REPLY TO "SPERO."

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3699, 2 November 1880, Page 3

REPLY TO "SPERO."

To the Editor of the Evkning Stab. "A man must serve his time to, every trade, save censure^Critics all are ready made." Sib,—The object of my public letters to you is not to provoke controversy, but to acquire knowledge. It would be an abuse of your limited space and valuable paper to occupy its open columns with thoelogieal disquisitions, although I believe that free discussion will cure all

our moral evils, and that nothing so

sharpens our intellectual weapons as tbe " Files of Disputation." It would therefore he discourteous to treat with silence the respectable letter of your hopeful c<f respondent "Spero." It is hard to be condemned by those whose opinions we respect, particularly when they misunderstand our reasons. It is very un« pleasant to be called names which destroy good manners and obstruct arguments. It is not my fault that I am " creature* like," or that " I have limited reason," or that, by insinuation I am "a fool/ These are misfortunes and not faults, and do, not invalidate my arguments. " Spero" is more likely to convince your readers and i myself by writing better letters than! mine, and in advancing sounder arguments than in calling appiobrious names. If a • man is ever so great a fool he does not like to be called so, especially in public. Some parts of your correspondent's letter have been and others will be answered in' my future, correspondence. He, , however, quite misrepresents my letter in ■aying that, I " deny the existence of a .fifing God." I did not, nor do.I say s,o; It is not I but nature who I said gave the denial. I complain of the difficulties of such a belief. I neither deny or affirm the eternity of matter. I say,"We are forbidden to believe in the eternity of matter; but, at the same time, we are commanded to believe that all these wonders never had a beginning." But now, Jet your correspondent answer, why it is irrational to believe in the eternity of matter, and not irrational to believe in the eternity of a person ? Aristotle says : . " The race of God's and man is one, : ie From nature both alike begun." The appeal to consider the consequence of opinion is generally made by half-witted people. They who rail .about the bad consequence of certain sentiments like the light well enough for themselves. The darkness is for the people. The author of ;" Vestiges of Creation "—a very respectable authority, I believe—may be answerable for the condemned a priori reasoning, but not " Sceptic." In asking me for a "model religion," your ironical correspondent evidently estimates faith at little or expects too much of a fool, who, however, prefers with all respect to esteem reason above " adoration."—l am, &c, SCBPTIC. . Thames November Ist, 1880. ,