Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-04-09 00:00:00

RELIGIOUS SCANDALS

IT is not only that the odium theologicum—the
theological hatred, the hatred of divines, is generally
so bitter a hatred,—that those who are engaged in
theological controversies so frequently bear with
them a greater degree of rancour than any other
class of disputants, —but it very often happens that
where there is a religious quarrel at all, there is
bitterer animosity displayed, on one side or the other,
or on both, than in any other kind of dispute
besides. Strange that it should be so, since that
religion which is in the case, or with which it may
have in any wise to do, is one the whole spirit of
which is love and peace, and which not only teaches
brotherly kindness and charity, but enjoins the
exercise of these virtues as indispensable requisites
on the part of all who profess it.

A rather remarkable illustration of the too common

disregard of that charity which, as SHAKSPEARE says,
is " kindly to hear, gentle to judge," was afforded at
our Assizes, a day or two since, in a trial for
defamation between two religious persons,—a clergy-
man and a layman. The former is charged by
the latter with a gross act of immorality. He
thought he saw his Reverend friend accost
a prostitute in the street, late one night, after
having officiated at a religious meeting, and go with
her to a house of ill-fame. He was apparently mis-
taken,—the jury, who gave the Reverend plaintiff
their verdict, with Fifty Pounds damages, virtually
declared by that verdict that he must have been. In
answer to the Judge, they stated that they were of
opinion there was no malice in the accusation, but
that it was clearly a case of mistaken identity. And
we must conclude it was so. Why, then, could not the
accuser have given the Reverend gentleman the
benefit of the doubt ? He knew him well, and inti-
mately, it appeared,—he was occupied along with
him, indeed, in religious labours. Do that class of
religionists to which they both happen to belong,
who, if they are not to be deemed "righteous
over much," certainly profess to be righteous very
much, yet think so poorly, so mistrustfully, of the
righteousness, nay the common, every-day morality
and decency of their spiritual pastors, as to suspect
them, in the face of most positive contradictions and
denials, as guilty of immoral conduct, such as must,
if true, convict them of the most revolting hypo-
crisy ? Why, the very idea, of a clergyman, nay
man making a profession of religion, being
capable of such immorality, were almost enough
to shake one's confidence in all professions of
the kind. But, thank Heaven, there is not,
as a general rule, the slightest shadow of a pretext
for so shocking a distrust. No doubt there is only
too much hypocrisy, along with all the other evils,
in human nature. But it is the exception, we sin-
cerely believe, not the rule, in religious life, and

more especially the religious ministerial life, be it of
what denomination it may. Of course, with old
Fuller, we,may lay it down as a safe axiom—" Trust
not in him that seems a saint." There must be
something, and a great deal, more than seeming.
And in the case of the clergyman in question so, it
appears, there was. The Judge laid considerable
stress on the fact of his always having borne an
irreproachable character. And we quite concur in.
his Lordship's opinion when he described it as being
" a scandalous investigation in a Court of Justice,"—
using the word scandalous, .as he explained, " because
it must be prejudicial to the interests of religion, no
matter what sect, that such an imputation upon the
character of a minister of religion should be the
subject of .discussion in a Court of 'Justice." Why,
therefore, was such a case brought into a public
Court ? Surely there might have been ways and
means adopted of ascertaining the truth or falsehood
of such a charge, without having recourse to a mode
of proceeding so full of scandal as this ? The poet
has told us of one who, as a religious man, could
easily, by the force of his principles, supersede all
necessity for such scandalous litigation and exposure.

"Is there a variance ? enter but his door,
Ealk'd are the Courts, and contest is no more

Where was the Bishop's influence that it could not
be exerted on the side of justice, and charity, and
goodwill in such a case ?

is one other point to which we would just
advert. The religious party among whom all this
strife and scandal has arisen, is that one, it seems,
which is in the habit of vilifying and angering the
Roman Catholics continually. Now, is it not evident
from what has been exposed in a public Court, that
there is very much, in the way of reformation even,
to do among themselves, befbre they presume to inter-
fere with the errors or defects of others ? Is there
not a beam to cast out of their own eye, before they
can see clearly to pull out the mote that is in their
brother's eye ? Well might the learned and liberal-
minded judge say to them, that "much as he
respected the zeal of both parties, he could wish they
bore in mind that the faith which was common to
them both had produced the greatest ornaments of
human nature which had ever existed, and that a
portion of the acrimony and energy which were ex-
pended in such discussions as had been described
here, might possibly be just as profitably used amidst
the numerous degraded, vicious, ungodly, and scoffing
multitude, by which they were both surrounded."
This was indeed a timely and a just rebuke. There is,
alas ! far too much for religion to do among " the
degraded, vicious, ungodly, and scoffing multitude,"
to leave any room for its being made the subject of
strife and anger, and clamour, and bitterness,—to
-1-57 nothing of that obligation which rests upon

There