The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-04-23 00:00:00

BABOO KEsHIJB CHUNDER SEN.

A crowded congregation listened last Sunday to a
sermon from the distinguished Hindoo preacher in the
Unitarian Chapel in Finsbury, Linden. It would be
interesting to know the impre•sion mede upon the
preacher by his congregation; upon that topic, how-
ever. for obvious reasons, we (Paq 6.(me(t,) are
unable to throw any light. WO meat be content with
discharging the easier duty of saying what the con-
gregation thought of the prea lien Two or three
remarks would probably be made by every ere pre.
sent. Such, for example, are the obvious facts that
Keehn)) Chunder Sen talks as good English as any
Eaglishman, and very much hotter English than
the majerity e f those who undertake the duty of
weekly admonition in religious matters. There is a
slight trace but nothing more than a slight trace, of
foreign accent, and he speaks with perfect fluency,
with complete grammatical accuracy, and ap-
parently without even the use of a note. His ap-
pearance is striking, and has a certain quiet dignity,
in harmony with the simplicity of his dress and the
absence of any forced gesticulation. His features are
well cut, and combine a certain sweetness with an ex-
pression of marked decisii.n. Altogether he is a man
to whom it is impossible to listen without respect and
interest; though it may be that in preaching to an
audience where he could feel himself more at home he
might venture a little farther into the regions of
rhetoric. As it was, though speaking with unhesita-
ting ewe, the c altnness of his style would perhaps
rather disappoint people who came out to hear any-
thing startling.
And what of the substance of his sermon? it may
be asked. (We are still quoting from the Pall Mall
Onutte). The scene by it-elf was sufficiently striking.
Though Finsbury Chapel does nit boast of any archi-
tectural s lee-Bence—it indsed conforms rigidly to the
ordinary type of Dissenting places of worship—the
circumstances were interesting enough to the imagina-
tion to dispense with external elemente of beauty.
Here, on the one hand were a forge number of ordivary
Britons of the most familiar tope; and, on the °thee,
a speaker whose whole appearance opeke unuaisiakably
of his Eastern origin. What messaii would a repres
sentative of stir Hindoo subjects deliver to
the conquerors who have enfores d our rule upon
them, lint have not as yet succeeded in imbuing
them with our religions ideas? Wou'd he threw
any light me se that difficult problem why our
spiritual influence stems to have lagged so far
behind the material conquest? Looking at our society
from a point of view so entirely novel, would he throw
a new light upon the pecnharities if our creed as they
strike a race so different arid yet so closely cennected
with ix.' Wh-tber Keleub Chunder Sen could or
could cot bare made any interesting remarks upon
such tire, it is impossible to say. Probably he may
think that the expresssion of any judgment upon such
matters had better be delayed until he has had more
time to familiarize himself with the strange scene now
first revealed to him. At any rate, the sermon was
of extreme simplicity, and devoted to setting forth a
doctrine which certainly did not profese to be novel or
starthrig. In short, he spoke with much quiet fervour
upon the goodness and mercy of Doi. There were no
quotations of texts and no theological dogmas of the kind
with which we are familiar in Engligh pulpits. The
parable of the prodigal son was frequently quoted,
and the example of our Lord was noticed reverently
and reepectf ally, though not, of curse, with any im-
plication if a belief in hie sacred character. In shirt,
the sermon war just what we might expect to hear from
Mr. Martinean or from any able Unitarian preacher;
and the peculiar preiti in of the speaker in regard
to European creeds could only be inferred from the
absence of certain theologizal topics, and not from any
positive assertions of disagreement with our opinions.
People who are disclaiming the possibility of toed morauru y
to children without any specific dogma might perhaps
learn a lesson fr rn the Baboo ; but anybody who
sought for a precise definition of his religious tenets
or for a statement of facts would be necessarily. dis-
appointed. So far as could be inferred from the lan-
guage of the preacher, he teaches a doctrine which
harmonizes very well with the spirit of modern
Christianity but with none of the formula which weare
generally taught to regard as resentXd.
On the whole, though people might naturally feel
that their curiosity might have been more fully satis-
fied, they could but come away with a warm feeling of
respect for the preacher. In due time we she Ibe elect
to bear any more specific explanations of his feelings
towards English Christianity which he may choose to
make public. At present he is probably wise to avoid
such topics. At any rate we may learn that the don-
trine which has made so great an impression in Delia
liar a very eloquent exponent, to whom men of all
sects may award the respect due to the setting forth of
a pure ansl elevated doctrine with great sincerity and
simplicity.