The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-09 00:00:00

SPU.RGEON ON " COUNTERFEITS."

Last night Mr. Spurgeon, of the Metropolitan Tabernacle
at Newington, delivered a lecture on " Counterfeits," to
the members of the Young Men's Christian Society, in
Exeter Hall.

The hall, to which admission was obtained by ticket,
was crowded in every part, and a quarter of an hour before
the lecturer appeared, a gentleman upon the platform came
forward, and said he had to make the customary request to
the audience to " sit down, and sit close."

Mr. Robert Bevan, occupied the chair, in the room of
Mr. Samuel Gurney, M.P., who had promised to preside,
and among those on the platform were General Burgoyne,
Mr. Kinnaird, M.P., and several Dissenting ministers, in-
cluding Mr, W. Brock, Mr. Punshon, and Dr. Campbell.
Mr. SPURGEON, who, on coming forward, was loudly
cheered, said he would not make any preface except to
claim their compassion when he found himself out of place
lecturing in that hall. Sermonising was his peculiar forte,
and he was never much at home in other work. He then
proceeded—" To be or not to be ?" That is not the only
question that has been put to you long ago. It is gene-
rally allowed, almost without an exception, that to be
godly, virtuous, and a follower of Christ is a good thing.
The real question we have to deal with is—" To be, or to
seem to be ?" That is the struggle of the present age, as it
has been the contest of all times. It shall continue for a
little season, but we cannot be doubtful as to its issue.
Nowadays there is a temptation for men to act as if to look
like a Christian was as useful as to be one. The demon-
counterfeit says—" If charity be an admirable grace let our
name figure in every subset iption list. If it be a great and
a good thing to do something in the service of God, let us
help others who are doing something, and that proxy service
will do as well. If to possess godliness be difficult, let us
profess it, and we will have all the advantage of it without
the labour," Again, he will tell you that if you wish to win
the confidence of your employer, and religion stands in the
way, you must seem to be religious, and you will succeed ;
but you must keep a guard upon your lips, and tune your
speech after the orthodox. fashion. (Laughter.) Then, he
argues, " How much cheaper it is. Where sculptors have
produced statues in marble, you fill up with figures in
plaster. They will not cost a hundredth part as much, and
will answer every purpose. Economy should be the order
of the day. It is troublesome to repent; it is expensive to
give up sins, to tear off lust's right arm, to be born again,
and to pass from life to death. By the pretence of godli-
ness you will win all, and without any trouble or pain."
How many, tempted by this short cut, accept the counterfeit
and neglect the reality ? Then saith the evil one, " I t looks
quite as well, and will last as long, Play your cards well,
avoid all appearance of evil, and the keenest observer will
fail to detect you." Now, you may play at this masquerade
all through your youth and manhood, and even when you
grow old you may scatter a halo of saintship around your
hoary head while your heart is as black as hell. Time was
when men boldly declared what they believed was right;
but, says the fiend, " We know better now—this is not an
age of bigots. We may swear to certain articles while we
mean the contrary thing, and yet be thought good men."
(Cheers.) And so expansive has the charity of the age be-
come, that I do not doubt such men may be received as the
recognised preachers of Christ. I who call a spade a spade,
and speak in plain Saxon terms, can sometimes hardly tell
whether I am standing on my head, or whether I am with-
out my head or with my head minus the brains, when I
hear what I thought to be black heresy described as orthodox
in another point of view—(cheers)—and when I am told
that when a man says precisely the opposite to what I say
our statements are exactly the same, and that we mean
the same thing, only from our two idiosyncracies we
have different ways of stating the same truth. (Laughter.)
Now counterfeit is the man for such an age. He will never
grow angry with an opponent, because he has nothing to
be angry about. He is a very nice man for all companies, a
very delightful person for a drawing room, because he will
never raise any controversies. He is just the man for edi-
tors of periodical and conductors of newspapers. (Cheers.)
He is the very individual to whom the age points as one up
to the times, and free from all the stereotyped notions of
the barbaric past. Now, it is fair to admit that there is
something in this style of reasoning—that is to say, just
enough to make it take. Alas I how many there are both
in high and low places who profess what they never expe-
rienced, and wear colours which are not their own. How
many tradesmen are there who hold themselves out as
honest simply because it answers their purpose ? They
would not wish to be thought rogues, but they are rogues
for all that. How many young men in warehouses are there
who, if their master compelled them to lay aside scruples,
would not do so ? Thank God, we have thousands of em-
ployers and (tradesmen who would not do the wrong thing,
but still we read of daily disclosures of the contrary. No
doubt some men make a good thing of religion. By the
mere profession of godliness, their shops may be thronged.
and their business advanced. Goods will move off more
rapidly when perfumed with godliness. (Laughter.) In
England, at least, the advantage is as much on the side of
profession as non-profession. It is but honest to say so, and
therefore, men have inducements to counterfeit, the posses-
sion of the quality I have mentioned. It is said that there
were many hypocrites in Cromwell's time. I do net think
many were to be found in Charles IL's reign, as it did not
pay. (Laughter.) If a man then professed godliness be
lost his emoluments and soon got into the common gaol. At
the present time the case is different, and I rejoice to see an
awakening among the people to the blessings of religion
We have even had preaching in theatres, and our churches,
with hardly an exception, have started a little ; but the
same showers which make the flowers rejoice also bring
out the snails and slugs from their hiding places.
(L .ughter.) Out of good cometh evil, and though the re-
vival meetings have in some instances had a beneficial effect,
they have been the means of persons, in whom the habit of
imitation is stronger than the principle of honour, taking
credit for conversions they have never experienced. Passing
on to another subject, Mr. Spurgeon said that in the present
age, a man must do a great action to become great. In Eng-
land, before we gave a man an ovation he must destroy
armies or fleets ; but in another country if an officer took
two gentlemen from an unarmed brig, he was a hero there
and then. (Loud and prolonged cheers.) We were now
under peculiar danger from pretended religion, in conse-
quence of the fact—the blessed fact—that religious books
and religious biographies were very common, as from those
publications persons were enabled to get up any quan-
tity of knowledge for the purpose of showing their
godliness and piety. Mr. Spurgeon next adverted to the
Romish Church, which he described as the first-born child
of hell, and Satan's masterpiece of counterfeits. The honest
eye of Luther, kindled with the light of heaven, saw
through the fabrication and told us the whole truth, and now
the world rejected with loathing the counterfeit which it
once so joyfully received. There might be some who would
bring it back again, but surely they would fail. It could
not be possible that the counterfeit of a counterfeit—Pusey-
ism—coull ever succeed. (Cheers.) It was base enough
when the harlot of Rome put on the garment of Christ's
spouse; but to wear her rags was something execrable.
(Hear, hear.) To say the least, there was some attraction
in the glittering pretence of the Roman Church; but paint
and glitter, instead of gold, marble, and precious stones,
surely would not influence the enl ghtened minds of this
century so as to bring back an old counterfeit in place of the
gospel of Christ. Let every young man scout the thought
of gimping to be whit ho Wat 3 not, The were preteueo of

religion was the most comfortless thing in the world. He
supposed it was very cheering to have a good balance at
one's banker's, or a large sum invested in Consols; but to
have the reputation of being rich and to be miserably poor
must be quite the reverse. You were waited upon for sub-
scriptions to every charity, and you must keep up estab-
lishments, and move as a man of rank ; but bills would at
last come in for payment. That was just the position of a
man who pretended to be a follower of Christ. He was
like a drunken man whom he had seen attempting to walk
on both sides of the street at one time. (Laughter.) Shops
were sometimes filled with shams—parcels which contained
nothing, empty bottles, drawers which did not pull out, and
tea-canisters which never came from China. Going the
other day into a cheesmonger's shop he happened to tap a
large cheese with his stick, when he found that it sounded
hollow. (Laughter.) He asked the proprietor what was
the matter with it, and he could only reply that he had dis-
covered a hypocrite in his window. (Laughter.) Now its
churches they found people of hollow character like that,
who looked extremely like what they should be, but if you
happened to tap them you readily discovered of what they
were composed. After some further remarks, Mr. Spur-
geon concluded his lecture amidst loud cheers, and the
singing of a hymn closed the proceedings.

THE SEA 7 OF GOVERNMENT IN

INDIA.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE TIMES.

Sir,—Telegrams and letters from India, articles in the
newspapers at home, and even rumours in this country, tell
us that Sir Charles Wood intends removing the seat of
Government from Calcutta to the Hills. Ido not think it
probable at the present moment, and I think any person
acquainted with the geography and means of communica-
tion in India would object to the project for some time to
come.

I do not defend Calcutta; it is one of the most unhealthy
cities in India. How is it possible that it should be other-
wise, considering the position and the faulty sanitary ar-
rangements ? Besides, English habits—l mean habits of
luxury— are the fashion. The petty Parliament and high
offices in the Indian metropolis gather together those who
assume the manners of the London patricians. Very hard
work, little exercise, and high feeding, combined with the
noxious climate, must tell upon a great many constitutions.
I therefore agree with those who object to Calcutta as an
unhealthy place.
But the seat of Government can never be at Simla or
Darjeeling. Let any one take a map of India and look at
the position of these stations with reference to the whole of
our Indian territories and the proximity to England. We
must not look to the permanent benefit of railways and
electric telegraphs in times of internal danger. A mail may
be taken up in a minute, a line of wire divided in a second.
Then, consider how absurd it would be to have the direct-
ing power at either of the above stations.
As regards health, the climate of the Hills does not suit
every constitution, and it would be hardly possible to reside
at Simla during the whole year.
If there be a change it ought to be from Calcutta to Bom-
bay or Poonah The hills of Mahableshwar are close
hand ; a pleasant climate is to be found at Malteeran.
Poonah itself is a charming residence during six months.
Communication with the other Presidencies is easier and
more rapid than from any other point, and if the line of
railway were made through Central India, debouching at
Agra or Delhi, no other place would be so convenient. In
case of war or insurrection, communication with the Im-
perial Government would be more certain, and evidently
quicker. I need hardly remind you that it is the road to
the Punjaub via Kurrachee ; the heart of the Madras Pre-
sidency is easily gained by Shalapore, and the railway to
Jubbulpore renders Bengal within easy distance.
Lastly, in the matter of expenditure, no small one in an
Englishman's mind, the cost of erecting a new Viceregal
Palace and all the other necessary Government offices
would be enormous were the seat of Government to be at
the Hills ; whereas at Bombay or Poonah a very small ex-
penditure, in comparison, would suffice. I can hardly be-
lieve Lord Canning would sanction the transfer of the Go-
vernment to the Hills, and I do not think any of our Indian
celebrities would advocate so false a step.—l am, Sir, yours
faithfully, F. H.

COUNTRY MARKL 2S.


MARKET HARBOROUGH-JAN. 7.

At this market to-day there was a better show of wheat,
and the demand was quiet; prices had a downward ten-
dency—old, 98s to 57s ; new, 62s to 64s per 36 stone.
Barley at the extreme rates of the week previous, malting
selling at 34s to 40s per qr., grinding 31s to 33s per 30 st.
Oats, 24s to 26s per 24 at. ; beans, 42a to 445; peas, 48s to
545 per qr.