Dr. Parker, in his windy letter to Monday's Times on
" The Nonconformist Attitude," admits that he has been wavering for a long time as to what to think of Irish Home-rule, but says that the Ulster Convention has at last determined him to take sides with the Irish Nonconformists, and against the majority of English Nonconformists and Mr. Gladstone. He has evidently been sorely perplexed how to decide, and has decided at last, it would appear, more from horror of the Papacy, than on the much more substantial ground that the priesthood of Ireland has during the last few years allowed itself to shield the cause of injustice, cruelty, and political malice, instead of enforcing its own traditional veto on injac- tice, cruelty, and malice. Let us hope that Dr. Parker has some better ground for his action than the absurd statement that the Pope " accepts the title of Lord God." He might as well believe that the Queen accepts the title of "a king above gods." Perhaps one reason for throwing over Mr. Gladstone may be that the flowing tide in his favour is, in the older and more experienced constituencies at least, evidently on the turn; and though that is not a very exalted reason, it is, we think, better than all that nonsense about the Pope accepting the title of " Lord God." There are politicians who cannot get further than an act of obeisance to popular opinion.
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