370 KEEPERS OF THE HERD OF SWIXE x 



though I repeat that, since Mr. Gladstone does 

 not explicitly admit the principle, I am far from 

 suggesting that he is bound by its logical con- 

 sequences. However, I distinctly reiterate the 

 opinion that any one who acted in the way 

 described in the story would, in my judgment, 

 be guilty of " a misdemeanour of evil example." 

 About that point I desire to leave no ambiguity 

 whatever; and it follows that, if I believed the 

 story, I should have no hesitation in applying 

 this judgment to the chief actor in it. 



But, if any one will do me the favour to turn 

 to the paper in which these passages occur, he 

 will find that a considerable part of it is devoted 

 to the exposure of the familiar trick of the 

 " counsel for creeds," who, when they wish to 

 profit by the easily stirred odium theologicum, are 

 careful to confuse disbelief in a narrative of a 

 man's act, or disapproval of the acts as narrated, 

 with disbelieving and vilipending the man himself. 

 If I say that " according to paragraphs in several 

 newspapers, my valued Separatist friend A. B. has 

 houghed a lot of cattle, which he considered to be 

 unlawfully in the possession of an Irish land- 

 grabber ; that, in my opinion, any such act is a 

 misdemeanour of evil example ; but, that I utterly 

 disbelieve the whole story and have no doubt that 

 it is a mere fabrication : " it really appears to me 

 that, if any one charges me with calling A. B. an 

 immoral misdemeanant, I should be justified in 



