, 1861-06-13
SERMON CS THE UNION,


church on Stockton street, San Francisco,
preached a thrilling sermon on the existing crisis
in our national affairs For eloqucnce and car
nestness it exccls anything we have yet seen on
the subject. From the MOrning CdA We copy
the following synopsis Of it. The text Of the
discourse was the words wherein the Saviour, in
addressing his disciples, says:
"There shall be wars and rumOrs Of wars.
Be not troubled. These things mus; come to
pass but the end is not yet. He
that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and
Ouy One."
Wars, the reverend speaker said, were not
| always wrong. They were sometimes right and
necessary-aids to righteousness approved by
God, worthy the support Of Christian men.
Wars Of mere aggression and conquest were Of
the Pit Wars for the safety Of ones country
| and the care Of sacred trusts were right and
proper; and to hesitate to indulge in them, as a
last resort, would be cowardly aud sinful in the
eye Of Heaven. The New Testament nowhere
enjoned absolute non-resiStance. II was not q
book Of statutes, or a code wherein was specif-
cally set forth the precise rules by which Chris
tan men should be governed In every ac.iOD.
1t contained only the spira by which men should
be directed in their intercourse, one with another.
Christ himself admitted that an appeal to the
sword would not only not be unrighteOus, but
positively q sacred duty. The doctrine, il smit-
| ten on one check turn the other also, might bc
proper when the blow only affected one person.
ally it might be noble not to take the life Of
footpad who should demand your own money Or
your life: but would it be right or noble 10
surrender without resistance money entrusted
TO your keeping for the use Of the needy and
dcServingg The war b, in waged upon the ov-
| pr pf ha "a
bic, pratcal. Ii was not a war between Sec
tons Of the country; it was a war against the
system Of Government founded by our iorGiath-
ers, and under which the whole country had,
| for the past eighty years, prospered so grandly.
OF what wrongs had the seeding States TO COM
plain? None Of their constitutional rights had
been inlrngcd, nor was there even an attempt
at such inf. mgement, or u purpose Of such IT,
frinsement anywhere declared or bctokened.
| There could have been no such Infringement or
| interference. The CONSTITUTE n was Precisely as
when signed by George Washington and u when
agreed to by South Carolina; the views Of the
Supreme Court As to its Interpretation were un-
| changed; the checks upon the Executive were
unTeeased. The Senate was still favorable to
their views of national administration. How I'M
called Tor, thcn was the action Of these Secession
| traitors how trcacherOus how ungratcful their
rebellion against the parent that had nurtured
them so tenderlyi How dIstarJiy the conduct Of
those men-raiScd, some Of them, even To the dig
nifty Of Senators, who, having sworn 10 be faithful
to their cOuntry's Constitution, discarded their
oaths, as it God had no memory, and repudiated
their VOWS MS llippantly as had certain States
| their financial obligations Ii was a terrible
| thing, this civil war, this spilling Of brothers
blood. But there was something yet more ter
rible. Il was far more terrible to stand supineiy
by, with folded arms, while the fair heritage Of
happiness, civilization aud liberty, entrusted to
us for the benefit Of thousands Of Millions yet
unborn, was being ruth, sSly destroyed by bri.
| gandS lighting under &c black flag. Our duties
as men, as American Citizens aS lovers Oi right
and liberty, and as CHRISTIANS, demanded that
this uprising Of vile traitors against the system
| Of civilization, Of which the United States Con-
| slitution was the embodiment, should be put
down at all hazards and ut every cost. The dis
| integration Of the Nation must not be allowed !;
| Secession was a crime, and to prevent il mat
tered but little il 4 million Of US should die q
little before our time. This was not time for
milk and waterism." There could not be too
much enthusiasm Of patriotic expression. The
dastards who have dared to countenance "neu-
tralitY" and "iorbcarance' on the part Of Cali
iornia, that we might speculate on the heroic
and grand efforts Of the country to maintain un.
sullied existence, are more to be contemned and
| feared than the undisguised traitors. lie (the
speaker knew the President and Commander.
| in-Chef OF the brgand band now arrayed in
unhOly warfare against the country and its flag
the country which gave them birta and its
| ilaS which impaired to them the only importance
and responsibility which they had hitherto so
largely enjoyed in the eyes Of the whole civilized
world. With this man he had walked arm in
arm in the house Of God. Against him as
brother man he held no animosity the
mistaken inen whom he led no feelings Of re-.
venge should be held, for such feelings were un-
Christian; the contest was for q princip'e-but
as vile traitor to his country, his Oath and his
| flag, he condemned and spurned Jefferson Davis
He could not pray for him as one in authority"
Pray for himl as soon pray for Beelzebub! /!
| To pray for traitors was adding a chapter to
treason. Such prayer could not be excused
by tho plea that il was Christian 10 pray for all
| in authority" This mans authority WIS not
admitted-did not exist. What would be
thought Of the Church Of England Bishop who,
during the Scpoy rebellion, would. ia London,
write a prayer for Queen Victoria aud Nena
SahibI or Of the Covenantrr who, / 1 his day,
would pray for Charles II. and Oliver Cromwell! !!
What would bc thought Of the minister who, in
the days Of our own Revolution, would pray for
George III. and George Washngtong But this
great struggle would result in good. lie rcjOiced
because il proved that We still had country
that pure patriotism still lived; that the spirit
Of 76 still survives; and that men, Northern
men, yea, even "mcre Yankees, are willing to
suffer and die for their country with a holy de-
vOtion which the distribution Of cOppers or five
cent pieces cannot check! Yes, this contest,
even should IFS issue DO the formation Of two
nations, where only one now existed, would rc-
suit in great good; it would exhibit the cx,Gnt
and character Of the now partially hidden disease
Of diSoyaltys nnd would make the faithful more
homogeneous by the knowledge Of common efforts
and common love for glorious Union. Ths rev.
speaker concluded by offering up II icrvent prayer
ioI the President Of the United States
! The above gives, Of course, but n meagre out.