We regret we
cannot say the same of Dr. Berg, who at times seemed to forget the
obligations of the gentleman, in his zeal as a controversialist. He is
an able and skilful debater, though less logical than Mr. Barker; but he
wasted his time and strength too often on personalities and irrelevant
matters. His personal inuendoes and offensive epithets, his coarse
witticisms and arrogant bearing, may have suited the vulgar and
intolerant among his party, but they won him no respect from the calm
and thinking portion of the audience; while we know that they grieved
and offended some intelligent and candid men who thoroughly agreed with
his views. It is time that Christians and clergymen had learned that men
whom they regard as heretics and infidels have not forfeited all claims
to the respect and courtesies of social life by their errors of opinion,
and that insolence and arrogance, contemptuous sneers and impeachment of
motives and character towards such men, are not effective means of grace
for their enlightenment and conversion.
"There was a large number of men among the audience who lost their
self-control in their dislike of Mr. Barker's views, and he was often
interrupted, and sometimes checked in his argument, by hisses, groans,
sneers, vulgar cries, and clamors, though through all these annoyances
and repeated provocations, he maintained his wonted composure of manner
and his clearness of thought.
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