The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-08-07
IN A SENSATIONAL SERMON.
81 Gave Thee a King in Mine An
ger,' the Text Selected.
THE FOUR ENGLISH GEORGES.
Monarchy Is Humanity's Scourge
Says the Minister.

The Protestant clergyman in charge
Of Salem chapel, at Haslingden, Eng
land, has caused sensation. He de-
nVered sermon on Kings and Princes"
recently, and to use a current phrase,
royal personages and prerogatives were
handled without Gloves A European
contemporary reproduces the minister's
remarks, with the apology that where
there is hiatus in our report it is be-
cause the reverend gentlemans method
of dealing with the various monarchs'
moral transgressions is quite too real
istic for our readers
The minister preached from the text:
Il gave thee king in mine anger"
He said in part:
Kings are divinely- allowed scourgas
of mankind. Monarchy is sinful in
stitution, repugnant to the divine will,
but permitted to exist for our punish
ment until We learn wisdom. That is
the meaning of the text, and all his
tory, ancient and modern, agrees there
to. In every country and in all ages
princes have been pernicious pests,
curse to the community. Monarchy
has ever been the foe of freedom, the
ruin Of religion, the encourager of i'm
morality, the hinder of the national
health, blighting and blasting with
Its baneful influence every fair thing.
Its heather conduct contradicts every
Christian principle and precedent, ,abund-
antly justifying John Bright's indict-
ment: Rulers have been the greatest
criminals in history To discourse up
on the Infamous annals of our sover-
elgns is net specially savory subject.
Yet it cannot we'll be avoided in the face
of the huniliating disclosures of our
law courts.
I'VE shall not need to dive into the
Dark Ages in search of scandals l will
not go further back than the house If
Brunswick. George l. heads the list
He was a wanton spendthrift. In the
first six years of his reign he got into
debt to the amount of 100000, which
parliament had to pay. He was dis
honest rascal, for he burnt the wills
of wife and father-in-law and took ,,os-
session of estates left to others. Had
he been a subject he would have been
liable to be hanged, for this was cap
ital offense then. He was a cruel mon-
ster, for he confined his wife, at 2S
years of age, in a dungeon, where she
remained until she was 60. a: * * He is
described by Tbackeray as "a cold, sell
fish libertine' So much for the morals
of George l.
George II. is the next worthy. This
scoundrel repeatedly had money voted
to him to pay his debts. The Edln-
burgh Review tells us that he evaded
the old kings directions and got his
money by burning his WILL Lord Har-
vey portrays him as caring for nothing
but soldiers and y * his highest am
bitaon being to have the reputation of
a great general and a successful liber-
tine. Macaulay sums him up as
follows: He had not the qualities
which makes libertinism attractive. He
had been a bad son and worse father
and an unfaithful husband. Not one
magnanimous or humane action is re-
corded of him, but many instances of
meanness and harshness. So much for
the virtues of George II. Then follows
George III. This villain told the house
he owed half million, which was voted
f0 A,,1 LOTT
and last of all, 100000. He was a biga.
mist. His first wife, Hannah Lghtfoot.
was alive when he married again. Las.
of all the Georges was George ". The
record of this blackleg is the most hid
eous of all. His career was crammed
with little else but adulteries, lies and
debts. While prince only, parliament
thrice paid his debts. AS a gambler
he repudiated his losses, and he was re-
puted turf swindler also. Like his
father, he was guilty of bgamy. He
first married Mrs. Fitzherbert, and
then, while she was alive, he married
again, and he was drunk when the
ceremony was performed
William w. succeeded the Georges
One Of his specialties was profane
swearing. :: X v Roebuck's verdict of
him is, Very weak and very false, a
finished dissembler.'
Victoria is now on the stage of ac-
ton. We know little about living mon
archs. Courts are shroudel from the
common people. We may easily be
gulled. But Mr.. Disraeii should know,
and on September 26, 1871, he publicly
declared in n speech in the house of
commons that her present majesty aas
physically and morally incapable OF
Derforming her regal functions. We do