The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-14 00:00:00

'1 THE OXFORD CONTROVERSY.
LETTER FROM LORD ASHLEY.
" St. Giles' House, Dec. 11, 1841.
" SIR—In the letter which I have had the honour of
receiving from you---' to solicit my vote and interest in
Mr. Williams's behalf,' you desire also, on the part of
the Committee, a reply to their communication.
" I hasten to furnish that reply.
" The Rev. Isaac Williams has presented himself for
the vacant chair of the Professor of Poetry. I have
no doubt whatever that he possesses all those amiable
qualities and high attainments which his supporters put
forward as the ground of his election. Nor should I
hesitate, as I replied to my friend 1)r. Pusey, to render
him any private service that might lie within my power;
but the Rev. Gentleman claims a public post, and seeks
to be invested with public authority ; and it has be-
come, therefore, the duty of every one, who has a voice
in the decision, to consider the' consequences of raising
him to such an office.
The Rev. Mr. Williams aspires to be a moral teacher ;
the Professor of Poetry in a Christian University must
impart to his writings and his lectures, frequently on
secular, always on sacred, subjects those sentiments and
principles which he believes to be essential to the propaga-
tion of the truth ; this we should expect of a layman ; we
should demand it of a minister. The late accomplished
and amiable Professor was animated by this spirit, and
published, with the attraction of his respected name and
the authority of his official station, sundry poems of ad-
mitted talent and disputed theology.
"I am now summoned to consider whether a similar
appointment would not confer a similar authority.
"The venerable members of Trinity College have
issued a disclaimer for Mr. Williams himself, and have
deprecated, on the part of others, any attempt whatever
to introduce, upon the occasion,'questions of theological
controversy.'
" With all the deference that is due from a lay-
man, I cannot believe myself at liberty to set aside
these important considerations. I acknowledge the
latitude of speculation that must be permitted to
all the members of a common Church ; but there
are limits, I maintain, which must not be over-
passed, at least without a solemn and indignant protest
on the part of those who have both an opportunity and
a right to give an opinion.
"I have endeavoured, then, to ascertain the principles
of Mr. Williams, and I have found that he is the author
of the tract entitled ' Reserve in Communicating ReliL
gious Knowledge.'
" There is no power on earth that shall induce me
to assist in elevating the writer of that paper to the
station of a public teacher. I see very little difference
between a man who promulgates false doctrine and him
who suppresses the true. I cannot concur in the
approval of a candidate whose writings are . in
contravention of the inspired Apostle, and reverse
his holy exultation that .he had not shunned to
declare; to his readers, the whole counsel of God:
,I will not consent to give my support, -however
humble, towaidS the recognition of exoteric and esoteric
doctrines in the Church of England, to obscure the per-
spicuity of the Gospel by the philosophy of Paganism,
and make the places set apart for the ministrations of the
preacher, whose duties must mainly be among the poor,
the wayfaring, and the simple, as mystic and incompre-
hensible as the grove of .Eleusis.
" These, Sir, are my reasons for refuSing my vote to
Mr. Williams ; and I hope I have given my answer as
candidly as you have required it.
" I am, Sir, your very obedient servant,
" Roundel! Palmer, Esq. " ASHLEY."