VOX POPULL
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."'
Sut,—The eminent clergyman who is a Tory, and in politics a pessimist, is probably not a solitary example among his brethren. At the same time, it has always been a puzzle to me low a Christian can be either one or the other. Whether the people who cried "Not this man, but Barabbas," would have done any better had they been left to themselves, is, as you say, not certain. But we know, at least, that as a matter of fact, it was the chief priests and elders, i.e., the respectable Con- servatives, who persuaded them to raise that cry ; and we know that the common people heard him gladly, and that once, at any ,rate, when acting on their own instincts, they cried" Hosanna !" It is also worth while to observe that the only one of the Apostles who in any way touches on social questions, goes nearly as far as Mr. George himself in denouncing the -"upper classes." Good society would not look with favour ,on St. James if he were now among us. Pessimism seems even more alien to Christianity, or indeed to religion of any kind. It is nothing more or less than the negation of all faith, hope, and charity. Probably in your eminent clergyman, it merely indicates, as his doctor would say, an occasional blue-pill; but in any case, a philo- sophy which assumes the continual deterioration of the great majority of mankind, is not a desirable one for a person whose very profession is, or should be, their continual improvement. In St. Paul's view, the object of "pastors and teachers" was, that we might "all come to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." If very few of us are to have a chance of doing so, the pastors and teachers are a little superfluous.
"Vox popnli, vox Dei," is, I suppose, one of those epigram- matic sayings which, having been coined to suit a particular set of circumstances, are afterwards used as if they expressed invariable truths. You can usually find as good a one on the other side. When a man is in the majority, he reminds you that securus judicat orbis terrarum," or talks of "quod semper, .quod ubique, quod ab omnibus." If he is in a minority of one le is " Athanasius contra mundum." Either way he is right,
in his own opinion.—I am, Sir, &c., A. J. B.
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