MR CASS CRITICISES "A CRITICAL CHARACTER."

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4219, 10 July 1882, Page 3

MR CASS CRITICISES "A CRITICAL CHARACTER."

(To tbe Editoi" of the Evening Sto ?.}

Sib, —In your supplement of Saturday evening last, I found a criticism on my recent lecture in "Refutation of the Defence of Eternal Suffering." The writer in question calls himself " A Critical Character." That he is such I am not prepared to deny, though it must be evident to any. unbiassed person who beard tbe lecture that his criticism is exceedingly biassed and untruthful Tour readers are led to suppose that I propounded a bald " theory," entirely unsupported by cither scripture or reason, whereas, on the contrary, I enforced a belief that has cost me years of close study and thousands of pounds in money es the Christian world's reward for my devotion 'to that belief. Moreover, had your correspondent really heard my lecture, or, having heard it, had the capacity to appreciate the amount of irrefragable reasoning it contained, or had he the power and the honesty to lay aßide his prejudices for the time beiDg, he must have acknowledged that I presented a case at least worthy of lair consideration. ." Prove all. things :' is an .excellent motto, but although the " Critical Character" assumes it, the motto attaches not to his creed, nor to tbo creeds of the Christian ministers and their orthodox supporters who were present, for not a soul of them dared to enter the lists with me in defence of that very dogma I had so ruthlessly denounced. I invitf d discussion. Simply putting questions and declining to answer any themselves is not worthy of the name of discussion. Yet that was the method adopted by my orthodox opponents. Your correspondent says, "In hardly a single instance was a direct and honest reply given " by me. fl his is a most untruthful, statement, as I answered every question—savo an impertinent one— promptly and honestly, and, what is more, I supported my statements by tbe moßt direct statements of Scripture, only with this apparent weakness in the judgment of orthodoxy, viz., that I supposed God's word, to mean what it said, whereas my opponents seemed to believe the Bible says one thing and means the very reverse. Had the ministers present the moral courage to discuss. with the terminology of the Bible, your correspondent and others would have had an opportunity of distinguishing between tbe primary and secondary meanings of the terais " Life" and " Death," &c, and an honest convic* tion arrived at ou thst essential preliminary to a good discussion. Orthodoxy would have speedily succumbed to the power of Infallible Truth. "Critical Character" makes a worse charge still. He says there is " a great amount of cunning " in my nature. If it be so, I am sorry, because I plume myself on being absolutely free from any such detestable propensity. All my life I have been open and above board in all things. The only exhibition of cunning I noticed at the meeting was displayed by my leading opponent, Mr Wilkes, who wanted a victory without fighting for it, and whose blatant ignorance revelled in the prospect —which also your.correspondent, " Critical Character," glories in—that the orthodox eternal damnation blasphemy will yet hold its sway against revealed truth, justico, and common sense. Well, Sir, if people will have such a Hell, let them have it. I have warned them. Thanking your for your courtesy in inBerting this—l am, &c, Bebey Cass.