The Press.
London, England, 1857-10-10 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10,1857.

GOD and man, and that Gon through man's
instrumentality was now chastising us for this
offence. At the same time they infused hope
into us by announcing that His mercy was in-
finite, and that our repentance might still be
accepted if we would but turn to Him in time
But they explained that the true mode of ex-
hibiting such repentance was not by question-
ing His justice or by indiscriminating cries of
vengeance against the land where we had been
humbled; but by bearing His chastening with
fortitude, by limiting our retaliation to the
simple requirements of justice, and by a more
conscientious discharge in future of the re-
sponsibilities which we have incurred.
Where so many of the discourses were ex-
cellent, it may appear invidious to select any
for more particular notice ; but there were two
of them, we confess, that found an especial
echo in our hearts. These were the sermons
of the Dean of WESTMINSTER and of Mr.
LIDDELL, of St. Paul's, Knightsbridge. We do
not remember to have heard or read any-
where a more beautiful and touching rebuke
than that administered by the former to the
boastful and defiant spirit which has been too
much exhibited by many since these misfor-
tunes first befel us. " They had read," he
said, " in ancient story of a fierce tribe who,
" when it thundered, shot their arrows into
" the air, and threw their javelins in defiance
" against the sky. It was thus with some men
" now. There was no brokenness of heart,
" but rather defiance ; they were stricken, but
" not grieved. There were those who said
" the bricks are fallen down, but we will build
" with hewn stones ; the sycamores are cut
" down, but we will replace them with cedars."
Then, when the Dean had reproved this spirit,
he pointed out the true course of conduct for
the nation to pursue, if it would escape the
further anger of Heaven for its sin. "JOSHUA
" did not give over searching till he had found
" out the Achan who had produced shame and
" confusion and well-nigh ruin on his camp.
" Even so in England ought we, in the hour of
" our trouble and confusion, to search as
" desiring to find, and as preparing to cast out,
" whatever might be bringing on us GOD'S
" wrath and indignation. Especially should
" we do this with regard to England's dealing
" with that land whence the danger had come
" upon us."
Here, indeed, are true religion and true
philosophy combined ; and England may with
reason he proud when she can point to such
noble and Christian doctrines as the doctrines
her clergy deliver from the pulpit of her most
venerable fane. Nor less noble, nor less
truthful, nor less Christian, were the senti-
ments which Mr. LIDDELL proclaimed. He
said, "In this instance it seemed that our
" sins had been our punishment. For what
" lands have been the scene of the direst out-
" rages yet committed against our country-
" men ? The very lands which we had most
" recently taken possession of." He next re-
buked our covetousness and our pride as our
great national vices, and, after instancing the
ill-feeling so generally engendered against us
on the Continent by the latter, he went on to
observe as follows :—" So at the present crisis
" how unwilling were we to own that we our-
" selves, as a people, had been in any way in
" the wrong. We could see the faults of
" others, the treachery of the Sepoys, the ob-
" stinacy of the Brahmins, the cruelty of the
" Mahomedans, or, in the late war, the
" grasping ambition of one country and the

THE Li

STAMPED STXPENCF.
UNSTAMPED ..FIVEPENCE.

" inertness of another ; but we were blind to
" our own defects, and what made us so was
" our pride." Then, again, on the subject of
vengeance, he discoursed in the following elo-
quent spirit, uttering words that are worthy of
being recorded in letters of gold :—" When
" every vein throbbed with indignation at the
" unexampled barbarities which had been per-
" petrated against our own people, and when
" such burning anger was yet more inflamed
" by the intense excitement of battle, who
" might not fear for the reprisals—that disci-
" pline might not be lost in excesses justice
" be debased into vengeance, and the innocent
" he merged in one common destruction with
" the guilty, without reference to age or sex.
" Prayer should be offered for them, that they
" might not lose the vantage-ground which, in
" a moral point of view, the Christian ought ever
"to maintain above the heathen ; that not
" only might victory crown their efforts, but
" that justice might also be tempered, where
" possible, with mercy ; that they might
" steadfastly maintain the justice which
" spares as well as that which punishes. It
" was by the moderation of our soldiers in
" victory, and by their investing as much as
" possible every chasetisement of the mur-
" derers with the solemnity of a judicial pro-
" ceeding, that they might look for Gon's
" blessing on their arms, and for restoring
" ultimate peace and order to that benighted
" country."
These, we repeat, are indeed glorious sen-
timents ; they aro worthy of the pastors of the
most enlightened and the most chivalrous
people on the globe. They are fitting doc-
trines to pour into the ears of a race of Chris-
tian gentlemen who have ever scorned to sully
by atrocities those weapons with which they
have not feared to meet the whole world in
arms. They touch the chord which will
always find response in the breasts of the
descendants of the knights of old—men whose
first aspiration was to show themselves " sans
peur," their second " sans reproch4." While
such lessons as these are taught in our pulpits
we shall neither fear defeat in battle, nor that
worse than defeat, a dishonouring use of
victories won. Now, indeed, may we again
look brightly in the face of all the nations of
Europe that are watching us—some as foes
and some as friends. Whenever these shall
again taunt us with the brutality of certain of
our journals, we can point proudly to the
words which our recognised teachers have put
forth. We shall be able to appeal to the lan-
guage of our pulpits in vindication against the
charges drawn from the language of our press.
While HAVELOCK is restoring our prestige in
India, they are restoring our prestige in
• Europe by deeds not less brave than his. He
earns the nation's gratitude by victories over
• our enemies ; they merit it equally by leading
• us to a nobler and more glorious victory—a
victory over ourselves.

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