MR. BRIGHT ON THE ESTABLISHMENT.
[TD THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]
Sia,—My " hastily-written letter " has been somewhat hastily criticised, even in the elaborate and almost solemn castigation which it has received at the hands of Mr. Matthews. That gentleman thus writes :—" H. J. V.' says we care not a brass farthing for Mr. Bright's opinion, but we do care," &c. I did not say that. Indeed, from certain little verbal inaccuracies, it would seem that Mr. Matthews, while writing, did not even take the precaution to look at the words which he professes to quote.
What I did say, is substance, was this,—that while all of us Anglicans admired Mr. Bright, and some of us were his political adherents, yet none of us cared for his opinions about the Church of England,--his opinions on that one subject only. Here was the " qualification " distinctly stated. Whether the statement, thus guarded, expressed the truth accurately or not is another question, and is fairly open to criticism. The matter is one for the judgment of your readers.
I may be allowed to suggest to Mr. Matthews that there is hardly a more effectual method of " misrepresenting those who hold different opinions from our own," than the garbling of a quotation, even when, as, of course, in the present case, this is done quite unintentionally.—I am, Sir, &c., H. J. V.
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