SIR,—Truly, calumny dies bard. For the hundred and tenth time
you have riddled the old Tory description, the Cavalier lampoon of Puritanism : yet, though it has been exploded and disposed of, one would think effectually enough, by historians of the first rank—Gardiner and Green, e.g.—men like Mr. Jupp (Spectator, May 7th) go on repeating the story, and, I sup- pose, will go on repeating it till the crack of doom. There is hardly a word of truth in his indictment of the Puritans from beginning to end. It reminds me of a certain definition of a lobster, as " a red fish which walks backwards," concerning which Cuvier said : " It was a good definition, with the exceptions that the lobster was not a fish, that it was not red, and that it did not walk backwards." Assuredly, the Puritans did not " shut the gates of mercy on mankind" ; they were not " the avowed foes of all that was lovely" ; and they did not " confine the joy of a better life to a select few." I fear Mr. Jupp does not read his Spectator as diligently as he should. If he had been in the habit of filing it for reference, as I have done for the last thirty years, he would have shown some acquaintance with the reasons which seem to justify your alleged "constant laudation of the Puritans." If, for instance, he could have referred to a review of the Life of Colonel Hutchinson which appeared in your columns as fax back as October 31st, 1885, he would cease to wonder "why of late" you have followed what seems to him so wayward and objec- tionable a course. I can but recommend to Mr. Jupp the apology of Dr. Johnson, who, when asked by a lady why he bad defined a certain term in his dictionary in the way he had, replied: " Pure ignorance, Madam, pure ignorance ! "—I am, Sir, &c., J. GREGORY. 3 Oak Villas, Bradford.
[Mr. Gregory supplies an excellent answer to Mr. Jupp's second attack on the Puritans. Mr. Jupp's views on the theology of the Puritans are not any better founded than those in regard to their social characteristics. The religious views of almost all the Churches were " hard" in the seven- teenth century ; but the Independents, who were the flower of the Puritans, were more, not less, liberal in their ideas than their contemporaries. We cannot publish any more letters on this subject.—En. Spectator.]
THE RELIGION OF THE SCHOOLBOY. [To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR...1
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