Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-02-11
For the Spy.
ShRrpe's Rines We. Christianity.

Messrs. Editors: In reporting Mr.. Wasson's
remark OF last Sunday, you made him say more
than he reports himself to have said. You added
to has statement of doing the will of God on
earth, the words "as it is done in Heaven thus
carrying the idea that Sharpes rifles might be
used to execute the will of God in HeaUen, This
is more shocking than the remark as he reports
1t, and yet, why should he not say the last, as
well as the hrst, for we are taught to pray.that
God will may be done on earth as it is done in
Heaven and if Sharpe's rife is a necessary and
proper instrument for its execution here, why
should it not form an item in the equipment of
the saint for Heavenf
But Mr.. WATSON made more abhorrent remark
in the evening of last Sunday, when he said that
he could with one hand fire the cannon and
raise the other to Heaven to ask God to bless it
TO the destruction of the invader" Now, let us
know who is the God of Mr.. WATSON is it the
God of David, Of Mahomet, of Joe Smith, or the
Moloch of the heather: It may be either of
them, but It cannot be the Christian God, for he
is God Of peace and love, and not a God of war
Mr. WATSON says, how can one say less, and not
take the ground of non resistanees That is true
and there is no middle ground. Jesus was taeo-
retically and practically non-resstant, and all
! christians should sake that ground or repudiate
Christ This it is understood Mr. WATSON does
he neither processes tries to be christian nor
TO- preach christianity, but to preach his own
highest idea of goodness. And if thia leads to
such positions, had we better not fall back on
christianity
Your New York correspondent makes a fair
and just criticism on Henry Ward Beecher, for
preaching the same sentiments suggesting thatif
ministers cannotpractice christianity they ought,
at east to preach it, This is justly put, for Mr..
Beecher Processes to be christian C.
Messrs. Editors In reply to my censor, who,
with handsome frankness, acquainted me with his
animadyersions before sending them to press,
permit me to say, that if there are border rnfians
in Heaven, hope Shapes rifles, or some instru-
ment of defence not less effective, will be there
also If with me, he does not believe the one,
with me he may be undisturbed about the other.
Farther, believe that the will of God is coin
cident with justice, and that His love consists with
the merciful seventies of Law. The individual
who goes forth to murder one portion of the in
habitants of territory in order to force the crime
Of slaveholding upon the remainder, surely meets
no more than his deserts, If his atrocity reco IA
tally upon his own head. And the true man,
who by position, is designated as the chosen and
commissioned minister of those retributions, is
either doing the will of God in thus applying His
chastsements. or the will of God is one thing,
and Justice another.
Again, God is indeed Love- but His love is of
steel. not of wax, and carries an edge 1t is vain
to blink the fact of retrb1ton 1t is vain to stig-
matise him as ''baEbarous," and aanti-ehristian,"
who, under due appointment, becomes the agent
OF the law. Let private injury be forgiven; let
public justice be maintained. One need not hate
WHetS ne Heeus must Smlte F., ana deem that, UNI
der,many circumstances, resistance may be inf
nItely more mercifl1 than submission. l would
be too much the friend of the border rufiaa to
let him be in act all the ruffian he is by inten-
ton. The bullet that arrests his steps, is kinder
to him than the depraved witt which urges him
on. Better for him, well as for posterity, that
he should crimson the ground he camo to curse
when his own incurable dseaseof purpose leaves
no other alternative; better that, when milder re-
monstrance has proved vain, and justice has not a
single immediate resource left then the last effect
ual discussion should fame upon him from the
rifles throat. And in such a case, for me, at
least, to offer other counsel than that have Civ
en-, and do give, would be act of turpitude, for
1t would be one of recreaney to the religious obi
cations | recognize.
Whether myself and my counsel are Christian
it may perhaps be unwise to dispute. The read
ers OF YOUR journal do not desire me here to des
fine or defend my theological position; and doubt
less considerable portion of them feel already
assured, upon other grounds, that the term Chris
tan is not appropriate to me. But in this par
tlcuar instance it will at once to all, that
! unchristian, l am so By concurrence with the
Christian church. am unchIistian in good COM
pany-with Luther, Milton, Arnold, and similar
worthless in hosts. And here perhaps it may be
as we'll to leave the matter
Respectfully yours, d. A. WAssoN
Worcester, Feb s, 1856.