416 THE BISHOP'S POLICY. Chap. XX. 



being directly contrary to the advice which Dr. Livingstone 

 tendered, and to the assurances of the peaceable nature of 

 the Mission which the Doctor had given to the natives, 

 a friendly disapproval of a bishop's engaging in war was 

 ventured on, when we met him at Chibisa's in November. 

 But when we found his conduct regarded with so much 

 bitterness in England, whether from a disposition to " stand 

 by the down man," or from having an intimate knowledge 

 of the peculiar circumstances of the country in which he 

 was placed, or from the thorough confidence which intimacy 

 caused us to repose in his genuine piety, and devout service 

 of God, we came to think much more leniently of his pro- 

 ceedings, than his assailants did. He never seemed to doubt 

 but that he had done his duty ; and throughout he had 

 always been supported by his associates. One of them 

 subsequently, and in a weak moment, ignoring personal 

 responsibility, rested all the blame on Dr. Livingstone ; and 

 the gentleman who was designated as the Bishop's successor, 

 declared in public meetings at Cambridge and elsewhere, in 

 spite of the proof to the contrary in Bishop Mackenzie's own 

 journal, " that the warlike measures of the Mission were the 

 consequences of following Dr. Livingstone's advice." The 

 question whether a Bishop, in the event of his flock being 

 torn from his bosom, may make war to rescue them, requires 

 serious consideration. It seems to narrow itself into whether 

 a Christian man may lawfully use the civil power or the 

 sword at all in defensive war, as police, or otherwise. We 

 would do almost anything to avoid a collision with degraded 

 natives ; but in case of an invasion — our blood boils at the 

 very thought of our wives, daughters, or sisters being touched 

 — we, as men with human feelings, would unhesitatingly 

 fight to the death, with all the fury in our power. 



The good Bishop was as intensely averse to using arms, 



