ENGLAND AND FRANCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 115, 15 May 1872, Page 4

ENGLAND AND FRANCE.

At the request of several persons we publish the following extract from La France which was read by the Bishop of Nelson in the course of the sermon delivered by him in Christ Church on Sunday week, on the subject of " The Thanksgiving Day and why it should be observed ." — " Political life is suspended in England. One sole anxiety absorbs all minds — the health of the Prince of Wales. An entire nation, which is still impressed with strong convictions, turns to God and partakes of the grief which afflicts its Sovereign, whose son is, perhaps about to die. And yet the Prince of Wales appeared to be far from popular. He possessed neither the qualities nor the defects which old Albion admires or tolerates, and the English people were sometimes disinclined to regard in him the nominal master of their destinies, the future guardian of that Charter which is the basis, of their liberties. But when deatK/was threatening ; him the whole of Great Britain waß at once excited. In , its patriotic loyalty, all, errors and mistakes were forgotten, and nothing was remembered but the danger whioh threatened the Heir to the Crown. What a spectacle and what a lesson, ! The Prince of Wales is dying, and yet upon the! other side of the Channel no one laughs, no one insults the high-placed personage struck down by sickness. The Princess of Wales quits the bedside of the dying man, not to seek necessary repose, but to hasten to the church to prayand listen to prayers — and no one laughs. The Queen, whom calumny sought to wound but the other day, kneels with her veil of widow-hood beside the probable death-bed of her first-born — and no one laughs. The Council — all whom England holds in highest esteem for talent, or position, or for age, which is also a dignity-rrajildress, tliemselyes to the Arch-; bishop of Canterbury and call upon him to prepare 'new forms of prayer to appeal to the Almighty: , on behalf :of his Royal Highness .the Prince of Wales.* And the people, instead of mocking at this, rush

repeat them in their places of worship. Lutherans, Calvinists, Methodists, Anglicans, Catholics, Jews, all implore the Deity to prolong the days of the future Sovereign of England. This people has the courage, the good sense, not to disown either its history, its past, its Government, or its G-od, and yet it is a free people among all — who will dispute that ? Such a spectacle affects us greatly, and we look around us with bitterness." * * * * "In vain, alas ! do we look for one of these powerful bonds of union upon which we might rely in a moment of trial, and which might unite a nation in a common sentiment. We have no greater faith in men than we have in God. There is disunion even in our churches, and yet we are always talking of unity, and declaring that we are the envy of other nations on that account. Is not this one of our selfcomplacent illusions ? Switzerland, the United States, and England, those three countries where the dignity of man is so well understood, retain respect for the governing principle; they accept public prayer and humble themselves; we, in our disasters and misfortune could think of nothing but mutual recrimination, and blush to address a prayer to God, Is that an advance ? We may be allowed to doubt it. Faith has never derogated from man's dignity, it has never rendered him less desirous of liberty. Who would dare to say that England had abased itself because it partakes of the grief which afflicts the family that governs it, because it obeys its natural chiefs who direct it to pray as it would obey them if they called upon it to fight and to sacrifice itself for the preservation of its old liberties ? Since we are talking so much at present about reforming ourselves, let us begin by learning that affectionate respect for authority of which England is at this moment affording us so striking an example. And if the British Monarchy should appear to our Republican intolerance a bad model, let us look towards the American Republic. All who have visited the United States can affirm that tha expression of sympathy with the rulers, a belief in God, and even the outward practice of religion are not incompatible with Republican virtues. At New York and at NewOrleans prayers were offered up for President Lincoln, as to-day prayers are offered up throughout the three kingdoms for the Prince of Wales. When shall we learn how to pray, all together, for any one?"