit of
to day, tire. Mr. Bradley • quietno— • regular Sourer—a
hit bard enough to hooch humility into • mil-dooe. It
may be said that Mr. Hoare entirely avoids everything
like argument, end in so doing I cannot think be is to
blame, diacreUon being the better part of valour. There
ars donhtlese some who would hare preferred argument,
and believe that Mr. Heave could have done letter had
he relisi upon it in preference to Mere vltoperation.
H ',Never, c iocernino theta, I may come Mr. N. see and
• iy they are not "at all worthy of • mordent'n further con.
si•i.oation." Mr. Scare, ef,erdeeming the matter unworthy
of 0 "ice COMlllelleed to Irfenil hiasselt trim the charge
of illiberality, sad tells us that he is" accused of having
broken the S ibleatb, &stormed its pemefulnem,ibeecramo
the I liristian pulpit, and sheittu an example Qmation I
quedion I I fancy I heir some ine calling, and I, too, had
almoet fmg"tteu that Mr. Nears etas privileged. Mr.
?leave then refer. to the liberty which Mr. Bradley
" palaver' about" (the expiation is more forcible than
elmaoU, and slants that Mr. Brelley gives evidence of "a
c•rebeal weakliest which pleads for kindness rather than
harsh treatioent"—in other words Mr. Bradley is fool
Of course Mr. Nemo cannot mean this. My deduction
must be erroneous for to thus designate • man became of
a mere tilt-rode of oninion—is beneath the contempt of
Grub-street. If Mr. Heave imagined that you, raiders
generally (I should say the nadere of the Telegram, for in
thit paper Inn. his letter.) *ere as ill.informed as the
unfortunate Mr. Brodie/ appears to be, te , he would
"gladly enlighten them. The light thineth in darkness,
and the darkness comprebendeth it no,. Let us all in
Dorchester plead ignorance at once. What lemons of
brotherly love, courtesy, and behaviour we shall gain by
a, doing. Why don't all "our oldfastsioned fogies open
their eyeo to their present benighted state, and desire to
feel the "influence of further light and isrogrera„.' by
hearing "the truly enlightened opinion- of Mr. Heave,
and why d .n't we all endeavour to '°legitimately fall
within the sphere of Iris capacity and knowledge?" As the
ancient Roman said, "1 pause for a reply."
As OLD'FuIMIOYID Foorr.
July sth.