The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, WEDNESDAY, 15th MARCH, 1865. WILLIAM EDMUND SADLER.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 239, 15 March 1865, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, WEDNESDAY, 15th MARCH, 1865. WILLIAM EDMUND SADLER.

“There are some would-be-thought-learnsd men who it would appear from their writings, do not ‘distinguish between wisdom and a bombastic pretence to it—between competence and conceit.’ ” —TV hilt el I's Reply to Sadler's Pamphlet.

Recently, when we saw in the columns of

our contemporary a review of the prize essay on the separation question, and read the first paragraph quoted, we were irresistibly seized with the conviction that the author was an old acquaintance of ours—the peculiar style came home to us as a repetition of what we had met with in the mother country twenty years ago, and we exclaimed “ That is from the pen of William Edmund Sadler,” and we thought it something curious when we arrived near the conclusion of the article to find that we were correct. We quote the paragraph referred to :

By this style something is intended very different from implicit conformity to the custom of commencing a composition with a formal proem, consisting of generals, having If possible some pertinency; which custom may perhaps be methodical and highly proper: the present special design in those proemial remarks is to endeavor to eliminate profound principles which permeate and actuate our whole humanity and our entire race, and to scrutinize them regarding the instructions they convey concerning the particular question now pending.

The reader who may be struck with wonder at such wisdom and eloquence as is contained in the above, is referred to the following paragraph from Miv - Sadler's “ Epistles,” a theological pamphlet, published, as we have said, twenty years ago at Brightlingsea, Essex, England, where they will find a satisfactory reply to tiie question “ whence hath th s man these things ?” for if he could after ten years of hard work such as he describes write his “ epistles,” wonder will cease when we consider that this has been. continued for twenty years more before he attempts to write his essay on the separation question—

Some persons, probably, may be surprised thai I should preseat myself to public notice as a coraraentat iron events circumstances, and subjects, which have Hitherto occupied the too exclusive attention of a class all whose time is consecrated to studious pursuits. And the question originally adverting to Christ Jesus may probably be asked concerning me, “ Whence hath this man these things ?” (1!) This supposition elicits from me the remark, that from a child I have been ardently fond of that which “ leaves improving traces on the mind,” viz., reading works of the first-class —a fondness which 1 have very much gratified. (!) Such reading will causa a familiarity with words without an effort; and the ideas of such works will supply good food and exercise to the mind, from which mental health and strength accrue. During the ten years last past, I have uniformly engaged in this pursuit during my leisure Especially have my evenings been occuiicd with this do lightful employ, Mostly from six o'clock till ten, sometimes indeed till eleven, and occasionally even as late as twelve, I am engaged in literary pursuits, with sometimes only about a half-hour's respite, occasionally not that, in the middle of that period. (!)

Of course it must be conceded that such a course of reading and study—providing asit does the mind with a constant supply of excellent food and exercise—will cause afamiliari y with words without an effort, and it may even be expected that many of these wordf shall be such as are beyond the range os minds that have not undergone such a wonderful training as that of Mr. Sadler, hence arises a difficulty, very few people having had the privileges he has enjoyed, his writings will be of too lofty a character for their comprehension; but he indicates the remedy—

To the unlettered 1 will address a remark, (for I am desirous that this work should be extensively useful in this village) In order that you may properly understand this writing, be very careful to note the stops, for nniess you do, you will either fail to understand it or ju&understand it. Know that those words which are printed in italics (like these) are intended to be particularly observed; and those which are printed in Rohan Capitals (like these) are intended to he noticed with redoubled care. Whilst writing this work for the press I did not quite forget, you, but perhaps I particularly remembered that it would be read by some highly intelligent persons. (!) Likely I should not have thought of making this remark, had not one of my friends questioned whether you would be able to understand it. (!) If I were sura that you would not uadprstaad It because 1 have occasionally employed words

not ia common use, rather than let it go so I would re * write aud simplify the Wools, even though so doing should bring into requisition four or live additional pages. (!) But 1 think that with alittleeffort aud an occasional reference to one of the most useful of all hooks, which I presume uo house in this favored and interesting village ia without— I mean a dictionary —you will ha able to make it out with tolerable accuracy. (!)

We think that if reviewer of the Separation pamphlet had only read the “Epistles” before the pamphlet, the remarks jie has made thereon might have been somewhat modified, as he would have been led to expect the peculiarities of style that came upon him by surprise. We fancy .tliat, notwithstanding Mr. Sadler’s experience, reading, &c., he still finds his dictionary a “ most useful’’ book, as lie can there find as many obsolete aud magniloquent expressions as he desires for his purpose. Of course we have no intention of introducing the theological questions that were raised by Mr. Sadler at Brightlingsea, and were so ably answered at that time, when his excessive egotism and conceit were exposed, and he was knocked down (intellectually) by a Mr. Whittell. We intend no more than to show the character of bombastic self-complacency that distinguishes the man and his productions, and we must give one more extract —

If it should happen that any one determine publicly to break a lance with me—if any one should send to press a writing in reply to this,—beware, in judging of the merit s of the controversy, that you do not let an appeal to the feelings unduly influence you. When the surgeon amputates a limb, you know the cries of the patient deeply affect the bystanders; but they da not declaim against the surgeon, satisfied that unless the limb is taken off, the sufferer will be. I profess to halieye sincerely that respected men in this place are possessed with damning doctrines. I profess to he unable to separate this opinion from another opinion I firmly hold, namely, that “ The Bible” was composed by men who wrote “as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” By a chain’.of reasoning, these opinions in my mind are bound together so securely, that I incline to thihk them inseparable. It remains to he seen whether a hammer can bo produced of sufficient weight to break the chain. (!) lam pleased to say that I have been informed, one is to be tried; hut there is another desideratum, viz., a man of sufficient strength to wield it. (!) • * • I have humbly (?) undertaken to try to rescue respected men from tbe curse of an anti-scriptural system; but through the force of their long-standing—in most cases educational—prejudices, I believe the attempt, will induce some violent appeals to feeling from them. In my attempt to save the patient by resorting to the surgical knife, and using it with all the skill I have, have the benevolence to lend me your aid ; and attentively watch the patient , lest, in the intensity of excruciating agonies. [!] ’ he should happen to tty, and physically knock me down.* [!]-pp. 8 a. ;

To our contemporary we are indebted for a sight of the latest production of Mr. Sadler. We allude to bis recent letter to the editor of the New Zealand Herald, which had not come under our notice, owing to the incomplete state of our files of late Auckland papers. Mr. Sadler here appears in something more than a ridiculous character, Here we have ignorance combined with malice shown in expressions which though not intended for us, and which therefore do not affect though applied to us, we can estimate accord!: g!y. Mr. Sadler, from his “ sheer disbelief in prevalent disinterestedness and intellectual independency expected an opposition from Wellington,” but not from Hawke’s Bay. Perhaps the opposition exhibited by Hawke’s Bay to the movement may remove something of his disbelief, and show him that a people can sometimes manifest a spirit of “ intellectual independency,” even though their disinterestedness may be of benefit to others from whom they have received injustice. We are glad that no feeling against Wellington was permitted to enter into the discussion of the separation question here, but that it was decided solely upon its own merits.

After all the reading and study of firstclass books on the part of Mr. Sadler, it seems that he cannot qnite free himself from expressions that may be “ yclept” (vide Sadler’s letters) vulgarism. One has been given by our contemporary, and is a “ Lob!” that’s what it is, A parallel we are able to supply from the “Letters” where he threatens to “ rattle a shot” at the religious convictions of a highly respectable class of people because they happen to differ from bis own.