Untitled - Electric Scotland

1860-64] CORRESPONDENCE WITH DR. TEMPLE 297
opinion, as the result of his Biblical studies, that there is no God,
and that the Bible is from the beginning to the end a lie. Am
I to allow him to teach this as a clergyman of the Church of
England? Or if I condemn the result of his studies, am I to be
said to discourage all study ? Is not this a reductio ad absurdum ?
You say that he might be dealt with in a court of law ; I think it
may be better to announce strong disapproval without seeking for
this is what has
pains and penalties. Up to the been done.
present point
" And now, my dear Temple, as to your feeling with regard to
me personally it is not just. I solemnly assure you that in all I
have done I have endeavoured to act with a full remembrance of
all that has passed between us, and especially of your visit to me
a fortnight before the Bishops met to consider the subject. It is
the misery of an official position that if a man is determined
that his private friendships and his public acts shall never appear
to come into collision, he must give up his private friendships.
Most men, I believe, adopt this course. They confine them
selves to the society and friendship of those with whom they
are sure to agree. They escape thereby much danger of being
misunderstood, but they rob life of what makes it of value.
Remember that in Balliol in old times there was many a painful
difficulty of the same kind with Oakeley and Ward. It was
understood between us that private friendship should not be
interfered with by the necessity for public acts. I do not speak
of your connection with the Church of England as at all resem
bling theirs. What I said to you at Fulham I say now and I
believe what in my public capacity I have done now is not
inconsistent with what I then and now say of yourself and of
Jowett s essay. I think you judge amiss. If you had been in
my place, I believe you would have done as I have. Believe
me to be, my dear Temple, yours very sincerely,
"A. C. LONDON.
"
The Rev. Dr. Temple to the Bishop of London.
Private and Confidential^
"
RUGBY,
i March 1861.
Mv LORD, I am much obliged to you for taking the trouble
to write me xso long a letter.