The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-02 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 2, 1861.

POLICE IN7ELLIGENCE—(This Day).

DR. CULIMING ()IV THE OLD YEAR.

Last night, Dr. damming delivered a lecture at
the National Scotch Church, Crown-court, Covent
garden, his subject being "A Retrospect of the
Year." Having selected as his text the 13th chap
of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, 12th verse.
" The night is far spent, the day is at hand," he pro-
posed to inquire what were the symptoms that the
night was passing away. Dr. Arnold, he said, had
expressed his conviction that we were approaching
the end of the world, and the Lord-Lieutenant of
Ireland (Lord Carlisle) that if the Book of Daniel
were inspired it was evident that we were on the
eve of the most stupendous events the world ever
witnessed. He himself had said that looking to the
various epochs mentioned by Daniel it might be
gathered that the world would be at an end in 1867
or 1868, and this seemed to be plain, for Christ was
horn, as they had the authority of many writers for
saying, in the year 4132, to which if 1860 were
added it would show that we had nearly completed
the 6,000 th year spoken of by the prophet, and
should be close on 7,000, which was to be the
period of rest. Referring to Palestine, he said
that from the heights of Lebanon to the sea, during
1,800 years, there had been nothing but dark-
ness, and yet in the year 1860 it came before the
world as the great crisis of the East. Far different
things were evidently in store for that land. The
Emperor of Russia had had there 350,000 members
of the Greek Church who were looking to him,
while there were looking to the Emperor of the
French 250,000 Roman Catholics. Considering
the love he had for annexation, it was not impro
bable that the Eldest Son of the Church—a very
naughty son the Pope frequently found him—would
would, at no distant time, consider that it would
be well to annex Syria to France. This annexation
if attempted would lead to a general war, for it
would constantly be asked who was to have Pales-
tine which was the gangway to India. Another
evidence that the night was passing away might
be found in Turkey; for in Turkey in Europe there
were now nine millions of professing Christians,
while there were only 21 millions of Mahom-
medans. Another evidence was to be found in
China. Whatever might be their judgment of the
policy or principle of the late war, they would all
agree that the sword, terrible as it was, had opened
up a path for missionaries of the gospel, and access
had been secured to a capital which for a thousand
years had been pronounced unapproachable. With
regard to the United States the rev. gentleman
quoted from the New York Observer, and expressed
an opinion that, under the guidance of Mr. Lincoln,
the new president, the States would get rid of that
which was a fever in the heart of America. Another
evidence of the passing away of the night was to
be found in Italy. When he preached at Exeter-
hall not long since, when his own church was being
enlarged, he stated his conviction that the power
of the Pope was on the eve of dissolution. Some
of the newspapers made capital out of it, and
ridiculed the idea that the mightiest power in
Europe was in danger, but now the poor old man,
the Pope, in his allocution was lifting up his hands
in despair, and calling upon his foes as well as his
friends for assistance. At present France appeared
to be the protector of the Pope, but they might
depend upon it that the French army was merely
in Rome as a gaoler to the Pope, the intention
being to despoil him of his temporalities. The
Pope certainly would not continue in Rome with-
out temporal power, and the absence of the Pope
from Rome would be the virtual dissolution of the
whole Roman Catholic system. With regard to
home affairs, the rev. doctor argued that " the day"
is at hand by evidences gathered from the revivals
in Ireland, as well as the progress of religion in
England and Scotland—eminent men as well as
unlettered persons being engaged in preaching in
theatres, concert-rooms, from omnibuses and cabs,
and from the corners of the streets—as well as
from the general spread of education amongst all
classes of the people.