"X." AND "Y."

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 23, 26 January 1878, Page 2

"X." AND "Y."

To tub Editou ov the ' Evening Mail.' Sir,— X must not be permitted to throw dust into our eyes, and under cover of it& cloud run away from his post, as he appears inclined to do in his last letter. If I understood him aright iu his first letter, his main object was to sneer and decry Mr Charles Bright and his theories ; to that I did not take objection, for I wished to be tolerant and allow all to sneer and differ if the same liberty was accorded to me. What I took exception to was that part of his (X's) letter consisting of an extract from another person's speech, quoted in italics, and in substance endorsed by X, for in my opinion the truth of the sentence, in the sense used, was not only open to dispute, but if generally acted upon would stultify man's progress,and compel the humau family to remain in the original state of error first taught by their mothers. It is no answer to what I urge, to say the address was meant for Christians, and assume that Christianity must be true, for this begs the whole question in dispute, neither was the advice to Christians only, for "a man can cling with firm, unquestioning belief, whatever it may be, in which he was brough t up at his mother's knee," are the words as reported, so if there is any truth in the assertion it should apply universally to all beliefs taught by all mothers, in all countries and for all time. How far this so called truth will apply I leave X and your readers to judge. lam fully aware that amongst a certain class of people, and X in the number it is assumed that all Bfitish people are Christians, which fallacy they appear unable to surmonnt, though any unprejudiced observer cculd bear testimony to the very rare occurrence within his knowledge of persons selling all they had and giving it to the poor, while the injunctions to give your coat to the thief who stole your cloak, or to allow a man to smite you on both cheeks, is better observed in the breach than the performance, even by the highest dignitaries of professional Christians.— l am, &c, Y.