The same evening the Bishop of Oxford fell upon Lord
Hough- ton, for remarking, in the course of a conversation concerning the relation of the Natal officials to the Colenso controversy, that Dr. Coleus() had been treated with a very scant amount of brotherly friendship by his fellow clergymen and brother bishops in this country. On the contrary, boldly asserted the Bishop of Oxford, Dr. Colenso had received " brotherly counsel, the tenderest and kindest counsel, from his seniors at home, and this had only led him to some new outbreak of violence." Probably Dr. Wilberforce did not mean anything by this,—he seldom does mean anything in a party contest, except to produce an impression favourable to his own side without hampering himself by the facts of the case,— but a writer in the Pall Hall has shown what attitude of mind this " brotherly counsel," this 4' tenderest and kindest " advice, in many cases represented, and it seems to us to have been often not only not brotherly, but spiteful. Thus, "in one episcopal address," says " Anglicanus," " the Bishop of Natal is said to be 'a miserable man, doing actively the Devil's work ;' in another, to have conducted himself like a successful fiend ;' in another, it is declared that the whole Episcopal Bench regards his criticisms only as the offspring of an evil heart of unbelief ;' in another, the writer ' has not read or examined the book,' but is thankful that it has called forth so strong a feeling of indignation ;' in another, his writings are treated as ' childish," heretical," blasphemous,' abominable," unhappy," blind," daring,' he is an instrument of Satan,' poor Bishop Colenso.' In Convocation he has been called by one the unhappy man in Natal ;' by another lie has been described in the Scripture language applied to Judas ; it has been declared by another that Christian burial would be denied to him." See how these Christians love one another I In justice to a divine whom as a critic and theologian we have never admired, we must say that Dr. Colenso's gentleness and benignity in answering opponents have always inspired us with a profound respect for his Christian feeling.
