Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-07-24
From the Presbyterian Herald.
DO YOU PRAY FOR THE MEXICANSl

~ 1OC IEA1 fOH HE MEAlCANSl
There are good reasons why YOU should.
l. They have souls like other men. Is
not this overlooked : They are not wild
beasts, though like them. Why pray for a
Iltndoo or a IIottentot! Because he has a
soul of infinite value, but exposed to eternal
death. SO has every Mexican. Because
they are all Papists. And will you pray for
the conversion Of Romanism around YOU, and
not for the CONVERSION Of those one thousand
miles off!
,. They are our enemies. This is one Of
the strongest reasons. Does not the Savior
so teach ! Matthew v. IA. This does not
refer TO private enemies only-it extends to
public foes also. 1t may be your duty to
hight them, to preserve the life and liberty of
our countrymen-stricIly in the defensive.-
But does that duty to our country exempt us
from the other duty to them! Fighting and
praying can go together. Jesus was a Lion
yet Il Lamb-so his disciples.
3. This is the way to stop the war. Can
you doubt that, if every Christian in this land
were to Iilt up his earnest cry to God for our
enemies, that they might see their error aud
cease their strife, it would be done! Are not
Gods weapons mighty " What if, by
powder and ball and bomb-shell and other
terrible instruments of death, we should slav
thousands Of them, and send CONSERVATION to
the heart of MeXico-would it not be better
TO bring them TO terms by pr yer! Would
1t not be a more glorious victory ! Surely,
bloodlesS achievements are most acceptable
10 God. Only one kind of blood is pleasing
tn him. that is the blood of the Lamb and
this blood is omnipotent to conquer, even our
enemies. o, in eternity. where '.dll nations''
shall soon be "gathered'' before the Judgment
seat, let it not appear that the Christians of
this land did not pray for their enemies!
Lastly heretofore there has been no OPP
portunity 10 preach the Gospel in Mexico, and
we should be concerned to have the door
speedily opened to all her provinces. Bat
this depends much on the fiilhfulness with
which Christians visit the throne of grace, in
our present troubles with that Republic
Even if we should by force subdue their bod
les, their hearts would remain as opposed to
the Gospel as ever, and doubtless they would
be less disposed to receive our religion than
ever. But If, by prayer. God We're to melt
down their pride and kindly dispose them TO
us, how great the good accomplished
Then, will you pray fer the MeXicans!
PAX.
The above precious specimen of American
religion we found approvingly copied into
the Ohio Observer. OF what sect that paper
is tn mouth-piece, we cannot certainly say,
but suppose it represents one division of the
Presbyterian Church. We should Judge that
it would prove an exceedingly e Elective ap.
peal to all believers in specification by can
non balls. and redemption by bayonets.
do you pray for the MeXicansl" Why!
" Because they have souls to slve.' Is not
this assuming what needs to be clearly de-
monstrated! How can the Americans butch
er them at the rate they do, if they reallv be-
lieve they have souls-poor, benighled papist
souls, that will go strait to the regions of eter-
nal wo as soon as the body they inhabil is
destroyed. No, no prcre that these half saw
age, yellow wretches have souls, before you
ask the people to pray for them. "Fighting
and prayer can 90 together," PAX tells us,
and he puts fighting first. We suppose he
would have them cut a mans throat. and then
pray for him-blow out his brains, stab, hack,
and hew him down, and then remember him
in prayer. Better for such butchers to pray for
themselyes-to pray that the doom of Cain be
not theirs. But we are told that "Jesus was a
Lion yet a Lamb-so his disciples" Does
PAX mean TO say that Aqj0, General Jesus
would be Christ-likel that Colonel Peter,
Lieutenant Paul, Captain John, Sergeant
Mark and Corporal Luke are christian titles
If he means anything, he means this and
that a battlefield, whose sward is crimsoned
with the lilu's blood of thousands, where Car
mage holds her reyel and dances over the
mangled forms of the dying, whose groans of
pain and shrieks of agony, whose prayers for
mercy AMI half suppressed curses ascend to
that Heaven whose laws they have deiod-
that such a scene presents as God-like a sight
as did the daily life of Him, who went about
doing good unto men, preaching peace on
earth.
PAX has given a true picture Of Amer
lean religion; Judge ye if such a religion
does not dehle and curse the earth it %pretends
to bless.