He thought that he might be able to do this, because Charley, who was known to be frankly agnostical, came to his church more or less regularly.
The Rev.John Brown was not indifferent to what men thought of him.

He had a reputation for being "independent," but his chief independence consisted in dressing a little like a layman, posing as the athletic parson of the new school, consorting with ministers of the dissenting denominations when it was sufficiently effective, and being a "good fellow" with men easily bored by church and churchmen.

He preached theatrical sermons to societies and benevolent associations.

He wanted to be thought well of on all hands, and he was shrewd enough to know that if he trimmed between ritualism on one hand and evangelicism on the other, he was on a safe road.

He might perforate old dogmatical prejudices with a good deal of freedom so long as he did not begin bringing "millinery" into the service of the church.