Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1861-02-05
Address of Christians.

We publish the following conclusion of an ex-
cellent address to the clergy and laity Of the
Christian Churches of the country"
The urgency of our country's danger will be
our apology for again beseeching you, dear
Brethren, to remember your Christian RESPONSE
oilitles to God and his Church. Every man,
whose heart Is not harder than the neither mill
stone, Will surely count the cost at such time
as TINS, and view deliberately the terrible results
which may possibly or probably come from error
no" committed. Is disunion, is civil war before
Us, civil wal whose rigor and atrocities may
apPai the Worlds The wisest hearts admit the
fear. Let each man then place himself now, be-
fore it is too late, in the midst of the possible
horrors OF that fratricidal war let him bring be-
fore his mind country ravaged; its fields late
ly smiling with plenty stained by battle, and the
carnage OF fellow citizens and brethren of CON-
mon christianity; its cities sacked or deserted ;
Its peaceful homes desolated, and its order dis
Piaced Dy nerce anarchy and let him ask HIM
sell whether, as he stands amidst the ruin, ne
WILL be able to take Heaven to witness that none
OF Its guilt is 10 his skirts Let each man re-
member that he must answer at the judgment
seat OF Christ tor his conduct, as citizen, and
see to 1t that when he meets there the ghosts OF
all that shall be slain, of all the wives that shall
be widowed, of all the children that shall be con-
signed to orphanage and restitution, of all the
hoary parents that shall be bereaved of their
sons in this quarrel, and of all the ignorant
damned through eur neglect, while we were
wagiDg the work of mutual destruction, he shall
be able to appeal to the searcher of hearts that
none OF it was his doing; that every whit of this
mountainous aggregate Of guilt belongs to his adj
versaries, and not to himself; that he had ex-
hon, cd r,ol,t uta1
every lawful power to avoid it. If, Brethren,
you can do this, it will be we'll with you, how
however i'll it may be with our miserable coun.
try. But, if not, who can estimate that guilt
But blessed be God, all is not yet lost. And il
only His church shall have grace given to her,
equal to her duty; if she can only rise above the
vulgar mists of prejudice, false pride and mutual
recrimiDatoDs; if she shall steadily lift up the
calm, loving and potential voice of Gods Law,
speaking peace to the tumults of the people, and
even to the incipient din of war; if the hands oil
Christian love are now made strong to knit again
the bands which angry and selfish men have rent
how glorious will be this achievement of Chris
tianity to her Lord, and how blessed to His
creatures. Fellow Christians, let US arise as one
man, and accomplish it.
And, finally, that this peaceful victory may be
won, we would repeat the call to prayer, ''God
Is our refuge ana strenSIn, very present help In
trouble" Let us continue daily before the
throne of the heavenly grace, those humiliations
and entreates to which we were called by our
venerable Chief Magistrate until God have mer-
cy upon US, and the sword which is stretched
out over the land is Withdrawn. And we will
be, your servants, for Christ's sake,
| SAMUEL B. WILSON, D. D., Prof. and Pres Of
Union Theological Seminary, Va.
| JOHN NJ. P. ATKINSON d. d., Pres. Hampder
Sidney College.
B. NJ. SMITH, D. D., Prof. Union Theological
Seminary, Va.
| Rev. I. E. PECK, D. D., Prof. Union Theolog
ical Seminary, Va
| Rev. HENRY SNYDER, Prof 81. S. College.