Communications: For The Signal Of Liberty: A Word To America...

Messrs. Euitors: - Will you pcrmit me to address a few words to those of your readers who profess to believe, love and teach, without qualification, reserve or doubt, the principies of fhe Gospel of pcacc, as uttered by thelips and illustrated by the life of Jesus Christ? It is related of one of great and earnest faith, tliat Cihe had power with God, and prevailed," notonly in his wrestlings with the ' Almighty, but aiso in his enpountere with' mighty and malevolent men. The Gttópel in the integrity cf its vihtlity, has Leen declared and proved the "powor and wisdom of God unto salvation" of man. of mnn, of nations, of tlie wor-d.' And to those who obey the Gospel, tO'the fullest extcnt of its requisitions, protnised n power nnd a wisdom of God, which neither the power nor wicJov of thia world eau eilher goinsay or rosist. ThePrince of Peace declared, m lahgungfi unequivocally clear and enèrgetióally strong, that they who kept his sayings and obeyed his commandments, should be endowed with nn unlimited power to work great works among and upon men - lvbYká even, ihan some tiftft he wrought himself while goingnbouf healing tac sick and r.tising the dead. - Now, Chrisfian men and ministers, at ihis lato age of thé world, when ñew revelations of nature and science have donolheir uttfiost to furtttsH you wifh new rneans and elements of moral slrengih, do you feel tiioi you have ihis power nt your command? At this crisis of your country, can yon lift isp your standard against fhe enemy that threatens lo come in like a fiood, "to scorch the land with its burning br'éath; to set on fire passions as maügnant as malice can breathe or fiell endure; to redden the souls and redden the hands of prol'cssiog Christians vit'u liie hot bloodof muluul butcheryjto open every sluice gate of sociefy to n deluge of inlïdelity, intempcrance and every forrh of corruptiön; to sow this promising field, just germïTiiiting with the seed of the Gospel, wiih the dragon teeth of líale; to paganizo Christianity, and chain it, poverless and degraded, to the car of a Gorgon-headed Apoilyon, to be droggcd under the axle of his chariot into the red, suljihureous rifts of battle, into the human slaugliter field, where deeds are done which have no parallels in tlie record or the región of fallen spirits? In the r.-me of God and Humanity. Iet me, In carnest humility. adjure you to ;u-i.so 1 i k e hiun who s'umbered on the lap of his DeliKnh. a.qd siiake yoursolves, and sce whether you have any, the slighiest iota, of moral power to hold the hnds of the Philistincs who are ipoii you; to stem the desolating curse of war, and to roll back the vengcfnl current of ignited pas. sions which threateh to involve in brutal . and bloody conflict two Christian and kindréd ïKilior. ;. Have nol the events of the past veo rrevenlcd your impotence? Are yon not y et wftlce to the character of your position? Are you not compelled to.feel, and is not the sentiment fraught i with affiiclion,' thát, in d.scussing the i question oí' opening the sluices of h uraan ) "bloed, tlio peacelul religión which you t teach and pTcrfesb is not rocognized, by tíie vulers of your own clcciion, as intcrI posing the slightest oifstacle to a war for , terriíory, honor, lny og crime? Náy, ■ have you not virtunlly cornmilted and plodgod the sanction au;i inilucnce of the Clu-istian religiou to war waged for any ' or all of t::o oitjeefs I have mentioned? - , Havingcompromióed betweon ilie inexoI rabio pvinciplos of the gosprl and the rci bellious instincts of human nature; by admitiing thiit all wars are not sinfui, c!o . you not find that J-otrr tV-ct are sipking in troachcrou.s quicksands, the very moment you alicmpt to opjiosc any war? - Afior hoving tnnhí a !cenli')us world tha'l tlkfènsive u'dfëörS consisient witli the !ove-lrealhing .latrines of J(sus Christ; :ifit:c having sajd to :!io inlanieo1 and ijoo;-tiirsly [lassiphs of men, Thus far }re may come, cn you check tho overvvhclming and fiery torrent withkeu reed of yourwill, and say, Thus far ye go and no further? Sobcr-minded, dispnssionntc Christians. do you not fee] that there is a melnncholy parity between your present condïlióti and that of the shorn Samson, when he awoke "nnd wist not that the Lord was depnrted from him?" Else why have you iiot power with God and men, enough to prevail to the unbrnken peace of the world; to In y your hands upon the Gospel nnd say, in Ihe strengtli of its power nnd wisdom, that war shall never redden again the soil of Christendom with the blood of jlood-bought men? Is not the secret of vour weakness hidden in the faet, that you have put the Bible to sleep in the lap of carnal expediency, nnd permittcd the Phiistines of this ungodly world to sheer down its highest, heaven-born doctrines, which prohibit all physical resistance of evil or injury, to the level - ave, below the lovel - of the lowest instincts of hunan nature?