“BEARDED WISDOM.”

            An article has been forwarded to us by a friend in Britain intitled “The Pope and Dr. Thomas, the Prophet,” a caption that sounds in our ears very much like “The Devil and Dr. Faustus.” It is from the pen of the editor of “The Reformer’s Gazette,” a political journal of extensive circulation in Glasgow. Our friend says concerning it, “I enclose you a satisfactory document from the Gazette. It speaks the higher to your commendation because of the party it emanates from, who (although highly respectable both in character as a citizen and as an editor) is the very last in retracting even when discovered to be wrong.”

            The caption of the article does not accord with the editor’s statement concerning us. He styles us “Dr. Thomas, the prophet,” yet says of us candidly and in truth that we “did not pretend to be inspired, but simply to interpret prophecy by the light of history.” We are neither a prophet, nor the son of a prophet; nor are we an evangelist, an ambassador of Christ, an apostle, nor a successor to the apostles. These appellations assumed by “ministers” and “clergy,” belong only to christian men spiritually endowed “for the perfecting” of such “for the work of the ministry.” Though there are many pretenders to these titles they possess them only by self-imposition, not by the bestowment of the Holy Spirit; for instead of being perfected for the work, and therefore infallible teachers—“workmen that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth”—they are but inexperienced apprentices unskilled in the oracles of God. We protest against being named in the same category with these. We are not of their series, order, or genus, having no attributes in common with them. They are indeed esteemed highly by the world, but not by us. We are a christian layman, who has studied the Bible without regard to their theologies, or systems of divinity; and has too much self-respect to be identified without protest with such a motley crew. We desire to be respectable, and no one is so who pretends to a character he is not entitled to. All we undertake to do is to show what God has revealed in the scriptures “shall come to pass hereafter” in setting forth the glad tidings of His kingdom. If we are inspired we do not know it. We wish we were; for then we could speak and write by inspiration, which would save us much labour and anxiety. We know the truth, which is indeed an inspiration to any man who understands it. But beyond this we make no pretensions, and have no sympathy or fellowship with any that do.

            The editor’s allusion to our beard is quite amusing. He seems to demur to the respectability of its appearance. But editors, as doctors, do sometimes disagree in theory and practice. If the editor of the Gazette prefer to appear like “a beardless boy” all the days of his life, our admiration of puerility is not so extreme as his. The gravity, heroism, dignity, and excellence of the ancient world are with the beard; the levity, effeminacy, dandyism and servility of all ages with the smooth-faced shaveling of ignoble mien. In these days when mankind is struggling to attain its manhood, the beard asserts its right to appear in all its fullness upon “the human face divine.” It is the symbol of manly thought and action uncontrolled by human imbecility; and therefore it is proscribed by the Pope, the Autocrat, and shaveling priests, and held in disrepute by all who look up to them as the respectabilities of the age! We can, however, assure our friend the editor that whatever “wisdom” we may be supposed to possess is not consequent upon the wearing of our beard; but our refusal any longer to inflict punishment upon our face and feelings from mere conformity to ridiculous and tyrant custom, is the result of it. Our “wisdom” is derived from a source which is accessible to every man who will renounce sectarianism and its traditions, and with child-like docility study the scriptures in the light of grammar, history, and unsophisticated reason, which is unadulterated common sense. It is gratifying to find that our words have not been forgotten, and that events in the political world are demonstrating their truthfulness to others, as well as to ourselves.

            We are informed that Mr. Kidston, mentioned in the article, “is one of the great men of the city (a magistrate of Glasgow) who travelled through Italy, and has been to Rome, and has since been lecturing to show that the Pope is now dethroned, &c., because the French army is required for his support.” More than this we “ken” not concerning him. The article can now speak for itself. —Editor.