Year: 1861

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,


At the First (stone) Church the Stars an
Stripes were raised upon the tower an hot


before the commencement of the mornin


services. aH


The spacious church was filed at an earl


hour by the regular attendants and those 9th


ers who were anxious to hear the dscours


of the Pastor.
i In the opening prayer Mr.. Goodrich spok
feelingly of the conflict which is upon or
country, and prayed God to give US the pow
er to execute His will, and if need-be, glanc
upon our opponents who have forgotten Go,
and the right in their mad ambition.


The text was from


Mark Is: 'sThen ye shall hear OF wars and IN
mOrs of wars; be ye not troubled, for such Thing
must needs be, But the end is not yet"


The speaker first spoke of the charaete
| Of Christ, as being one of peace and yet o
war. He is the "Prince of Peace" and We
says "I came not to send peace on earth but
a sword" The key to these contradiction.
is in the last clause of the text. s'The END
is not yet" Every conflict is but prelude
to the glorious end when men shall have wal
no more. Allthese are to happen in the last
times and the reign of the King of Peace
And though we have not fallen into the hab-
it Of applying prophecy to the events ofour
times, We have felt that we were so strong
that we have hoped to glide serenely on into
that new order Of society which is to mark
the Millennium days. We are now wax
ing up from this dream. Our children are
going forth to battle, and we find ourselves
swelling with indignation toward those who
should be our brothers.


If we had meditated or practiced any op-
preston upon our fellow countrymen, our
eonsciences would have bid US prepare for
this conflict. If we had been accustomed to
train up our sons to disloyalty, we should
months ago have prepared for this contest.
Bnt we have desired no advantage save that
given us by the Constitution, and have made
no aggressions upon other members of our
country. Hence tits that we are rousing up
in astonishment, and leaving our peaceful
aVocations for those of deadly warfare.


How long this hard necessity of war will
linger on this earth we know not, but this
we do know-the end is not yet. Christianity
has done away withvery much barbarity, and
has made war the last resort instead of the
first, as in former times; but it has not yet
done away with the necessity for forts and
uAGcHdAcs uOL Iuc undA al peal 70 lOEGE.a 1ue56
must be so long as human governments ex-
ist. We may dream ofa golden age when the
world will be made up of our great human
family, governed by a common Law of love,
but we shall find no such condition on earth.
We must be governed, and we all know that
behind words must be acts, and the govern
ment, If 1t be a government, must have
a hidden force able to crush out treason.
Not without meaning is the teaching in
Gods word that with the Supreme govern
ment Of a State must rest the sword, to con-
quer the traitor or the foreign foe.


What one of our blessings have not been
won by force and by war? Have we free
persons and free speech We have them
because there were men in other days who
rose against despotism and won them as
legacy for US. Christianity is not only way
of salvation for the suffering soul 1t is
way of deiiverance for the weak and of ven-
geance upon tyranny. Our hearts exult to-
day in the midst of our lamentation as we
look across the sea and behold q country
rising in power and beauty from the wrecks
of centuries. In all questions of right and
wrong, there comes point where the issue
must be wrought out by battle. Long set
tied wrong will always make a last stand,
and yield only when conquered. Every great
battle has settled, or helped to settle, great
questions of moral right or wrong.


We have hoped that our discussions might
be settled without this last appeal. But the
question has come squarely upon US whether
we will relinquish our hard-earned blessings
and liberties, or whether we will hold them
by battle, and cement them by blood. But
reason has been set at naught, and all that
remains to us is to buy a base peace or to es-
tablish our rights by the red right hand of
war.


Tnis is a great question. We cannot light
the tissues Of this contest without fighting for
the liberty of the whole world. We are to
show that free government can be main-
tanned as well BY freemen fresh from
honest toll, as BY standing armies and that
the ReL ubliean form of government can be
upheld as well as that over which Kings
rule. Thank God that we are counted worthy
for this great trial that to us it is given to
tnrn back the tide Of wicked usurpation.-
Thank God that the spirit of the old battlers
for liberty still lives in our day and genera
ton. I see the grave looks of men see
multitudes to-day assembled in the sanetu-
aries to consecrate themselves again to the
holy work; hear from hill and plain, from
the East to the West, the tramp of armed
hosts moving on to the conflict for the right.
God may not give US immediate victory, but
he never gives His aid to robbers and ty-
rants He never recognizes those with whom
might makes right. Let US thank the God
of our Fathers that even war need not shut
us out from his sympathy and his blessing
It may be that the deeds we can do in our
country's service will be our noblest tribute
to our God.


This synopsis gives no just idea of the
strength and eloquence of the discourse.


The services closed with singing the an


"GOd bless cur native land


by the choir, with grand effect.


PLYMOUTH CHURCH.


The Plymouth church on Prospect street,
the Rev. J. c. White discoursed elOquently
upon the active spirit which the whole
country had displayed in endeavoring to
sustain itself in the present emergency, sug-
gesting at the close of his remarks that all
persons should adopt the Union eOkades,and
that our glorious banner should float from
his church, as well as from the other church
es in the land. At the close of the service
the Star spangled Banner was sung with
thrilling effect.


ST. CLAIR STREET METHODIST CHURCH:


At the st. Clair st. Methodist Episcopal
Church, the Rev. VIM. Day preached
very happy discourse from Kings, 8. As,
As V, advocating strongly the cause of the
country in the present emergency.


ST. PAUL's CHURCH.


At St. Pauls Church, Bishop MeIlvaine
preached yesterday morning, and stated at
the close of the service that the state of af-
fairs at Cincinnati was such, that his pres
ence was required, and that he should be
obliged to suspend his visitatiOns in northern
Ohio. Hestated that he had enlisted.


BETHEL CHURCH.


At the Bethel Church, a large audience at
tended an ned 10 an interesting dis
course = Rev. Mr.. Beattie. The
Buckeye Rifles were in attendance, and the
pulpi tw idraped with the United statel