On 21 October 1805 – 200 years ago – Admiral Horatio Nelson died in battle aboard HMS Victory at Cape Trafalgar, near the western entrance to the Straits of Gibraltar. At Trafalgar Britain defeated the combined French and Spanish Fleets, dominating the high seas for the next hundred years. The British Fleet consisted of 27 ships, mounting 2,138 guns; the Franco-Spanish Fleet consisted of 33 ships with 2,640 guns. The enemy lost fifteen ships and their casualties amounted to about 14,000. The British lost no ships and sustained casualties of 499 killed and 1,242 wounded. Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar averted Napoleon’s planned invasion of Britain. Special celebrations will take place at Portsmouth and in St. Paul’s Cathedral – the place of his burial - on Friday 21 October and in Trafalgar Square on Sunday 23 October.

Should evangelical Christians praise God for Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar? We could argue that if Britain had been defeated at Trafalgar, Roman Catholicism, the religion of France and Spain, would have dominated our country again. A defeat at Trafalgar would have turned the clock back to pre-Reformation days.

A prayer

Just before Trafalgar, Nelson wrote his last prayer – he often wrote prayers when preparing for battle – for England and humanity. ‘May the great God whom I worship, grant to my country, and for the benefit of Europe in general, a great and glorious victory; and may no misconduct in anyone tarnish it; and may humanity after victory be the predominant feature in the British Fleet! For myself, I commit my life to Him who made me, and may His blessing light upon my endeavours for serving my country faithfully. To Him I resign myself and the just cause entrusted to me to defend. Amen. Amen. Amen.’

Nelson’s sailors adored him and called him ‘Saint Nelson’. Weather permitting, Nelson and his crew worshipped on HMS Victory’s decks, Nelson praising the chaplain for a helpful sermon and suggesting improvements when the clergyman could have preached better! Nelson was deeply religious and prayed morning and evening, and wrote prayers in his log.

Life before Trafalgar

Born in 1758, the son of a vicar in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, the sixth of eleven children, he joined the navy at the age of twelve and became a captain at the age of twenty. Nelson’s fame increased as victory followed victory. Historians attribute Nelson’s success to his insistence on firm discipline, his tactical ability and his resolute courage even though he was small and rather frail. He quickly grasped his enemies’ weakest point and rapidly made wise decisions under pressure. On occasions he disregarded orders. For example, at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1803, he ignored orders to cease action by putting his telescope to his blind eye and claiming that he couldn’t see the signal! He lost his right eye in 1794 and his right arm in 1796. Nelson spoke of depending on God for guidance and safety. He thought of his war against Napoleon as a holy war.

Nelson lived with thoughts of death and his accountability to God. He kept a coffin, made from the mainmast of the Orient, a French flagship sunk at the Battle of the Nile (1789), upright in his cabin. His staff and guests were disturbed so he had it carried below until needed! A remark to his officers shows a presentiment of death at Trafalgar: ‘Tomorrow I will do that which will give you younger gentlemen something to talk about and something to think about for the rest of your lives. But I shall not live to know about it myself.’ Having a coffin on view is eccentric, but remembering life’s brevity reveals wisdom. Moses prayed, Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12).

Was Horatio Nelson a saint? Married in 1787 to Francis Nisbet, a widow, he fell in love with Lady Emma Hamilton, wife of the British ambassador in Naples. She gave birth to their daughter Horatia in 1801. The charms of Lady Hamilton defeated the man who could conquer powerful naval fleets. One day the family solicitor came to breakfast with Lord and Lady Nelson and during the meal Horatio spoke about ‘dear Lady Hamilton’. Lady Nelson rose from her chair exclaiming, ‘I am sick of hearing about "dear Lady Hamilton". I am resolved that you shall give up either her or me.’ Calmly the Admiral replied, ‘Take care, Fanny, what you say. I love you sincerely, but I cannot forget my obligations to Lady Hamilton, or speak of her otherwise than with affection and admiration.’ Lady Nelson left the room – they never lived together again. Strange as it seems, Nelson did not think he was acting immorally. Apparently, he thought that when two people are essential to each other’s happiness then they are beyond reproach and above God’s law. Doesn’t that sound familiar? Morally, Nelson placed the telescope of duty over his blind eye! He placed love for Lady Hamilton above love to God. As he died, Nelson said, ‘Thank God, I have done my duty!’ followed by the words, ‘Doctor, I have not been a great sinner’ – that is not the language of a saint.

It seems to me that we may sum up Nelson’s religion in the word duty - God rewards duty. However, the biblical gospel is grace – God saves the undeserving. ‘I have been a great sinner’ is the language of the saint. He knows that acceptance with God is not through his doing, but through Christ’s dying. He understands the apostle Paul’s words: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst (1 Timothy 1:15). A saint is someone who trusts in Christ alone and therefore aims to please God by holy conduct. The saint wants, by God’s grace, to live as a saint!