- sequent death of Dr. Mivart, I ventured to address
an "Open Letter" to Cardinal Vaughan on the subject. This Letter was published in March 1900, and though no doubt the great "Prince of the Church" never deigned to read it, a large majority of the public did, and I have had much cause to rejoice that in the timorously silent acquiescence of the Christian world in a deed which shames the very name of Christ, I, at least, as one of the humblest among the followers of the Christian faith, did have sufficient courage to speak out openly against the wicked intolerance which made the Church itself seem mere "sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal," because lacking in that holy charity "which suffereth long and is kind." It was a barbarous act to "inhibit" Dr. Mivart,—it was still more barbarous to refuse his body the sacred burial-rites,—and though the great Cardinal has now followed his victim to that world where all the secrets of the soul are made manifest, his cruelty remains as a blot on his mortal career,—a black smirch, ugly to look upon in the chronicle of his various virtues and excellencies. No ordained minister of the Gospel has the right to be intolerant. He has not the slightest excuse for arrogating to himself any other code of ethics or conduct than that which is set out plainly for him in the New Testament. Away from that he should not dare to go, if he truly believes what he elects to preach,—and if he does not believe, he should at once resign his office and not live on the proceeds of what in his own private conscience he considers untrue.
Most of us have met with many a mean little curate,—many a sly, spiteful, scandal-mongering
