The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-07-09 00:00:00

POLITIC'S IN THE PULPIT.
To um reit.%

I Sir,—l have read with considerable interest the
correspondence between Mr. &Adler and the Rev. T
Neave wMcii recently appeared in your pages. As •
I public man expressing opinions in a public place. and
further availing himself .4 the mighty power of the
Prese for the diviemination of those opinions, I cannot
we how Mr. Neave can reasonably object to legitimate
criticism, which ia the ordeal through which all truth
has to pais and which presents knowledge in plain
unvarnished characters. Mr. Neave critidaes Lord
Reaconafield, and there can, I think, be little doubt
that the criticism was not such as should have emanated
from • scholar and • gentleman. To sneer at a man
for that which he cannot help can only be the remit
of Vioughtlesanews, or the spite of a fanaticism which
1, finds in abuse a more powerful auxiliary than argu.
1, went. The same inscrutable providence which called
I Lord Bruiconsfield to preside over the foremost
I Ipounpile...i Ala ::loyereign from be household of
. .

1 Israel called Mr. Nesse from • differeni cTicieTtO be
the shepherd of his little d ick in Dorchester, and the
I dispensations of this especial provjdence I leave for
Mr. thourhtful cotodderatirsi. The mere fact
of his lordship being of Jewish parentage can never
sink hi" in the estimation of any right thinking
penson. All the more honour to him for his grand and
successful .truggle against the obstructions of cruel
old prejudices and soul crushing euperstiti as. All
honour too to the age in which we live, which in the
genuineness of its freedom and the breadth of its
discerning impartiality recognises Me worth and
nobility of mind regardless f either caste, creed, or
race. I expected more generous views from Mr.
Neave—a Libor.] in politic. and an intelligent ex-
ponent of • progressive theology; and I cannot but
think that this expectation was entertained by the
majority of your reads's. Ur. Neave's reply to Mr.
Bradley ia characterised by a taste as had as that
displayed in his reference to Lord Beaconsfield. As
to the right of Mr. Bradley to select a particular
obeervation in • sermon as the foundation of an attack
upon a minister, I am not going to ague.
of the Gospel, like poets, I believe, are allowed •
little license now and then. Warmhearted impulsive
men are often carried away beyond the terribly Ariel
niceties of conventional propriety, and much allowance
ought to be, and I believe generally is, made for the
utterances of =Mariann To take advantage of any
one under such circumstances would for obvious
mynas be unfair, and had Mr. Bradley done so his
conduct would have been decidedly reprehensible.
Mr. Nesse however did not confine himself to his
congregation. His sermon by his owe iiermiesion
appeared in a puldie newspaper—it sought • more
extended publicity than that confined to the pulpit,
and consequently it became legitimately open to
criticism. Mr. Bradley's objection waa both courteous
and argumentative, and I was under the impression
that there the matter would have ended, Mr. Nears
remembering the maxim of Ovid, Limos., ate; sos at
ultra earrabile quiequan. Mr. Nave however aopeare
to be unable to undergo the penance of occasional
restr•int, and accordingly favours you with a reply to
Mr. Bradley's comments, the tone of which I sincerely
hope be has already learned to regret. Hierocles says,
"When we are in • condition to overthrow falsehood
and error we ought not to do it with vehemence, nor
insultingly, and not with an air of contempt but to lay
open the truth, and with answers full ot mildness to
refute the falsehood." Mr. Name according to this
leaves undone ththiogs be ought to have done—
in other words, practically objecta to these commend.
able precepta, or example, he superciliously allude.
to Mr. Bradley's profession ma "his own line of thing,"
and style. him "a self-elected censor of the pulpit,"
and, in order to get out of the meshes of • discuseion
by which be probably perceives he can gain little echsi,
states that " oontroveny would clearly be thrown
away" on his opponent, upon whom he has "no wish
to inflict u
,nise:nessag pain by any reference to his
Mau tiesclaUt, and concludes by advising him to
'gain distinction rather in reporting others than in
gemming the task of original authonhip," for which
Mr. Naive thinks "be dale not seem to any
striking aptitude." But enough of this. Cum rellec-
time are distressing. Job exclaims, " 0 . . . that
mine adversary had written • book." Possibly Mr.
Bradley will be Winded with • later from Mr. Nears,
LIONOKT.

t with the separated advice to mianern
= with nutters whit& mere legitimately fall
within the sphere of his capacity sod knowledge.
I am, &c.,
T. Nur&