Mr Ladlaw replied with blasphemous words on modern culture. I had
imagined him to be a gentleman of considerable refinement, and I knew he
had taken a good degree at college. Consequently, I was disagreeably
surprised at his new manner.
"You are nothing better than an ignorant parson,"--these were his
words,--"and you haven't even the merits of your stupid profession. The
old Scots ministers were Calvinists to the backbone, and they were
strong men--strong men, do you hear?--and they left their mark upon the
nation. But your new tea-meeting kind of parson, who has nothing but a
smattering of bad German to commend him, is a nuisance to God and man.
And they don't believe in the Devil! Well, he'll get them safe enough
some day."