HISTORICAL REFUTATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14924, 23 February 1912, Page 4

HISTORICAL REFUTATION.

1 Sir,—ln your issue to da >' Mr. E. E. Hart-• ley, the ofliciui representative of socialists at "1: YVaihi, wrote in reply to Archbishop wood, and tell into error in doing so. Mr, ': Hartley said: "If Christianity, isVtrvfcfeH neither socialism, rationalism, nor «ut other I? ni can ever shake its wall?, let < alone it»*4s foundations." On 10 contrary, John Stuart 1 Mill, "On Liberty," said: — y* ! lint, indeed, the dictum that truth alwjri triumph« over persecution is one of those nlfa-iiit falsehoods which men repeat after one f.notner 1 til. they pass into commonplaces, but which 'ail experience refutes. History teeme with instants of truth put down by persecution. If tot suppressed for ever, it may be thrown back tor centunes, lo speak only of religious opinions: The '■ Reformation broke out nt least 20 times before Luther,, and! was put down. Arnold of Breccia was put down. Fra Dulcino was put dow. . Savonarola was put down. The Aibijfcois were put down. The Vaudois were put down. The Lollards were put'down. Hie Hussites'were pet down. Even alter the era of Luther wherever, persecution was persisted in it was successful. In Spain, Italy, Flanders, the Austrian Empire, Protestantism was rooted out ; and most likely . would have been so in England had Q.iieep;jJ*rjr lived or Queen Elizabeth died. I'ersceutioii has always succeeded, save where the herctic# we too strong si party to be effectually persecuted. So reasonable persou can doubt that Christtfttit niiifht have been extirpated in the. Human Empire. It spread and became predominant liectufc ; r ' the persecutions were only occasional, lasting hut - a short time, ami separated by Ion? intervals of V. almost undisturbed propagindistn. it '' a P' ew of idle sentimentality that truth, merely « . truth, has any inherent power denied to error,'of ; prevailing against the dungeon and the stake. •: Men are not- more . zealous for truth than they vsvi often are for error, and a sufficient application «,?■ l-?gal or even of social penalties will gentrta? % succeed in flopping- the propagation of either. The real advantage which truth has consist? in this:' That when an opinion is true it may be eirtm- ; i Kiiished once, twice, or many times, but It) mm course of astes there will generally be round . persons to rediscover it, until some one •«»B reappearances fails on a time when from f#w«J" ;Jg able circumstances it escapes persecution unlaw- v " K has made such head a? to withstand all subse- , B quent attempts to suppress it. yU- Eg F. G. Ewlvotok. : -.! B February 22. ■