,illustration3 ,,david ,,low ,,dodge    
,,war ,,inconsistent   ,,with ,,the     
,,religion ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ    ,,by
   ,,david ,,low ,,dodge    ,,with ,,an 
,,introduction   ,,by   ,,edwin ,d4     
,,mead    ,,published ,,for ,,the       
,,international ,,union   ,,ginn        
,,company1 ,,boston   #aije             
,,copyright1 #aije1 ,,by   ,,the        
,,international ,,union    ,,all        
,,rights ,,reserved    #ee4h            
,,contents                              
,,page  ,,introduction                  
vii  ,,war ,,inconsistent ,,with ,,the  
,,religion ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ        
#a    ,,war ,,is ,,inhuman3       ,i4   
,because it hardens the heart and blunts
 the tender           feelings of       
mankind                                 
#b      ,,ii4 ,war is inhuman1 as in its
 nature and tendency it           abuses
 ,god's animal creation                 
#f     ,,iii4 ,war is inhuman1 as it    
oppresses the poor                      
#h      ,,iv4 ,war is inhuman1 as it    

spreads terror and distress             
among mankind                           
#ab       ,v4 ,war is inhuman1 as it    
involves men in fatigue1 famine1        
and all the pains of mutilated bodies   
#ad      ,,vi4 ,war is inhuman1 as it   
destroys the youth and cuts             
off the hope of gray hairs              
#af     ,,vii4 ,war is inhuman1 as it   
multiplies widows and orphans1          
and clothes the land in mourning        
#ah    ,,war ,,is ,,unwise3        ,i4  
,because1 instead of preventing1 it     
provokes insult            and mischief 
#bc       ,,ii4 ,war is unwise1 for     
instead of diminishing1 it increases    
difficulties                            
#bf      ,,iii4 ,war is unwise1 because 
it destroys property                #bh 
,,iv4 ,war is unwise1 as it is dangerous
 to the liberties of            men     
#cj        ,v4 ,war is unwise1 as it    
diminishes the happiness of             
mankind                                 
#cd       ,,vi4 ,war is unwise1 as it   

does not mend1 but injures1 the         
morals of society                       
#cf      ,,vii4 ,war is unwise1 as it is
 hazarding eternal things for           
only the chance of defending temporal   
things             #db     ,,viii4 ,war 
is unwise1 as it does not answer the    
professed            end for which it is
 intended                               
#dd    ,,war ,,is ,,criminal3        ,i4
 ,going to war is not keeping from the  
appearance            of evil1 but is   
running into temptation                 
#dg       ,,ii4 ,war is criminal1 as it 
naturally inflames the pride            
of man                                  
#di      ,,iii4 ,war necessarily        
infringes on the consciences of         
men1 and therefore is criminal          
#eb       ,,iv4 ,war is criminal1 as it 
is opposed to patient suffering         
under unjust and cruel treatment        
#ef        ,v4 ,war is criminal1 as it  
is not doing to others as we            
should wish them to do to us            

#fj       ,,vi4 ,war is inconsistent    
with mercy1 and is therefore            
criminal #fa      ,,vii4 ,war is        
criminal1 as the practice of it is      
inconsistent            with forgiving  
trespasses as we wish to be forgiven    
by the final judge                      
#fc     ,,viii4 ,engaging in war is not 
manifesting love to enemies             
or returning good for evil              
#fd       ,,ix4 ,war is criminal1       
because it is actually rendering        
evil for evil                           
#fg        ,x4 ,war is criminal1 as it  
is actually doing evil that good        
may come2 and this is the best apology  
that can            be made for it      
#ga       ,,xi4 ,war is opposed to the  
example of the ,son of ,god1            
and is therefore criminal               
#gb    ,,objections ,,answered          
#gg  ,,hymn                             
#aba  ,,the ,,mediator',s ,,kingdom     
,,not ,,of ,,this ,,world3 ,,but        
,,spiritual            #abc             

,,introduction   ,to ,david ,low ,dodge 
of ,new ,york belongs the high honor of 
having written the first pamphlets      
published in ,america directed expressly
 against the war system of nations1 and 
of having founded the first peace       
society ever organized in ,america or in
 the world4 ,his first pamphlet1 ,the   
,mediator's ,kingdom not of this ,world1
 was published in #ahji4 ,his second and
 more important pamphlet1 ,war          
,inconsistent with the ,religion of     
,jesus ,christ1 was prepared for the    
press in #ahab4 ,this was two years     
before the publication of ,noah         
,worcester's ,solemn ,review of the     
,custom of ,war1 which was issued in    
,boston on ,christmas ,day1 #ahad4      
,early in #ahab ,mr4 ,dodge and his     
friends in ,new ,york deliberated on the
 expediency of forming a peace society2 
but on account of the excitement        
attending the war with ,great ,britain  
this was postponed until #ahae4 ,in     
,august of that year the ,new ,york     

,peace ,society1 the first in the world1
 was organized1 with ,mr4 ,dodge as its 
president4 ,this was four months before 
the organization of the ,massachusetts  
,peace ,society 7,december #bf1 #ahae7  
under the leadership of ,noah           
,worcester1 and nearly a year before the
 ,english ,peace ,society1 the first in 
,europe1 was formed 7,june #ad1 #ahaf7  
in ,london4  ,the preeminent historical 
interest attaching to ,mr4 ,dodge's     
pioneering work in the peace cause in   
this country would alone justify and    
indeed seem to command the republication
 of his pamphlets at this time1 when the
 great ideas for which he so            
courageously and prophetically stood are
 at last winning the general recognition
 of humane and thoughtful men4 ,but it  
is not merely historical interest which 
warrants a revival of attention to these
 almost forgotten papers4 ,their        
intrinsic power and worth are such as   
make their reading1 especially that of  
the second essay1 ,war ,inconsistent    

with the ,religion of ,jesus ,christ1   
which stands first in the present       
volume1 edifying and inspiring to-day4  
,marked by few literary graces and cast 
in a theological mold which the critical
 thought of the present has in large    
measure outgrown1 there is a force of   
thought1 a moral earnestness1 a         
persevering logic1 a common sense1 a    
hatred of inhumanity1 a passion for     
justice1 a penetration and a virtue in  
them1 which commends them to the abiding
 and reverent regard of all who work for
 the peace and order of the world4      
,among such workers to-day are men of   
various political philosophies1 and     
perhaps only a small minority are       
nonresistants of the extreme type of    
,david ,l4 ,dodge2 but to that minority1
 we cannot fail to remark1 belongs the  
greatest and most influential of all the
 peace prophets of this time1 ,leo      
,tolstoi4 ,none can read these old      
essays without being impressed by the   
fact that their arguments are           

essentially the same as those of the    
great ,russian4 ,there is little indeed 
of the ,tolstoian thunder and lightning1
 the pathos1 wrath1 and rhetoric1 the   
poetry and prophecy1 in these           
old-fashioned pages2 but the doctrine is
 the same as that of ,bethink           
,yourselves6 and ,patriotism versus     
,christianity4 ,in his central thought  
and purpose1 in his religious trust and 
reliance upon the ,christian principle1 
the ,new ,york merchant was a ,tolstoi a
 hundred years before his time4  ,david 
,low ,dodge was born ,june #ad1 #aggd1  
in that part of ,pomfret1 ,connecticut1 
now called ,brooklyn4 ,this was the home
 of ,israel ,putnam2 and ,david ,dodge's
 father1 a farmer and carpenter1 was    
,putnam's neighbor and friend1--may well
 have been near him when in ,april1     
#agge1 upon hearing of the battle of    
,lexington1 he left his plow in the     
furrow and started to join the forces   
gathering at ,cambridge4 ,david ,dodge's
 father1 grandfather1 and               

great-grandfather each bore the name of 
,david ,dodge4 ,the great-grandfather   
was a ,congregational minister1 who was 
understood to have come from ,wales1--a 
learned and wealthy man1 who was for a  
while settled in the vicinity of ,cape  
,ann in ,massachusetts4 ,the            
grandfather1 who also received a liberal
 education1 probably in ,england1 came  
into the possession of his father's     
estate1 for that day a large one1 and we
 are not informed whether he followed   
any profession or regular business4 ,he 
was a man fully six feet tall1 of great 
muscular power1 and a lover of good     
horses1 on which he spent much time and 
money4 ,he married ,ann ,low1 from a    
wealthy ,massachusetts family1 and      
settled in ,beverly1 where their sons   
,david and ,samuel were born1 and where 
the family fortunes became much         
embarrassed4 ,about #ageg the family    
removed to ,pomfret1 ,connecticut1 and  
the boys1 whose education at the hands  
of their mother had been but slight1    

were apprenticed1 ,david to a carpenter 
and ,samuel to a shoemaker4 ,their      
father1 obtaining at this time a        
commission in the army invading ,canada1
 met his death in a bateau which        
attempted to descend the falls of the   
,oswego and was dashed to pieces on the 
rocks with the loss of every soul on    
board4  ,david ,low ,dodge's mother1    
when a girl1 was ,mary ,stuart1 and when
 she married his father1 in #agfh1 was a
 widow bearing the name of ,earl4 ,the  
young husband hired a small farm1 the   
wife by her industry and economy had    
furniture sufficient to begin           
housekeeping1 and the little home was   
founded in which ,david ,low ,dodge's   
only sister ,mary was born in #aggj4    
,three years later the father hired a   
more expensive place in the same town1  
where the boy was born in #aggd4 ,during
 that year1 he writes in his            
autobiography1 my father became serious1
 and commenced family prayer4 ,he was   
educated in the old semi-,arminian views

 of his mother and the halfway covenant4
 ,my mother was a rigid ,calvinist of   
the ,whitefield school4 ,neither of them
 ever made a public profession of       
religion1 but they were careful to      
observe external ordinances1 catechize  
their children1 and give religious      
instruction4 ,they were honest1         
industrious1 temperate1 kind-hearted    
people1 universally respected and       
esteemed by all who were acquainted with
 them4  ,such was the atmosphere in     
which the boy grew up4 ,the ,american   
,revolution at this period was          
convulsing the whole country1 drafting  
and enlisting soldiers4 ,wagons were    
needed for the army1 and by the advice  
of the ,putnams1 the old general and his
 son ,israel1 who was about two years   
younger than my father1 he was induced  
to engage in the manufacture of         
continental wagons4 ,he hired a         
convenient place for carpenters and     
blacksmiths1 took several journeymen    
into the family1 and embarked all his   

earnings in the business4 ,the boy's    
half-brothers1 ,william and ,jesse      
,earl1 entered the army at the tender   
ages of fourteen and sixteen1 endured   
battles1 sickness1 and every privation1 
and both died towards the close of the  
war1 the event almost wrecking the      
nervous system of the mother1 a woman of
 acute sensibility4 ,thus early were the
 horrors of war brought personally home 
to the boy4 ,he remembered hearing the  
distant cannonading when ,new ,london   
was burned by the ,british1 and the     
exclamation of the man beside him1      
,blood is flowing to-day4 ,news came the
 next morning that the forts were       
stormed1 the garrisons put to the sword1
 ,new ,london burnt1 and the ,british   
were marching upon ,norwich1 and would  
proceed up into the country4 ,my mother 
wrung her hands1 and asked my father if 
we had not better pack up some things to
 secrete them4  ,the boy's education was
 slight and fragmentary4 ,the summer he 
was six years old he attended the school

 of a venerable ,irish maiden lady about
 sixty years of age1 learning ,watts'   
,divine ,songs1 texts of ,scripture1 and
 the ,shorter ,catechism4 ,from the age 
of seven to fourteen--the family now    
living on a farm in the neighboring town
 of ,hampton--he attended the district  
school for two terms each winter1 having
 no access to any other books than the  
primer1 spelling book1 arithmetic1 and  
,bible4 ,i used often1 when not at work 
in the shop evenings1 to retire to the  
old kitchen fireplace1 put my lamp into 
the oven1 and1 sitting with my back     
against it1 take my arithmetic1 slate1  
and pencil1 and try to cipher a little4 
,i often think how ,i should have been  
delighted to have had one fifth part of 
the advantages enjoyed by most of my    
descendants4 ,confined to the house for 
seven weeks a little later as the result
 of accidents1 he turned hungrily to    
such books as he could                  
secure--,dilworth's ,arithmetic1        
,webster's ,abridged ,grammar1 and      

,salmon's ,universal ,english           
,geography4 ,this opened a new and      
astonishing field to me for             
contemplation4 ,i now obtained the first
 glimpse of the boundaries of land and  
water1 of the lofty mountains1 and of   
the mighty rivers which had cut their   
channels through the earth4 ,i read and 
surveyed the maps and meditated upon    
them until ,i began to lecture to my    
young companions1 and was considered    
quite learned in geography4 ,having an  
object in view1 ,i began to thirst for  
knowledge1 and succeeded in borrowing in
 succession ,the ,travels of ,cyrus1    
,xerxes' ,expedition into ,greece1 ,the 
,history of ,alexander the ,great1 and  
,hannibal's ,invasion of ,rome4 ,he     
proposed and brought about the formation
 of a society of young men in the town1 
for the improvement of minds and        
manners4 ,there were fourteen young men1
 with an equal number of young women    
presently added1 each furnishing a      
useful book as the beginning of a       

library4 ,we obtained some of the       
,british classics1 such as the          
,spectator1 ,guardian1 etc41 with a few 
histories2 the subjects formed a        
foundation for conversation when we met 
together4  ,now the young man's ambition
 turned from farming to school-teaching4
 ,he began with district schools1       
becoming a successful teacher from the  
start1 prosecuting his own studies      
assiduously in every leisure hour1 fired
 with a desire to improve the schools1  
which were everywhere as wretched as can
 well be imagined4 ,for some months in  
#agie he left teaching to join other    
young men in building a bridge at       
,tiverton1 ,rhode ,island4 ,then he     
attended the academy at ,north          
,canterbury1 ,connecticut1 under the    
charge of the eminent teacher1 ,john    
,adams4 ,this was the only opportunity  
,i ever enjoyed of attending a good     
school1 and this was abridged to fulfill
 my engagement to teach the town school 
in ,mansfield4 ,in #agif he opened a    

private school in ,norwich1 adding the  
next year a morning school for young    
ladies and an evening school for        
apprentices and clerks1 all of which    
flourished4 ,during this time he was    
profoundly interested in religious      
matters1 attending many revivals and    
becoming more and more concerned with   
moral and social problems4 ,now1 too1 he
 married1 his wife being a daughter of  
,aaron ,cleveland of ,norwich1 a strong 
character1 afterwards a clergyman1 whose
 name you will find enrolled among the  
poets of ,connecticut1 and who as early 
as #agge published a poem on slavery1   
which1 condemning slavery as wholly     
antichristian1 attracted a good deal of 
notice4 ,he was the first man in        
,connecticut to arraign slavery         
publicly4 ,elected to the ,general      
,assembly from ,norwich on that issue1  
he introduced a bill in behalf of       
emancipation4  ,with health somewhat    
impaired and with family cares          
increasing1 ,david ,dodge now turned    

from teaching to trade4 ,first it was as
 a clerk in ,norwich1 then as a partner 
in a general store1 then as head of     
various dry goods establishments in     
,hartford and other ,connecticut towns1 
always and everywhere successful4 ,in   
#ahje ,messrs4 ,s4 and ,h4 ,higginson of
 ,boston1 cousins of his wife1 a firm of
 high standing and large capital1 made  
him a proposition to enter into a       
copartnership with a view to            
establishing an extensive importing and 
jobbing store in the city of ,new ,york2
 and he accepted the proposition1 going 
to ,new ,york the next year to take     
charge of the concern in that city4 ,he 
took a store in ,pearl ,street1 and the 
year afterwards the family took         
possession of the house connected with  
the store1 still reserving the house in 
,hartford as a retreat in case of yellow
 fever in ,new ,york4 ,from this time   
until his death1 ,april #bc1 #aheb1 ,new
 ,york was1 with occasional             
interruptions1 his home and the center  

of his varied and ever enlarging        
activities4 ,just before the outbreak of
 the war with ,england his partners     
became bankrupt through losses in       
extensive shipping of ,american produce 
to ,europe4 ,bonaparte sprung his trap  
upon more than a million dollars of     
their property4 ,mr4 ,dodge now         
established cotton factories in         
,connecticut1 and later commenced anew  
the dry goods business in ,new ,york1   
his home for years alternating between  
,new ,york and the ,norwich             
neighborhood2 and for the nine years    
following #ahce he occupied a large farm
 in ,plainfield1 ,new ,jersey4  ,active 
as was his business life1 and faithful  
his devotion to his large business      
affairs1--and he came to rank with the  
most prominent mercantile men of his    
day1--his mind was always intent upon   
social and religious subjects4 ,during  
the years of #ahjh to #ahaa our business
 became extensive and demanded much     
thought and attention2 yet ,i think my  

affections were on the subject of       
religion4 ,revivals of religion1 the    
interests of his church in ,norwich or  
,new ,york1 the improvement of the lives
 of his factory operatives1 the         
organization in ,new ,york of the       
,christian ,friendly ,society for the   
,promotion of ,morals and               
,religion1--such were the objects which 
commanded him4 ,throughout his long     
residence in ,new ,york he was a        
prominent worker in the ,presbyterian   
church1 for many years an elder in the  
church4 ,he took a leading part in      
organizing the ,new ,york ,bible        
,society and the ,new ,york ,tract      
,society1 was much engaged in the early 
missionary movements in ,new ,york1 and 
in promoting the education of young men 
for the ministry4 ,he was a lover of    
knowledge1 a great reader1 and one who  
thought and wrote as he read4 ,deeply   
interested in history1 ancient and      
modern1 his chief interest was in       
theological discussion4 ,he was familiar

 with the chief theological             
controversies of the day1 and upon many 
of them committed his views to writing4 
,his knowledge of the ,bible was        
remarkable2 he read it through          
critically in course forty-two times4   
,he held firmly the ,calvinistic system 
of doctrine1 and he addressed to his    
children a series of letters1           
characterized by great ability and      
logical force1 in defense of the faith1 
and constituting together a compendious 
system of theology4  ,several of these  
letters are included in the memorial    
volume published for the family in #ahed
 under the editorial supervision of     
,rev4 ,matson ,m4 ,smith4 ,this volume  
contains1 besides the two essays on war 
here reprinted1 and various verses and  
letters1 the interesting autobiography  
which he prepared1 at the request of his
 children1 a few years before his death1
 and a supplementary biographical sketch
 by his pastor1 ,rev4 ,asa ,d4 ,smith4  
,in the mass of manuscripts which he    

left behind was an essay upon ,the      
,relation of the ,church to the ,world1 
and one upon ,retributive ,judgment and 
,capital ,punishment1--to which he was  
sharply opposed4 ,he was opposed indeed 
to so much in human governments as now  
constituted1--whose ultimate reliance1  
he said1 is the sword1 and whose laws he
 felt to be so often contrary to the    
laws of ,christ to which he gave his    
sole allegiance1--that he would neither 
vote nor hold office4 ,strict and       
inflexible as he was in his views of    
political and religious duty1 he was one
 of the most genial and delightful of   
men1 a ,christian in whom there was no  
guile1 fond of the young1 affectionate1 
courteous1 given to hospitality1 careful
 habitually to make even the            
conventionalities of life a fitting     
accompaniment and expression of the     
inward principle of kindness4 ,a face as
 strong as it is gentle1 and as gentle  
as it is strong1 is that which looks at 
us in the beautiful portrait preserved  

in the family treasures1 and a copy of  
which forms the frontispiece of the     
present volume4  ,the character and     
influence of the family which he founded
 in ,new ,york1 during the three        
generations which have followed1        
constitute an impressive witness to     
,david ,dodge's force and worth1 his    
religious consecration1 and high public 
spirit4 ,at the junction of ,broadway   
and ,sixth ,avenue stands the statue of 
his son1 ,william ,earl ,dodge1 whose   
life of almost fourscore years ended in 
#ahhc4 ,for long years the head of the  
great house of ,phelps1 ,dodge  ,co41   
the manager of immense railway1 lumber1 
and mining interests1 the president of  
the ,new ,york ,chamber of ,commerce1 a 
representative of ,new ,york in         
,congress1 a leader in large work for   
temperance1 for the freedmen1 for the   
,indians1 for theological education1 for
 a score of high patriotic and          
philanthropic interests1 ,new ,york had 
in his time no more representative1 more

 useful1 or more honored citizen4 ,and  
what is said of him may be said in      
almost the same words of ,william ,earl 
,dodge1 his son1 who died but yesterday1
 and who combined broad business and    
philanthropic activities in the same    
strong and influential way as his father
 and grandfather before him4 ,president 
of many religious and benevolent        
associations1 he was pre-eminently a    
patriot and an international man4 ,the  
logic of his life and of his heritage   
placed him naturally at the head of the 
,national ,arbitration ,committee1 which
 was appointed at the great conference  
on international arbitration held at    
,washington in the spring of #ahif1     
following the anxiety attendant upon    
,president ,cleveland's ,venezuelan     
message1--a committee which1 under his  
chairmanship1 and since his death that  
of ,hon4 ,john ,w4 ,foster1 has during  
the decade rendered such great service  
to the peace and arbitration cause in   
this country4 ,it is to be noted also   

that the names of his son and daughter1 
,cleveland ,h4 ,dodge and ,grace ,h4    
,dodge1 names so conspicuously          
associated to-day with charitable1      
religious1 and educational efforts in   
,new ,york1 are associated1 too1 like   
his with the commanding cause of the    
world's peace and better organization2  
both names stand upon the ,american     
,committee of the ,thirteenth           
,international ,peace ,congress1 which  
met in ,boston in #aijd4 ,thus have the 
generations which have followed him well
 learned and strongly emphasized the    
lesson taught by ,david ,dodge almost a 
century ago1 that war is inhuman1       
unwise1 and criminal1 and inconsistent  
with the religion of ,jesus ,christ4    
,it was in #ahje that a startling       
personal experience prompted the train  
of thought which soon and forever made  
,david ,l4 ,dodge the advocate of the   
thorough-going peace principles with    
which his name is chiefly identified1   
and led him to condemn all violence1    

even in self-defense1 in dealings       
between men1 as between nations4        
,accustomed to carry pistols when       
traveling with large sums of money1 he  
was almost led to shoot his landlord in 
a tavern at ,providence1 ,rhode ,island1
 who by some blunder had come into his  
room at night and suddenly waked him4   
,the thought of what his situation and  
feelings would have been had he taken   
the man's life shocked him into most    
searching thinking4 ,for two or three   
years his mind dwelt on the question4   
,he turned to the teaching and example  
of ,christ1 and became persuaded that   
these were inconsistent with violence   
and the carrying of deadly weapons1 and 
with war4 ,the common churchman         
sanctioned such things1 but not the     
early ,christians2 and he found strong  
words condemning war in ,luther and     
,erasmus1 the ,moravians and ,quakers4  
,discussing the matter with many pious  
and ,christian men1 he found them       
generally avoiding the gospel standard4 

,he was shocked by the general want of  
faith in the promises2 but he himself   
laid aside at once his pistols and the  
fear of robbers4 ,he became absolutely  
convinced that fighting and warfare were
 unlawful for the followers of ,christ2 
and from now on he began to bear public 
testimony against the war spirit4       
,early in the spring of #ahji he        
published his essay1 ,the ,mediator's   
,kingdom not of this ,world1 which      
attracted so much attention that in two 
weeks nearly a thousand copies were     
sold4 ,three literary men joined in     
preparing a spirited and sarcastic      
criticism of it2 and he immediately     
published a rejoinder4 ,the ,mediator's 
,kingdom was republished in             
,philadelphia and in ,providence1 and   
,mr4 ,dodge writes truly3 ,these        
publications gave the first impulse in  
,america1 if we except the uniform      
influence of the ,friends1 to inquiry   
into the lawfulness of war by           
,christians4 ,some who were favorable to

 the doctrines of peace judged that1    
with a bold hand1 ,i had carried the    
subject too far2 and doubtless1 as it   
was new and had not been much discussed1
 ,i wrote too unguardedly1 not          
sufficiently defining my terms4 ,the    
,rev4 ,dr4 ,noah ,worcester was one who 
so judged1 and a few years after he     
published his very spirited and able    
essay1 ,the ,solemn ,review of ,war4    
,this famous essay of ,worcester's      
represents the platform of the great    
body of ,american peace workers for a   
century1 the position of men like       
,channing and ,ladd and ,jay and        
,sumner2 but to a nonresistant and      
opponent even of self-defense1 like     
,david ,dodge1 these seemed the         
exponents of a halfway covenant4  ,mr4  
,dodge entered into private             
correspondence on the lawfulness of war 
with ,rev4 ,lyman ,beecher1 ,rev4 ,aaron
 ,cleveland1 his father-in-law1 ,rev4   
,john ,b4 ,romeyn1 and ,rev4 ,walter    
,king4 ,he preserved among his          

manuscripts letters of twenty-five pages
 from ,dr4 ,romeyn and ,mr4 ,cleveland1 
and copies of his reply to ,dr4 ,romeyn 
7one hundred and thirty-two pages7 and  
to ,dr4 ,beecher 7forty-four pages74    
,important letters from ,dr4 ,beecher   
and ,governor ,jay he had lost4 ,all    
these took the position of ,dr4         
,worcester1 sanctioning strictly        
defensive war in extreme cases1--all    
except ,mr4 ,cleveland1 who finally came
 into complete accord with ,mr4 ,dodge1 
and published two able sermons on ,the  
,life of ,man ,inviolable by the ,laws  
of ,christ4  ,early in #ahab the friends
 of peace whom ,mr4 ,dodge had gathered 
about him in ,new ,york conferred upon  
the forming of a peace society1 wholly  
confined to decided evangelical         
,christians1 with a view to diffusing   
peace principles in the churches1       
avoiding all party questions4 ,there    
being at this juncture1 however1 intense
 political feeling over the threatened  
war with ,great ,britain1 they feared   

their motives would be misapprehended1  
and decided for the moment simply to act
 individually in diffusing information4 
,mr4 ,dodge was appointed to prepare an 
essay on the subject of war1 stating and
 answering objections2 and1 removing at 
this time to ,norwich1 he there1 in a   
period of great business perplexity1    
completed his remarkable paper on ,war  
,inconsistent with the ,christian       
,religion1 which was published in the   
very midst of the war with ,england4    
,upon his return to ,new ,york1 the     
friends of peace there had two or three 
meetings relative to the organization of
 a society2 and in ,august1 #ahae1 they 
formed the ,new ,york ,peace ,society1  
of between thirty and forty members1    
their strict articles of association    
condemning all war1 offensive and       
defensive1 as wholly opposed to the     
example and spirit and precepts of      
,christ4 ,the peace societies formed    
immediately afterwards in               
,massachusetts1 ,ohio1 ,rhode ,island1  

and ,london were organized1 according to
 ,mr4 ,dodge1 without any knowledge of  
each other1 the movements being the     
simultaneous separate results of a      
common impulse4 ,of the ,new ,york      
society ,mr4 ,dodge was unanimously     
elected president4 ,monthly meetings    
were arranged1 and at the first of these
 ,mr4 ,dodge read an address upon ,the  
,kingdom of ,peace under the ,benign    
,reign of ,messiah1 of which a thousand 
copies were at once printed and         
circulated4 ,within two years the       
society had increased to sixty members1 
men active not only against war--which  
the society regarded as the greatest    
temporal evil1 as almost every          
immorality is generated in its          
prosecution1 and poverty1 distress1     
famine1 and pestilence follow in its    
train--but in all the benevolent        
enterprises of that day4 ,several       
respectable clergymen united with the   
society1--,rev4 ,drs4 ,e4 ,d4 ,griffin  
and ,m4 ,l4 ,parvine1 ,rev4 ,e4 ,w4     

,baldwin 7to whose pen we were much     
indebted71 ,rev4 ,samuel ,whelpley1 and 
his son1 ,rev4 ,melancthon ,whelpley1   
,rev4 ,h4 ,g4 ,ufford1 and ,rev4 ,s4 ,h4
 ,cox4 ,dr4 ,cox1 however1 afterwards   
entertained different views on the      
subject4  ,the ,new ,york ,peace        
,society had friendly correspondence    
with all the other peace societies1 and 
for several years took two hundred      
copies of ,dr4 ,worcester's ,friend of  
,peace4 ,this seems finally to have     
contributed to divide the society1 some 
relinquishing the nonresistant views of 
,mr4 ,dodge and adopting ,worcester's   
less extreme position4 ,but our brave   
,tolstoian was a thorough1 and never    
wavered4 ,if it was morally wrong for   
individuals to quarrel and fight1       
instead of returning good for           
evil1--these are his last words on the  
subject in his autobiography1--it was   
much more criminal for communities and  
nations to return evil for evil1 and not
 strive to overcome evil with good4 ,in 

fact1 the great barrier to our progress 
was the example of our fathers in the   
,american ,revolution4 ,that they were  
generally true patriots1 in the         
political sense of the term1 and many   
hopefully pious1 ,i would not call in   
question1 while ,i consider them as ill 
directed by education as ,st4 ,paul was 
when on his way to ,damascus4  ,the ,new
 ,york ,peace ,society maintained its   
existence and work for many years4 ,in  
#ahbh it united with other societies in 
the creation of the ,american ,peace    
,society1 which was organized in ,new   
,york on ,may #h of that year on the    
initiative of ,william ,ladd4 ,after    
this the ,new ,york society seems to    
have done little separate work1 and     
finally its independent existence       
ceased4 ,mr4 ,dodge assisted in the     
organization of the new national        
society1 and presided at its first      
annual meeting1 ,may #ac1 #ahbi4 ,he was
 chosen a member of its board of        
directors1 and later became a life      

director1 maintaining his connection    
with the society until his death in     
#aheb1 faithful to the end to the       
radical views by which he had become so 
powerfully possessed almost half a      
century before4  ,for two generations   
,new ,york has been without a local     
peace society4 ,the services of eminent 
individual citizens of the city and     
state of ,new ,york for the peace cause 
during that period1 however1 have been  
signal4 ,judge ,william ,jay of ,new    
,york was for a decade president of the 
,american ,peace ,society1--the         
important decade covering the great     
peace congresses in ,europe at the      
middle of the last century2 and it was  
his proposal that an arbitration clause 
should be attached to all future        
commercial treaties which furnished the 
basis for the most constructive debates 
of the first congress1 that at ,london  
in #ahdc4 ,the three really important   
members of the ,american delegation at  
,the ,hague ,conference were citizens of

 ,new ,york1--,andrew ,d4 ,white1 ,seth 
,low1 and ,frederick ,w4 ,holls4 ,a     
remarkable plan adopted by the ,new     
,york ,state ,bar ,association suggested
 important features of ,the ,hague      
,court as finally constituted4 ,it is a 
citizen of ,new ,york1 ,andrew          
,carnegie1 who has given #a1ejj1jjj for 
a worthy building for the court at ,the 
,hague1--a temple of peace4 ,mr4        
,carnegie1 whose influence in behalf of 
international fraternity is perhaps     
second to that of no other to-day1 has  
also given #e1jjj1jjj to establish a    
pension fund for heroes of peace1 whose 
heroism1 too long comparatively         
neglected1 he rightly sees to be not    
less than the heroism of the soldier4   
,the most important series of           
arbitration conferences in recent times 
have been those at ,lake ,mohonk1 in the
 state of ,new ,york1 arranged by       
,albert ,k4 ,smiley1--conferences of    
growing size and importance1 commanding 
world-wide attention1 and performing for

 this country almost the same service   
performed for ,france and ,england by   
their national peace congresses4        
,finally1 it must not be forgotten that 
,theodore ,roosevelt1 the ,president of 
the ,united ,states1 through whose      
initiative the second ,hague ,conference
 will presently meet1 is also a citizen 
of ,new ,york4  ,at this very time a    
promising movement is gaining head to   
organize once more in ,david ,dodge's   
city a ,new ,york ,peace ,society4 ,at  
one of the recent ,mohonk conferences a 
large committee of ,new ,york men1 under
 the chairmanship of ,mr4 ,warner ,van  
,norden1 was formed for conference with 
this end in view4 ,upon the ,american   
committee of the ,international ,peace  
,congress which met in ,boston in #aijd 
were no less than sixteen residents of  
the city of ,new ,york1--,andrew        
,carnegie1 ,hon4 ,oscar ,s4 ,straus1    
,hon4 ,george ,f4 ,seward1 ,walter ,s4  
,logan1 ,felix ,adler1 ,william ,d4     
,howells1 ,mrs4 ,charles ,russell       

,lowell1 ,mrs4 ,anna ,garlin ,spencer1  
,miss ,grace ,h4 ,dodge1 ,rev4 ,josiah  
,strong1 ,rev4 ,charles ,e4 ,jefferson1 
,cleveland ,h4 ,dodge1 ,george ,foster  
,peabody1 ,professor ,john ,b4 ,clark1  
,leander ,t4 ,chamberlain1 and ,j4 ,g4  
,phelps ,stokes4 ,in the week following 
the ,boston congress a series of great  
peace meetings was held in ,new ,york1  
at the ,cooper ,union and elsewhere1    
arranged by members of this committee2  
and out of all this a new impulse has   
come to plans for local organization in 
,new ,york4 ,as one result a strong     
society was formed by the ,germans of   
the city1 and a large ,women's ,peace   
,circle has since been organized and    
begun important educational work4 ,the  
larger ,new ,york ,peace ,society is now
 certainly a thing of the near future4  
,to the men and women who will          
constitute that society1 the noble body 
of those now working in their various   
ways in the great city for the cause of 
peace1 is dedicated especially this     

republication of the old essays of      
,david ,dodge1 the founder of the first 
peace society in the world1 who by his  
pioneering and prophetic service gave to
 ,new ,york a place so significant in   
the history of what is to-day the       
world's most commanding cause4          
,,september1 #aije                      
,,edwin ,d4 ,,mead     ,,war            
,,inconsistent ,,with ,,the ,,religion  
,,of ,,jesus ,,christ  ,humanity1       
wisdom1 and goodness at once combine all
 that can be great and lovely in man4   
,inhumanity1 folly1 and wickedness      
reverse the picture1 and at once        
represent all that can be odious and    
hateful4 ,the former is the spirit of   
,heaven1 and the latter the offspring of
 hell4 ,the spirit of the gospel not    
only breathes glory to ,god in the      
highest1 but on earth peace1 and good   
will to men4 ,the wisdom from above is  
first pure1 then peaceable1 gentle1 easy
 to be entreated2 but the wisdom from   
beneath is earthly1 sensual1 and        

devilish4  ,it is exceedingly strange   
that any one under the light of the     
gospel1 professing to be guided by its  
blessed precepts1 with the ,bible in his
 hand1 while the whole creation around  
him is so often groaning under the      
weight and terrors of war1 should have  
doubts whether any kind of wars under   
the gospel dispensation1 except         
spiritual warfare1 can be the dictate of
 any kind of wisdom except that from    
beneath2 and much more so1 to believe   
that they are the fruit of the ,divine  
,spirit1 which is love1 joy1 and peace4 
,an inspired apostle has informed us    
from whence come wars and fightings4    
,they come from the lusts of men that   
war in their members4 ,ever since the   
fall1 mankind have had naturally within 
them a spirit of pride1 avarice1 and    
revenge4 ,the gospel is directly opposed
 to this spirit4 ,it teaches humility1  
it inculcates love1 it breathes pity and
 forgiveness even to enemies1 and       
forbids rendering evil for evil to any  

man4  ,believing as ,i do1 after much   
reflection and1 as ,i trust1 prayerful  
investigation of the subject1 that all  
kinds of carnal warfare are unlawful    
upon gospel principles1 ,i shall now    
endeavor to prove that ,,war is         
,,inhuman1 ,,unwise1 and ,,criminal1 and
 then make some general remarks1 and    
state and answer several objections4 ,in
 attempting to do this ,i shall not     
always confine myself strictly to this  
order of the subject1 but shall         
occasionally make such remarks as may   
occur1 directly or indirectly1 to show  
that the whole genius of war is contrary
 to the spirit and precepts of the      
gospel4     ,,war ,,is ,,inhuman   ,i4  
,,because ,,it ,,hardens ,,the ,,heart  
,,and ,,blunts ,,the ,,tender ,,feelings
 ,,of ,,mankind  ,that it is the duty of
 mankind to be tender-hearted1 feeling  
for the distress of others1 and to do   
all in their power to prevent and       
alleviate their misery1 is evident not  
only from the example of the ,son of    

,god but the precepts of the gospel4    
,when the ,saviour of sinners visited   
this dark and cruel world he became a   
man of sorrow and was acquainted with   
grief1 so that he was touched with the  
feeling of our infirmities4 ,he went    
about continually healing the sick1     
opening the eyes of the blind1          
unstopping the ears of the deaf1 raising
 the dead1 as well as preaching the     
gospel of peace to the poor4 ,he visited
 the houses of affliction and poured the
 balm of consolation into the wounded   
heart4 ,he mourned with those who       
mourned1 and wept with those that wept4 
,love to ,god and man flowed from his   
soul pure as the river of life1         
refreshing the thirsty desert around    
him4 ,he was not only affectionate to   
his friends but kind to his enemies4 ,he
 returned love for their hatred1 and    
blessing for their cursing4 ,when he was
 surrounded by all the powers of        
darkness and resigned himself into the  
hands of sinners to expiate their guilt1

 and they smote him on the cheek and    
plucked off the hair1 he was dumb and   
opened not his mouth4 ,while suffering  
all the contempt and torture which men  
and devils could invent1 instead of     
returning evil for evil he prayed for   
his murderers and apologized for his    
persecutors1 saying1 ,father1 forgive   
them1 for they know not what they do4   
,the apostle exhorts ,christians1       
saying1 ,be ye kind and tender-hearted1 
forgiving one another1 even as ,god for 
,christ's sake hath forgiven you4       
,authority in abundance might be quoted 
to show that the spirit of the gospel   
absolutely requires the exercise of     
love1 pity1 and forgiveness1 even to    
enemies4  ,but who will undertake to    
prove that soldiers are usually kind and
 tender-hearted1 and that their         
employment has a natural tendency to    
promote active benevolence1 while it    
requires all their study of mind and    
strength of body to injure their enemies
 to the greatest extent8  ,though we    

often hear of the generosity and        
attention of soldiers to prisoners1 and 
notwithstanding ,i am willing to allow  
that feelings of humanity are not       
altogether obliterated from every       
soldier1 yet much of this apparent      
kindness may flow from a desire of      
better treatment themselves should      
circumstances be reversed1 or from a    
hope of the applause of mankind4 ,my    
object1 however1 is not to prove that   
all soldiers are destitute of humanity1 
but that their occupation has a natural 
tendency and actually does weaken their 
kind and tender feelings1 and harden    
their hearts4  ,is it not a fact that   
those who are engaged in the spirit of  
war1 either in the council or in the    
field1 are not usually so meek1 lowly1  
kind1 and tender-hearted as other men8  
,does the soldier usually become kind   
and tender-hearted while trained to the 
art of killing his fellow-man1 or more  
so when engaged in the heat of the      
battle1 stepping forward over the       

wounded and hearing the groans of the   
expiring8 ,does he actually put on      
bowels of tenderness1 mercy1 and        
forgiveness1 while he bathes his sword  
in the blood of his brother8 ,do these  
scenes generally change the lion into   
the lamb8 ,on the contrary1 do not the  
history of ages and the voice of        
millions bear testimony that the whole  
trade of war has a natural tendency to  
blunt the tender edge of mercy and chill
 all the sympathizing feelings of the   
human heart8 ,who that is a parent1     
having an uncommonly hard-hearted and   
unfeeling son1 would send him into the  
camp to subdue his inhumanity and to    
stamp upon him kind and tender feelings8
 ,if war has not a natural tendency to  
harden the heart1 permit me to inquire  
why mankind do not usually feel as much 
at the distress occasioned by war as by 
other calamities8  ,it would be truly   
astonishing1 were it not so common1 to  
see with what composure the generality  
of mankind hear the account of barbarous

 and destructive battles4 ,they may have
 some little excitement when they hear  
of savages--whose religion teaches them 
revenge--using the tomahawk and scalping
 knife2 but when thousands are torn to  
pieces with shot and shells and         
butchered with polished steels1 then it 
becomes a very polite and civil         
business1 and those who perish are      
contemplated as only reclining on a bed 
of honor4 ,if an individual in common   
life breaks a bone or fractures a limb1 
all around him not only sympathize but  
are ready to aid in alleviating his     
distress2 but when thousands are slain  
and ten thousand wounded in the field of
 battle1 the shock is but trifling1 and 
the feelings are soon lost in admiring  
the gallantry of this hero and the      
prowess of that veteran4 ,and why all   
this sensibility at the pains of an     
individual1 and all this indifference at
 the sufferings of thousands1 if war has
 not a natural tendency to harden the   
heart and destroy the tender feelings of

 mankind8  ,it is a fact1 however1 so   
notorious that the spirit and practice  
of war do actually harden the heart and 
chill the kind and tender feelings of   
mankind1 that ,i think few will be found
 to deny it1 and none who have ever     
known or felt the spirit of ,christ4    
,the spirit of war must be very unlike  
the spirit of the gospel1 for the gospel
 enforces no duty the practice of which 
has a natural tendency to harden men's  
hearts1 but in proportion as they are   
influenced by its spirit and actuated by
 its principles they will be humane2    
therefore1 if war hardens men's hearts  
it is not a ,christian duty1 and of     
course it cannot be right for           
,christians to engage in it4   ,,ii4    
,,war ,,is ,,inhuman1 ,,as ,,in ,,its   
,,nature ,,and ,,tendency ,,it ,,abuses 
,,god',s ,,animal ,,creation  ,when ,god
 at first created man1 he gave him      
authority over the beasts of the field1 
the fowls of the air1 and the fishes of 
the deep4 ,after he had swept away the  

old ungodly world of mankind for their  
violence with all the animal creation1  
except those in the ark1 he was pleased 
to renew to ,noah the same privilege of 
being lord over the animal world4  ,it  
may not perhaps be improper here to     
digress a little and remark that this   
appears to have been the original bounds
 of man's authority1--that of having    
dominion only over the animal world and 
not over his fellow-man4 ,it appears    
that ,god reserved to himself the       
government of man1 whom he originally   
created in his own image2 from which it 
may be inferred that man has no lawful  
authority for governing his fellow-man  
except as the special executor of divine
 command1 and that no government can be 
morally right except that which         
acknowledges and looks up to ,god as the
 supreme head and governor4  ,but to    
return3 although the animal world is put
 under the dominion of man for his use1 
yet he has no authority to exercise     
cruelty towards it4 ,for the merciful   

man regardeth the life of his beast4    
,god is very merciful to his creatures2 
he not only hears the young ravens when 
they cry but he opens his hand and      
supplies the wants of the cattle upon a 
thousand hills4  ,though ,god has       
decorated the earth with beauty and     
richly clothed it with food for man and 
beast1 yet where an all-devouring army  
passes1 notwithstanding the earth before
 them is like the garden of ,eden1 it is
 behind them a desolate wilderness2 the 
lowing ox and bleating sheep may cry for
 food1 but1 alas6 the destroyer hath    
destroyed it4  ,the noble horse1 which  
,god has made for the use and pleasure  
of man1 shares largely in this          
desolating evil4 ,he is often taken1    
without his customary food1 to run with 
an express1 until1 exhausted by fatigue1
 he falls lifeless beneath his rider4   
,multitudes of them are chained to the  
harness with scanty food1 and goaded    
forward to drag the baggage of an army  
and the thundering engines of death1    

until their strength has failed1 their  
breath exhausted1 and the kindness they 
then receive is the lash of the whip or 
the point of a spear4 ,in such scenes   
the comfort of beasts is not thought of1
 except by a selfish owner who fears the
 loss of his property4  ,but all this is
 trifling compared with what these noble
 animals1 who tamely bow to the yoke of 
man1 suffer in the charge of the battle2
 the horse rushes into the combat not   
knowing that torture and death are      
before him4 ,his sides are often        
perforated with the spur of his rider1  
notwithstanding he exerts all his       
strength to rush into the heat of the   
battle1 while the strokes of the sabers 
and the wounds of the bullets lacerate  
his body1 and instead of having ,god's  
pure air to breathe to alleviate his    
pains1 he can only snuff up the dust of 
his feet and the sulphurous smoke of the
 cannon1 emblem of the infernal abode4  
,thus he has no ease for his pains      
unless ,god commissions the bayonet or  

the bullet to take away his life4  ,but 
if such is the cruelty to beasts in     
prosecuting war1 what is the cruelty to 
man1 born for immortality8  ,no wonder  
that those who feel so little for their 
fellow-men should feel less for beasts4 
,if war is an inhuman and cruel         
employment1 it must be wrong for        
,christians to engage in it4   ,,iii4   
,,war ,,is ,,inhuman1 ,,as ,,it         
,,oppresses ,,the ,,poor  ,to oppress   
the poor is everywhere in the           
,scriptures considered as a great sin3  
,for the oppression of the poor1 for the
 sighing of the needy1 now will ,i      
arise1 saith the ,lord2 ,whoso stoppeth 
his ears at the cry of the poor1 he also
 shall cry himself and not be heard2    
,what mean ye that ye beat my people to 
pieces1 and grind the faces of the poor8
 saith the ,lord ,god of hosts4  ,the   
threatenings against those who oppress  
the poor1 and the blessings pronounced  
upon those who plead their cause1 are   
very numerous in the ,scriptures4 ,the  

threatenings are so tremendous and awful
 that all men ought to consider well    
before they are active in any step which
 has a natural tendency to oppress the  
poor and needy4  ,that war actually does
 oppress the poor may be heard from ten 
thousand wretched tongues who have felt 
its woe4 ,very few1 comparatively1 who  
are instigators of war actually take the
 field of battle1 and are seldom seen in
 the front of the fire4 ,it is usually  
those who are rioting on the labors of  
the poor that fan up the flame of war4  
,the great mass of soldiers are         
generally from the poor of a country4   
,they must gird on the harness and for a
 few cents per day endure all the       
hardships of a camp and be led forward  
like sheep to the slaughter4 ,though    
multitudes are fascinated to enlist by  
the intoxicating cup1 the glitter of    
arms1 the vainglory of heroes1 and the  
empty sound of patriotism1 yet many more
 are called away contrary to their      
wishes by the iron hand of despotic     

laws4 ,perhaps a parent is enrolled     
whose daily labor was hardly sufficient 
to supply a scanty pittance for a       
numerous offspring1 who are in his      
absence crying for bread4 ,and why all  
this sorrow in this poor and needy      
family8 ,because the husband and father 
is gone1 and probably gone forever1 most
 likely to gratify the wishes of some   
ambitious men who care as little as they
 think of his anxious family4 ,perhaps  
an only son is taken from old1 decrepit 
parents1 the only earthly prop of their 
declining years2 and with cold poverty  
and sorrow their gray hairs are brought 
down to the dust4  ,war cannot be       
prosecuted without enormous expenses4   
,the money that has been expended the   
last twenty years in war would doubtless
 have been sufficient not only to have  
rendered every poor person on earth     
comfortable--so far as money could do   
it--during the same period1 but1 if the 
residue had been applied to cultivate   
the earth1 it would have literally      

turned the desert into a fruitful field4
 ,only the interest of the money that   
has been expended in a few years by the 
,european nations in prosecuting war    
would have been sufficient1 under proper
 direction1 to educate every poor child 
on earth in the common rudiments of     
learning1 and to support missionaries in
 abundance to convey the gospel of peace
 to every creature4 ,what a noble       
employment if those nations had exerted 
their powers for these objects as much  
as they have for injuring each other6   
,and what a difference would have       
appeared in the world6 ,blessings would 
have fallen on millions ready to perish1
 instead of desolation1 terror1 and     
death4  ,the vast expenses of war must  
be met by corresponding taxes1 whether  
by duties on merchandise or direct taxes
 on real estate2 yet they fall most     
heavily on the poor4 ,whatever duty the 
merchant pays to the customhouse1 he    
adds the amount to the price of his     
goods1 so that the consumer actually    

pays the tax4 ,if a tax is levied on    
real estate1 the product of that estate 
is raised to meet it1 and whoever       
consumes the product pays the tax4 ,in  
times of war the prices of the          
necessaries of life are generally very  
much increased1 but the prices of the   
labor of the poor do not usually rise in
 the same proportion1 therefore it falls
 very heavily on them4 ,when the honest 
laborers are suddenly called from the   
plow to take the sword and leave the    
tilling of the ground1 either its seed  
is but sparingly sown or its fruit but  
partially gathered1 scarcity ensues1    
high prices are the consequence1 and the
 difficulty greatly increased for the   
poor to obtain the necessaries of life1 
especially if they were dependent on the
 product of a scanty farm which they are
 now deprived of cultivating4 ,many a   
poor widow1 who has been able in times  
of peace to support her fatherless      
children1 has been obliged in times of  
war in a great measure to depend on the 

cold hand of charity to supply their    
wants4  ,the calamities of war          
necessarily fall more on the poor than  
on the rich1 because the poor of a      
country are generally a large majority  
of its inhabitants4  ,these are some of 
the evils of war at a distance1 but when
 it comes to their doors1 if they are   
favored personally to escape the        
ferocity of the soldiers1 they fly from 
their habitations1 leaving their little 
all to the fire and pillage1 glad to    
escape with their lives1 though         
destitute and dependent2 and when they  
cast round their eyes for relief1 they  
only meet a fellow-sufferer1 who can    
sympathize with them but not supply     
their wants4 ,thus does war not only    
oppress the poor but adds multitudes to 
their number who before were            
comfortable4  ,if war actually does     
oppress the poor1 then we may infer that
 in its nature and tendency it is very  
unlike the genius of the gospel1 and not
 right for ,christians to engage in it4 

,,iv4 ,,war ,,is ,,inhuman1 ,,as ,,it   
,,spreads ,,terror ,,and ,,distress     
,,among ,,mankind  ,in the benign reign 
of ,messiah the earth will be filled    
with the abundance of peace2 there will 
be nothing to hurt or destroy2 every one
 will sit quietly under his own vine and
 fig tree1 having nothing to molest or  
make him afraid4 ,but in times of war1  
mankind are usually full of anxiety1    
their hearts failing them for fear1     
looking for those things which are      
coming upon our wicked world4  ,one of  
the most delightful scenes on earth is a
 happy family where all the members     
dwell together in love1 being influenced
 by the blessed precepts of the gospel  
of peace4 ,but how soon does the sound  
of war disturb and distress the happy   
circle6 ,if it is only the distant      
thunder of the cannon that salutes the  
ear1 the mother starts from her repose1 
and all the children gather round her   
with looks full of anxiety to know the  
cause4 ,few women can so command their  

feelings as to hide the cause2 and let  
it be said to the honor of the female   
sex that they have generally tender     
feelings1 which cannot easily be        
disguised at the distress of their      
fellow-beings4 ,perhaps a mother's heart
 is now wrung with anguish in the       
prospect that either the partner of her 
life or the sons of her care and sorrow1
 or both1 are about to be called into   
the bloody field of battle4 ,perhaps the
 decrepit parent views his darling son  
leaving his peaceful abode to enter the 
ensanguined field1 never more to return4
 ,how soon are these joyful little      
circles turned into mourning and sorrow6
  ,who can describe the distress of a   
happy village suddenly encompassed by   
two contending armies--perhaps so early 
and suddenly that its inhabitants are   
aroused from their peaceful slumbers by 
the confused noise of the warriors more 
ferocious than the beasts that prowl in 
the forest8 ,were it not for the tumult 
of the battle1 shrieks of distress from 

innocent women and children might be    
heard from almost every abode4 ,children
 run to the arms of their distracted    
mothers1 who are as unable to find a    
refuge for themselves as for their      
offspring4 ,if they fly to the streets  
they are in the midst of death3 hundreds
 of cannon are vomiting destruction in  
every quarter2 the hoofs of horses      
trampling down everything in their way2 
bullets1 stones1 bricks1 and splinters  
flying in every direction2 houses       
pierced with cannon shot and shells     
which carry desolation in their course2 
without1 multitudes of men rushing with 
deadly weapons upon each other with all 
the rage of tigers1 plunging each other 
into eternity1 until the streets are    
literally drenched with the blood of    
men4 ,to increase the distress1 the     
village is taken and retaken several    
times at the point of the bayonet4 ,if  
the inhabitants fly to their cellars to 
escape the fury of the storm1 their     
buildings may soon be wrapt in flames   

over their heads4  ,and for what1 it may
 be asked1 is all this inhuman sacrifice
 made8 ,probably to gain the empty      
bubble called honor1--a standard of     
right and wrong without form or         
dimensions4 ,let no one say that the    
writer's imagination is heated while it 
is not in the power of his feeble pen to
 half describe the horror and distress  
of the scenes which are by no means     
uncommon in a state of war4  ,if such   
are some of the effects of war1 then it 
must be a very inhuman employment1 and  
wrong for ,christians to engage in it4  
,v4 ,,war ,,is ,,inhuman1 ,,as ,,it     
,,involves ,,men ,,in ,,fatigue1        
,,famine1 ,,and ,,all ,,the ,,pains ,,of
 ,,mutilated ,,bodies  ,to describe the 
fatigues and hardships of a soldier's   
life would require the experience of a  
soldier1 so that only some of their     
common sufferings can be touched upon by
 a person who is a stranger to the      
miseries of a camp4  ,a great majority  
of those who enter the ranks of an army 

are persons unaccustomed to great       
privations and severe fatigues2 hence   
the great proportion of mortality among 
fresh recruits4 ,their habits and       
strength are unable to endure the hard  
fare1 rapid and constant marches        
generally imposed upon them in active   
service4  ,the young soldier commonly   
exchanges a wholesome table1 a          
comfortable dwelling1 an easy bed1 for  
bad food1 the field for his house1 the  
cold earth for his bed1 and the heavens 
over him for his covering4 ,he must     
stand at his post day and night1 summer 
and winter2 face the scorching sun1 the 
chilling tempest1 and be exposed to all 
the storms of the season1 without any   
comfortable repose2 perhaps during most 
of the time with a scanty allowance of  
the coarsest food1 and often destitute  
of any1 except the miserable supply he  
may have chance to plunder1--not enough 
to satisfy but only to keep alive the   
craving demands of nature2 often        
compelled to march and countermarch     

several days and nights in succession1  
without a moment to prepare his         
provisions to nourish him and glad to   
get a little raw to sustain his life4   
,frequently this hardship is endured in 
the cold and inclement season1 while his
 tattered clothing is only the remains  
of his summer dress4 ,barefooted and    
half naked1 fatigued and chilled1 he    
becomes a prey to disease1 and is often 
left to perish without a human being to 
administer to him the least comfort4 ,if
 he is carried to a hospital1 he is     
there surrounded by the pestilential    
breath of hundreds of his poor          
fellow-sufferers1 where the best        
comforts that can be afforded are but   
scanty and dismal4  ,but all this is    
comparatively trifling to the sufferings
 of the wounded on the field of battle4 
,there thousands of mangled bodies lie  
on the cold ground hours1 and sometimes 
days1 without a friendly hand to bind up
 a wound2 not a voice is heard except   
the dying groans of their               

fellow-sufferers around them4 ,no one   
can describe the horrors of the scene3  
here lies one with a fractured skull1   
there another with a severed limb1 and a
 third with a lacerated body2 some      
fainting with the loss of blood1 others 
distracted1 and others again crying for 
help4  ,if such are some of the faint   
outlines of the fatigues and sufferings 
of soldiers1 then their occupation must 
be an inhuman employment1 for they are  
instrumental in bringing the same       
calamities on others which they suffer  
themselves2 and of course it is         
unfriendly to the spirit of the gospel1 
and wrong for ,christians to engage in  
it4   ,,vi4 ,,war ,,is ,,inhuman1 ,,as  
,,it ,,destroys ,,the ,,youth ,,and     
,,cuts ,,off ,,the ,,hope ,,of ,,gray   
,,hairs  ,mankind are speedily hastening
 into eternity1 and it might be supposed
 sufficiently fast without the aid of   
all the ingenuity and strength of man to
 hurry them forward2 yet it is a        
melancholy truth that a great proportion

 of the wealth1 talents1 and labors of  
men are actually employed in inventing  
and using means for the premature       
destruction of their fellow-beings4     
,one generation passes away1 and another
 follows in quick succession4 ,the young
 are always the stay and hope of the    
aged2 parents labor and toil for their  
children to supply their wants and to   
educate them to be happy1 respectable1  
and useful1 and then depend upon them to
 be their stay and comfort in their     
declining years4 ,alas1 how many        
expectations of fond parents are        
blasted6 ,their sons are taken away from
 them and hurried into the field of     
slaughter4  ,in times of war the        
youth--the flower1 strength1 and beauty 
of the country--are called from their   
sober1 honest1 and useful employments1  
to the field of battle2 and if they do  
not lose their lives or limbs1 they     
generally lose their habits of morality 
and industry4 ,alas6 few ever return    
again to the bosom of their friends4    

,though from their mistaken and         
fascinating views of a soldier's life   
and honor they may be delighted in      
enlisting1 and merry in their departure 
from their peaceful homes1 yet their joy
 is soon turned into pain and sorrow4   
,unthinking youth1 like the horse1      
rushes thoughtlessly into the battle4   
,repentance is then too late2 to shrink 
back is death1 and to go forward is only
 a faint hope of life4 ,here on the     
dreadful field are thousands and        
hundreds of thousands driven together to
 slaughter each other by a few ambitious
 men1 perhaps none of whom are present4 
,a large proportion are probably the    
youth of their country1 the delight and 
comfort of their parents4 ,all these    
opposing numbers are most likely persons
 who never knew or heard of each other1 
having no personal ill-will1 most of    
whom would in any other circumstances   
not only not injure each other but be   
ready to aid in any kind office2 yet by 
the act of war they are ranged against  

each other in all the hellish rage of   
revenge and slaughter4  ,no pen1 much   
less that of the writer's1 can describe 
the inhumanity and horrors of a battle4 
,all is confusion and dismay1 dust and  
smoke arising1 horses running1 trumpets 
blasting1 cannon roaring1 bullets       
whistling1 and the shrieks of the       
wounded and dying vibrating from every  
quarter4 ,column after column of men    
charge upon each other in furious onset1
 with the awful crash of bayonets and   
sabers1 with eyes flashing and visages  
frightfully distorted with rage1 rushing
 upon each other with the violence of   
brutish monsters2 and when these are    
literally cut to pieces others march in 
quick succession1 only to share the same
 cruel and bloody tragedy4 ,hundreds are
 parrying the blows2 hundreds more are  
thrusting their bayonets into the bowels
 of their fellow-mortals1 and many1     
while extricating them1 have their own  
heads cleft asunder by swords and       
sabers2 and all are hurried together    

before the tribunal of their ,judge1    
with hearts full of rage and hands dyed 
in the blood of their brethren4  ,o     
horrid and debasing scene6 my heart     
melts at the contemplation1 and ,i      
forbear to dwell upon the inhuman       
employment4   ,,vii4 ,,war ,,is         
,,inhuman1 ,,as ,,it ,,multiplies       
,,widows ,,and ,,orphans1 ,,and         
,,clothes ,,the ,,land ,,in ,,mourning  
,the widow and fatherless are special   
objects of divine compassion1 and       
,christianity binds men under the       
strongest obligation to be kind and     
merciful towards them1 as their         
situation is peculiarly tender and      
afflicting4  ,a father of the           
fatherless1 and a judge of the widow1 is
 ,god in his holy habitation4 ,pure     
religion and undefiled before ,god and  
the ,father is this1 to visit the       
fatherless and widows in their          
affliction4  ,to be active in any       
measure which has a natural tendency to 
wantonly multiply widows and orphans in 

a land is the height of inhumanity as   
well as daring impiety4  ,i will venture
 to say that no one circumstance in our 
world has so greatly multiplied widows  
and fatherless children as that of war4 
,what has humanity ever gained by war to
 counterbalance simply the afflictions  
of the widow and fatherless8 ,i verily  
believe nothing comparatively4 ,i am    
well aware that a very popular plea for 
war is to defend1 as it is styled1 our  
firesides1 our wives and children2 but  
this generally is only a specious       
address to the feelings1 to rouse up a  
martial spirit which makes thousands of 
women and children wretched where one is
 made happy4 ,i am sensible that those  
will sneer at my opinion who regard more
 the honor that comes from men than they
 do the consolation of the widow and the
 fatherless4  ,in times of war thousands
 of virtuous women are deprived of their
 husbands and ten thousands of helpless 
children of their fathers4 ,the little  
tender children may now gather round    

their disconsolate mothers1 anxiously   
inquiring about their fathers1          
remembering their kind visages1         
recollecting how they used fondly to    
dandle them on their knees and          
affectionately instruct them2 but now   
they are torn from their embraces by the
 cruelty of war1 and they have no       
fathers left them but their ,father in  
heaven4  ,it is probably no exaggeration
 to suppose that in ,europe there are   
now two hundred thousand widows and a   
million fatherless children occasioned  
by war4 ,what a mass of affliction6     
humanity bleeds at the thought6 ,these  
children must now roam about without a  
father to provide for1 protect1 or      
instruct them4 ,they now become an easy 
prey to all kinds of vice2 many probably
 will be trained up for ignominious     
death1 and most of them fit only for a  
soldier's life1 to slaughter and to be  
slaughtered1 unless some humane hand    
kindly takes them under its protection4 
,and here ,i cannot help admiring the   

spirit of ,christianity4 ,it is owing to
 the blessed spirit and temper of the   
gospel of peace that many of the evils  
of war are so much ameliorated at the   
present day as well as the inhuman      
slavery of men4  ,the numerous asylums  
that now exist for the relief of the    
needy1 the widow1 and the fatherless are
 some of the precious fruits of         
,christianity2 and if this spirit were  
universal the bow would soon be broken  
to pieces1 the spear cut asunder1 and   
the chariots of war burnt with fire1 and
 wars would cease to the ends of the    
earth4  ,and is it not the duty of all  
who name the name of ,christ to do all  
in their power to counteract this       
destroying evil8  ,war not only         
multiplies widows and orphans but       
clothes the land in mourning4 ,in times 
of war multitudes of people are clothed 
with ensigns of mourning4 ,here are     
gray-headed parents shrouded in         
blackness1 weeping for the loss of      
darling sons2 there are widows covered  

with veils mourning the loss of         
husbands1 and refusing to be comforted2 
children crying because their fathers   
are no more4 ,cities and villages are   
covered in darkness and desolation2     
weeping and mourning arise from almost  
every abode4  ,and it may be asked1     
,what inhuman hand is the cause of all  
this sorrow8 ,perhaps some rash man1 in 
the impetuosity of his spirit1 has taken
 some unjust1 high ground1 and is too   
proud to retrace a step1 and had rather 
see millions wretched than to nobly     
confess that he had been in the wrong4  
,surely ,christians cannot be active in 
such measures without incurring the     
displeasure of ,god1 who styles himself 
the father of the fatherless and the    
judge and avenger of the widow4  ,thus  
,i have shown that war is inhuman and   
therefore wholly inconsistent with      
,christianity1 by proving that it tends 
to destroy humane dispositions2 that it 
hardens the hearts and blunts the tender
 feelings of men2 that it involves the  

abuse of ,god's animal creation2 that it
 oppresses the poor2 that it spreads    
terror and distress among mankind2 that 
it subjects soldiers to cruel privations
 and sufferings2 that it destroys the   
youth and cuts off the hope of the aged2
 and that it multiplies widows and      
orphans and occasions mourning and      
sorrow4  ,the fact that war is inhuman  
is indeed one of those obvious truths   
which it is difficult to render more    
plain by argument2 those who know in    
what war consists cannot help knowing   
that it is inhuman4  ,what ,mr4 ,windham
 said with reference to the inhumanity  
of slavery may be said of the inhumanity
 of war4 ,in one of his speeches in the 
,house of ,commons against the slave    
trade he stated his difficulty in       
arguing against such a trade to be of   
that kind which is felt in arguing in   
favor of a self-evident proposition4 ,if
 it were denied that two and two made   
four1 it would not be a very easy task1 
he said1 to find arguments to support   

the affirmative side of the question4   
,precisely similar was his embarrassment
 in having to prove that the slave trade
 was unjust and inhuman4  ,whoever      
admits that the slave trade is inhuman  
must admit that war is inhuman in a     
greater variety of ways and on a much   
larger scale4  ,the inhumanity of the   
slave trade was the great and1 finally1 
triumphant argument by which it was     
proved to be inconsistent with          
,christianity4  ,the advocates of       
slavery1 like the advocates of war1     
resorted to the ,old ,testament for     
support2 but it appeared that slavery1  
as it appears that war1 was permitted   
and approved of for reasons and on      
principles peculiar to the ancient      
economy4 ,this is apparent as well from 
the difference between the general      
design of the old and new dispensations 
as from the whole genius and spirit of  
the gospel4 ,hence those who opposed the
 slave trade argued from the general    
nature and spirit of ,christianity as   

the strongest ground which could be     
taken4 ,if slavery was inconsistent with
 this1 it ought not to be tolerated2 but
 slavery is inhuman and is therefore    
inconsistent with ,christianity4        
,exactly the same is true of war1 nor   
can anything short of an express        
revelation from ,god1 commanding war or 
slavery1 render either of them          
justifiable4  ,it deserves to be        
distinctly considered that the gospel   
contains little or nothing directly by  
way of precept against slavery2 but     
slavery is inconsistent with its general
 requirements and inculcations and is   
therefore wrong4 ,but war1 besides being
 inconsistent with the genius and spirit
 of the gospel1 is prohibited by those  
precepts which forbid retaliation and   
revenge and those which require         
forgiveness and good will4  ,it is      
plain1 then1 that he who does not       
advocate and defend the slave trade1 to 
be consistent1 must grant that war is   
incompatible with ,christianity1 and    

that it is a violation of the gospel to 
countenance it4     ,,war ,,is ,,unwise 
,that the principles and practice of war
 are unwise ,i argue3   ,i4 ,,because1  
,,instead ,,of ,,preventing1 ,,they     
,,provoke ,,insult ,,and ,,mischief     
,the maxim1 that in order to preserve   
peace1 mankind must be prepared for war1
 has become so common1 and sanctioned by
 such high authority1 that few question 
its wisdom or policy2 but if stripped of
 its specious garb1 it may appear to    
proceed not from that wisdom which came 
down from above1 which is first pure1   
then peaceable1 gentle1 easy to be      
entreated1 full of mercy and good       
fruits1 without partiality1 and without 
hypocrisy2 and if it is not the wisdom  
from above1 then it must be the wisdom  
from beneath4  ,are not pride1 avarice1 
and revenge the seeds of all kinds of   
carnal warfare8 ,from these grow all the
 quarreling among children1 the discord 
among families1 the bickerings1 law     
suits1 and broils among neighbors1 the  

boxing among bullies1 the dueling among 
modern gentlemen1 and wars among        
nations4 ,they all originate from one   
and the same spirit4  ,now1 is the mild1
 meek1 and peaceable man1 unarmed1 more 
liable to inspire jealousy in others    
that he is about to insult and abuse    
them than the high-toned duelist who    
constantly carries with him deathly     
weapons8 ,does he1 in fact1 so often get
 into difficulty1 quarreling and        
fighting8 ,the respectable ,society of  
,friends stands a living monument to    
answer the question4  ,on the principles
 of self-defense1 as they are styled1 if
 one man suspects an injury from        
another1 unless he is naturally a more  
powerful man1 he must take a cane1 as   
the principles of self-defense require a
 superior power in your own hand1 either
 by art or muscular strength4 ,when the 
other learns the suspicions and sees the
 preparation1 he in his turn must take a
 bludgeon to preserve the balance of    
power and proclaim a threatening to awe 

his antagonist1 who must now take a     
sword and return a threatening in order 
to maintain his dignity2 for it will not
 do for men of honor to retract1 however
 much they may be in the wrong4 ,the    
other1 again1 must take a deathly weapon
 for his defense1 and nothing is now    
wanting but an unhappy meeting to set   
each other's blood a flowing4  ,much in 
the same way do nations often get into  
desperate warfare4 ,one nation is busily
 increasing its military strength on the
 plausible maxim of preserving peace and
 maintaining its rights4 ,another nation
 views the preparations with a jealous  
eye1 and also goes to work on the same  
principle to make formidable            
preparations4 ,all the nations around   
take the alarm1 and on the same         
principle begin active preparations1 all
 vying with each other to become the    
most formidable4 ,if one sends an       
ambassador to inquire the cause of the  
great preparations1 the answer always   
is1 let the motive be what it may1 ,for 

their own defense4 ,then the other makes
 new exertions and begins to fortify    
towns on the confines of his neighbor1  
who must not only do the same but march 
a large army for the defense of his     
frontier2 and the other must do         
likewise4 ,by this time1 if no old      
quarrel remained unsettled1 perhaps one 
charges the other with encroachment on  
territory2 the other denies the charge1 
and contends sharply for his pretended  
rights4 ,ministers may be interchanged1 
and while negotiations are pending a    
high tone must be taken by both parties1
 for this is an essential principle in  
the doctrine of self-defense2 the       
contrary would betray weakness and fear4
 ,newspapers must be ushered forth with 
flaming pieces to rouse1 as it is       
called1 the spirit of the countries1 so 
as to impress upon the populace the idea
 that the approaching war is just and   
necessary1 for all wars must be just and
 necessary on both sides4 ,in the       
meantime envoys extraordinary may be    

sent to other powers by each party to   
enlist their aid1--most of whom are     
already prepared for war1--and each one 
selects his side according to his       
interests and feelings4 ,at length the  
ultimatum is given and refused1 and the 
dreadful conflict commences4 ,few wars1 
however1 begin in this slow and         
progressive mode2 a trifling aggression 
is sufficient to blow up the flame with 
nations already prepared4  ,thus1 we    
see1 nations resemble bulldogs who      
happen to meet4 ,they will first raise  
their hairs1 show their teeth1 then     
growl1 and then seize upon each other   
with all their strength and fury2 and   
bulldogs have something of the same kind
 of honor1 for they scorn to retreat4   
,hence we see that the acknowledged     
principles of defensive war are the     
vital springs of most of the wars that  
agitate and desolate our world4 ,the    
pretended distinction between offensive 
and defensive war is but a name4 ,all   
parties engaged in war proclaim to the  

world that they only are fighting in    
defense of their rights1 and that their 
enemies are the aggressors2 while it may
 be impossible for man to decide which  
are most in the wrong4  ,the popular    
maxim of being prepared for war in order
 to be at peace may be seen to be       
erroneous in fact1 for the history of   
nations abundantly shows that few       
nations ever made great preparations for
 war and remained long in peace4 ,when  
nations prepare for war they actually go
 to war1 and tell the world that their  
preparations were not a mere show4      
,thus we may see that the principles and
 preparations of war actually engender  
war instead of promoting peace2 and of  
course they are unwise1 and1 if unwise1 
then it is folly for ,christians to     
engage in them4   ,,ii4 ,,war ,,is      
,,unwise1 ,,for ,,instead ,,of          
,,diminishing1 ,,it ,,increases         
,,difficulties  ,as the principles and  
preparations of war have a natural      
tendency to generate war and are        

actually the cause of a great proportion
 of the wars which do exist1 so actual  
hostilities have a natural tendency to  
increase difficulties and to spread     
abroad the destroying evil4  ,it is     
almost impossible for any two nations to
 be long engaged in war without         
interfering with the rights and         
privileges of other nations1 which      
generally awakes their jealousy and     
resentment1 so that most of the         
surrounding nations are drawn into the  
destructive vortex1 which is the more   
easily done1 as war inflames the martial
 spirit in other nations not engaged1   
and rouses up the desperate passions of 
men4 ,besides1 the belligerent nations  
are not content with suffering          
themselves1 but use every art and       
persuasion to get the neighboring       
nations to join them2 and they are      
generally too successful1 for it seldom 
happens that two nations engage in war  
for a length of time and conclude a     
peace before they have involved other   

nations in their difficulties and       
distresses1 and often a great proportion
 of the world is in arms4  ,moreover1   
the nations who first engage in the     
contest always widen the breach between 
themselves by war4  ,it is much easier  
settling difficulties between           
individuals or nations before actual    
hostilities commence than afterwards4   
,mankind are not apt to be any more mild
 and accommodating in a state of actual 
warfare4 ,besides1 new difficulties     
constantly arise4 ,the passions become  
inflamed1 and charges are often made of 
violating the established laws of       
civilized warfare1 which laws1 however1 
are generally bounded only by the       
strength of power4 ,if one party makes  
an incursion into the other's territory 
and storms a fortified place and burns  
the town1 the other party must then make
 a desperate effort to retaliate the    
same kind of destruction1 to a double   
degree1 on the towns of their enemy4    
,retaliation1 or rendering evil for     

evil1 is not only allowed by ,mahometans
 and pagans1 but is an open and avowed  
principle in the doctrine of            
self-defense among professed ,christian 
nations2 not only is it sanctioned by   
the laity1 but too often by the priests 
who minister in the name of ,jesus      
,christ4  ,both of the contending       
parties generally seize on each other's 
possessions wherever they can get hold  
of them1 whether on the seas or on the  
land4 ,the barbarous spoliations on each
 other stir up the passions of the great
 mass of their inhabitants1 until they  
esteem it a virtue to view each other as
 natural and perpetual enemies1 and then
 their rulers can prosecute the war with
 what they call vigor4  ,can the wound  
now be so easily healed as it could have
 been before it became thus lacerated   
and inflamed8 ,facts speak to the       
contrary1 and nations seldom attempt    
negotiations for peace under such       
circumstances4 ,they generally prosecute
 the war with all their power until one 

party or the other is overcome1 or until
 both have exhausted their strength1 and
 then they may mutually agree to a      
temporary peace to gain a little        
respite1 when perhaps the original      
matter of dispute has become            
comparatively so trifling that it is    
almost left out of the account4  ,with a
 small spirit of forbearance and        
accommodation how easily might the      
difficulties have been settled before   
such an immense loss of blood and       
treasure6  ,if war does actually        
increase1 instead of diminishing1       
difficulties1 then it must be very      
unwise to engage in it4   ,,iii4 ,,war  
,,is ,,unwise1 ,,because ,,it ,,destroys
 ,,property  ,property is what a great  
proportion of mankind are struggling to 
obtain1 and many at the hazard of their 
lives4 ,though in some instances they   
may misuse it1 yet it is the gift of    
,god1 and when made subservient to more 
important things1 it may be a blessing  
to individuals and communities4 ,it has 

in it1 therefore1 a real value1 and     
ought not to be wantonly destroyed while
 it may be used as an instrument for    
benefiting mankind4  ,it is a notorious 
fact that war does make a great         
destruction of property4 ,thousands of  
individuals on sea and on land lose     
their all1 for the acquisition of which 
they may have spent the prime of their  
lives4 ,ships on the high seas are      
taken1 often burnt or scuttled1 and     
valuable cargoes sent to the bottom of  
the deep1 some possibly laden with the  
necessaries of life and bound to ports  
where the innocent inhabitants were in a
 state of famine4 ,whole countries are  
laid waste by only the passing of an    
immense army3 houses are defaced1       
furniture broken to pieces1 the stores  
of families eaten up1 cornfields trodden
 down1 fences torn away and used for    
fuel1 and everything swept in its train 
as with the besom of destruction more   
terrible to the inhabitants than the    
storms of heaven when sent in judgment4 

,beautiful towns are often literally    
torn to pieces with shot and shells4    
,venerable cities1 the labor and pride  
of ages1 are buried in ashes amid       
devouring flames1 while in melancholy   
grandeur the fire and smoke rise to     
heaven and seem to cry for vengeance on 
the destroyers4  ,notwithstanding an    
avaricious individual or nation may     
occasionally in war acquire by plunder  
from their brethren a little wealth1 yet
 they usually lose on the whole more    
than they gain4 ,on the general scale   
the loss is incalculable4 ,it is not my 
object to examine the subject in        
relation to any particular nation or    
war1 but upon the general scale in      
application to all warlike nations and  
all wars under the light of the gospel4 
,if war does destroy property1 reduce   
individuals to beggary1 and impoverish  
nations1 then it is unwise to engage in 
it4   ,,iv4 ,,war ,,is ,,unwise1 ,,as   
,,it ,,is ,,dangerous ,,to ,,the        
,,liberties ,,of ,,men  ,liberty is the 

gift of ,god1 and ought to be dear to   
every man2 not1 however1 that licentious
 liberty which is not in subordination  
to his commands4 ,men are not           
independent of ,god4 ,he is their       
creator1 preserver1 and benefactor4 ,in 
his hand their breath is1 and he has a  
right to do what he will with his own2  
and the ,judge of all the earth will do 
right4 ,as man is not the creator and   
proprietor of man1 he has no right to   
infringe on his liberty or life without 
his express divine command2 and then he 
acts only as the executor of ,god4 ,man1
 therefore1 bears a very different      
relation to ,god from what he does to   
his fellow-man4  ,the whole system of   
war is tyrannical and subversive of the 
fundamental principles of liberty4 ,it  
often brings the great mass of community
 under the severe bondage of military   
despotism1 so that their lives and      
fortunes are at the sport of a tyrant4  
,where martial law is proclaimed1       
liberty is cast down1 and despotism     

raises her horrid ensign in its place   
and fills the dungeons and scaffolds    
with her victims4  ,soldiers in actual  
service are reduced to the most abject  
slavery1 not able to command their time 
for a moment1 and are constantly driven 
about like beasts by petty tyrants4 ,in 
them is exhibited the ridiculous        
absurdity of men rushing into bondage   
and destruction to preserve or acquire  
their liberty and save their lives4     
,when the inhabitants of a country are  
cruelly oppressed by a despotic         
government1 and they rise in mass to    
throw off the yoke1 they are as often as
 otherwise crushed beneath the weight of
 the power under which they groaned1 and
 then their sufferings are greatly      
increased2 and if they gain their object
 after a long and sanguinary struggle1  
they actually suffer more on the whole  
than they would have suffered had they  
remained in peace4 ,it is generally the 
providence of ,god1 too1 to make a      
people who have thrown off the yoke of  

their oppressor smart more severely     
under the government of their own choice
 than they did under the government     
which they destroyed4 ,this fact ought  
well to be considered by every one of a 
revolutionary spirit4  ,war actually    
generates a spirit of anarchy and       
rebellion which is destructive to       
liberty4 ,when the inhabitants of a     
country are engaged in the peaceable    
employments of agriculture1             
manufactures1 and commerce1 anarchy and 
rebellion seldom happen4 ,when these    
useful employments flourish1 abundance  
flows in on every side1 gentleness and  
humanity cast a smile over the land1 and
 pleasure beams in almost every         
countenance4 ,to turn the attention of a
 nation from these honest employments to
 that of war is an evil of unspeakable  
magnitude4 ,the great object in times of
 war is to rouse up what is styled the  
spirit of the country1--which1 in fact1 
is nothing but inflaming the most       
destructive passions against its own    

peace and safety4 ,if you infuse into a 
nation the spirit of war for the sake of
 fighting a foreign enemy1 you do that  
which is often most dangerous to its own
 liberties2 for if you make peace with  
the common enemy1 you do not destroy the
 spirit of war among your own           
inhabitants2 pride1 discontent1 and     
revenge will generally agitate the whole
 body1 so that anarchy and confusion    
will fill the land1 and nothing but a   
despotic power can restrain it2 and     
often absolute despotism is too feeble  
to withstand it1 and the only remedy is 
again to seek a common enemy4 ,nations  
have sometimes waged war against other  
nations because there was such a spirit 
of war among their own inhabitants that 
they could not be restrained from       
fighting1 and if they had not a common  
foe they would fight one another4 ,so   
when a nation once unsheathes the sword1
 it cannot easily return the sword again
 to the scabbard1 but must keep it      
crimsoned with the blood of man until   

they who take the sword shall perish    
with the sword1 agreeably to the        
denunciation of ,heaven4  ,to inflame a 
mild republic with the spirit of war is 
putting all its liberties to the utmost 
hazard1 and is an evil that few appear  
to understand or appreciate4 ,no person 
can calculate the greatness of the evil 
to transform the citizens of a peaceful1
 industrious republic into a band of    
furious soldiers2 and yet the unhappy   
policy of nations is to cultivate a     
martial spirit that they may appear     
grand1 powerful1 and terrific1 when in  
fact they are kindling flames that will 
eventually burn them up root and branch4
  ,in confirmation of what has been     
said1 if we examine the history of      
nations we shall find that they have    
generally lost their liberties in       
consequence of the spirit and practice  
of war4 ,thus have republics who have   
boasted of their freedom lost their     
liberty one after another1 and that this
 has resulted from the very nature of   

war and its inseparable evils is evident
 from the fact that so violent and      
deadly is this current of ruin1         
republics have generally sunk down to   
the lowest abyss of tyranny and         
despotism1 or have been annihilated and 
their inhabitants scattered to the four 
winds of heaven4 ,indeed1 what nation   
that has become extinct did not first   
lose its liberty by war1 and then hasten
 to its end under the dominion of those 
passions which war inflames8  ,do       
nations ever enjoy so much liberty as   
when most free from the spirit of war8  
,are their liberties ever so little     
endangered as when this spirit is       
allayed and all its foreign excitements 
removed8 ,do not nations that have      
partially lost their civil liberties    
gradually regain them in proportion as  
they continue long without war8 ,is it  
not a common sentiment that the         
liberties of a people are in danger when
 war engrosses their attention8 ,on the 
whole1 is it not undeniable that peace  

is favorable to liberty1 and that war is
 its enemy and its ruin8 ,if so1 what   
can be more unwise1 what more opposite  
to every dictate of sound wisdom and    
policy1 than the spirit and practice of 
war8   ,v4 ,,war ,,is ,,unwise1 ,,as    
,,it ,,diminishes ,,the ,,happiness ,,of
 ,,mankind  ,happiness is the professed 
object which most men are striving to   
obtain4 ,alas6 few1 comparatively1 seek 
it where it is alone to be found4 ,but  
that happiness which flows from the     
benevolent spirit of the gospel is to be
 prized far above rubies2 it is a       
treasure infinitely surpassing anything 
that can be found merely in riches1     
honors1 and pleasures4  ,but war always 
diminishes the aggregate of happiness in
 the world4 ,when nations wage war upon 
each other1 all classes of their        
inhabitants are more or less oppressed4 
,they are subjected to various          
privations2 prosperity declines2        
external sources of happiness are mostly
 dried up2 anxiety for friends1 loss of 

relations1 loss of property1 the fear of
 pillage1 severe services1 great        
privations1 and the dread of conquest   
keep them constantly distressed4 ,they  
are like the troubled sea that cannot   
rest1 whose waters cast up mire and     
dirt4  ,those actually engaged in war   
generally suffer privations and         
hardships of the severest kind4 ,even   
the sage counselors who declare wars are
 often in so great anxiety and pain as  
to the result of their enterprises as to
 be unable quietly to refresh themselves
 with food or sleep4  ,all the          
rejoicings occasioned by military       
success are fully counterbalanced by the
 pain and mortification of the          
vanquished2 and1 in short1 all the      
interest and happiness resulting from   
war to individuals and nations are      
dearly bought1 and are at the expense of
 other individuals and nations4  ,it is 
because war has no tendency to increase1
 but does in fact greatly diminish1     
happiness that it is so universally     

regarded and lamented as the greatest   
evil that visits our world4 ,hence      
fasting has generally been practiced by 
warlike ,christian nations to deplore   
the calamity1 to humble themselves      
before ,god1 and to supplicate his mercy
 in turning away the judgment4  ,though 
fasting and deep humility before ,god is
 highly suitable for sinners1 with a    
hearty turning away from their sins and 
humble supplication for ,god's mercy    
through the mediation of ,christ1 yet   
those fasts of nations who have         
voluntarily engaged in war and are      
determined to prosecute it until their  
lusts and passions are gratified do not 
appear to be such fasts as ,god         
requires4  ,does it not appear absurd   
for nations voluntarily to engage in    
war1 and then to proclaim a fast to     
humble themselves before ,god for its   
evils1 while they have no desire to turn
 away from them1 but1 on the contrary1  
make it an express object to seek the   
divine aid in assisting them            

successfully to perpetuate it8  ,we     
often see contending nations1 all of    
whom cannot be right1 on any principle1 
proclaiming fasts1 and chanting forth   
their solemn ,te ,deums as each may     
occasionally be victorious4 ,though such
 clashing hymns cannot mingle in the    
golden censer1 yet few ,christians seem 
to question the propriety of quarreling 
and fighting nations each in their turn 
supplicating aid in their unhallowed    
undertakings and returning thanks in    
case of success4 ,doubtless many would  
consider it as solemn mockery to see two
 duelists before their meeting          
supplicating ,god's blessing and        
protection in the hour of conflict1 and 
then to see the victor returning thanks 
for his success in shedding the blood of
 his brother2 and yet1 when nations     
carry on the business by wholesale 7if  
,i may be allowed the expression7 it is 
considered a very pious employment4 ,the
 ,lord has said1 ,and when ye spread    
forth your hands1 ,i will hide mine eyes

 from you3 yea1 when ye make many       
prayers1 ,i will not hear2 your hands   
are full of blood4  ,penitent           
,christians may weep and mourn with     
propriety for their own sins and the    
sins of the nations1 with a hearty      
desire not only to forsake their own    
iniquities1 but that the nations may be 
brought to confess and forsake their    
sins and turn from them to the living   
,god4 ,it is true that war is a judgment
 in ,god's providence4 ,it is also a sin
 of the highest magnitude and ought to  
be repented of4 ,it is a crime so       
provoking to ,heaven that other         
calamities generally attend it4 ,the    
famine1 fire1 and pestilence often      
attend its horrors and spread distress  
through a land4 ,war with its attending 
evils unquestionably diminishes the     
aggregate of happiness in the world1 and
 is therefore unwise4   ,,vi4 ,,war ,,is
 ,,unwise1 ,,as ,,it ,,does ,,not       
,,mend1 ,,but ,,injures1 ,,the ,,morals 
,,of ,,society  ,the strength1 defense1 

and glory of a country consists         
primarily in the good moral character of
 its inhabitants4 ,the virtuous and the 
good are the salt that preserve it from 
ruin4 ,says the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,miller in   
his sermon on the death of ,dr4 ,rogers 
7pages #cff and #chh of the ,memoirs71  
,it is manifest from the whole tenor of 
his word that ,god is slow to inflict   
heavy judgments upon a nation in which  
many of his people dwell2 that he often 
spares it1 spreads over it the          
protection of his providence1 and       
finally delivers it for their sake2 and1
 of course1 that the presence of his    
beloved children1 speaking after the    
manner of men1 is a better defense than 
chariots and horsemen1 a better defense 
than all the plans of mere politicians1 
than all the skill1 courage1 and        
activity of mere warriors4 ,again1 ,i   
have no doubt that it is as great and   
precious a truth at this day as it ever 
was1 that a praying people are1 under   
,god1 the greatest security of a nation4

  ,when the inhabitants of a country    
become generally profane and dissolute  
in their manners1 slaves to dissipation 
and vice1 it is usually ,god's          
providence soon to visit them in his    
wrath and let loose the instruments of  
his destroying vengeance2 how important1
 therefore1 in a temporal point of view1
 is the preservation of good morals to a
 nation4 ,but no event has so powerful a
 tendency to destroy the morals of a    
people as that of actual war4 ,it draws 
the attention of the inhabitants from   
useful employments2 it generates        
curiosity1 dissipation1 and idleness1   
and awakes all the furious passions of  
men4  ,war occasions a great profanation
 of the ,sabbath4 ,under ,god's         
providence the ,sabbath has always been 
a great barrier against vice1 and the   
observance of it is indispensable to    
good morals4  ,in time of war the       
,sabbath among soldiers is often a day  
of parade4 ,in the streets of the       
best-regulated cities may be seen       

soldiers marching1 flags flying1 drums  
and fifes playing1 and a rabble of      
children following in the train4 ,now   
all this is not only calculated to      
dissipate all reverential respect for   
the solemnities of the day among the    
soldiers1 but is calculated to destroy  
the respect and observance of the day   
with which the children and youth have  
been inspired4 ,add to this1 flags are  
suspended from the windows of taverns   
and grogshops to entice in the youth by 
the intoxicating cup4 ,in the camp the  
,sabbath is almost forgotten and        
rendered a common day4 ,armies from     
professing ,christian nations as often  
begin offensive operations on the       
,sabbath as on any other day2 and       
professing ,christians not only tolerate
 all this but approve of it as a work of
 necessity and mercy4  ,war occasions   
dishonesty4 ,in countries where armies  
are raised by voluntary enlistment all  
kinds of deception and art are practiced
 by recruiting officers1 and connived at

 by their governments1 to induce the    
heedless youth to enlist4 ,the honor and
 glory of the employment is held up to  
view in false colors2 the importance of 
their bounty and wages are magnified2   
the lightness of the duty and           
opportunities for amusements and        
recreation are held out2 and probably   
one half have the assurances of being   
noncommissioned officers1 with a        
flattering prospect of a speedy         
advancement2 and prospects of plunder   
are also held out to their cupidity4    
,these deceptive motives are daily urged
 under the stimulating power of ardent  
spirits and the fascinating charms of   
martial music and military finery4 ,many
 a young man who has entered the        
rendezvous from curiosity or for the    
sake of a dram1 without the least idea  
of joining the army1 has been entrapped 
into intoxication1 and his hand then    
grasped the pen to seal his fate4       
,recruits after joining the army find   
from experience that most of the        

allurements held out to them to enlist  
were but a deception1 and from lust and 
want they often become petty thieves and
 plunderers to repay them for their     
great privations1 fatigues1 and         
sufferings4  ,war occasions             
drunkenness1--one of the greatest evils 
and most destructive to morality1 as a  
multitude of other vices necessarily    
follow in its train4 ,many a young man  
has entered the military ranks          
temperate1 and has returned from them a 
sot4 ,all the enticements of liquor are 
exhibited in the most inviting forms to 
youth in the streets by the recruiting  
officer1 to tempt them to enlist2 and   
while those who have enrolled themselves
 remain at the rendezvous1 they are     
probably every day intoxicated with the 
inebriating poison1 soul and body1 and  
soon the habit becomes confirmed4 ,while
 in actual service their fatigues are so
 great that they greedily lay hold on   
the destroying liquor wherever they can 
find it to exhilarate their languid     

frames1 even if they had not before     
acquired an insatiable thirst2 and soon 
this detestable evil will become so     
enchanting that they will not only      
barter away their wages for it but their
 necessary clothing4 ,if they survive   
the campaign and return to their homes1 
they are often the visitors of grogshops
 and taverns1 and by their marvelous    
stories attract the populace around     
them1 who must join them in circulating 
the cup2 and thus they spread this      
destroying evil all around4  ,war       
occasions profaneness4 ,profaneness is  
an abomination in the sight of ,god3    
,for the ,lord will not hold him        
guiltless who taketh his name in vain4  
,profaneness draws down the judgments of
 heaven1 for because of swearing the    
land mourneth4  ,that soldiers are      
generally considered more profane than  
other men is evident1 because it has    
become a proverb that such a person is  
as profane as a soldier1 or a           
man-of-war's man4 ,young men who have   

been taught to revere the name of the   
,god of their fathers may shudder at the
 awful profanations that fill their ears
 when they first enter an army2 but if  
destitute of grace in the heart1 the    
sound will soon cease to offend1 and    
they will eagerly inhale the blasphemous
 breath and become champions in impiety4
 ,for want of habit they may not swear  
with so easy a grace as the older       
soldiers2 they will for that reason make
 great exertions and invent new oaths1  
which will stimulate their fellows again
 to exceed in daring impiety4 ,seldom   
does a soldier return from the camp     
without the foul mouth of profanity4    
,astonishing to think that those who are
 most exposed to death should be most   
daring in wickedness6  ,war occasions   
gambling4 ,a great proportion of the    
amusements of the camp are petty plays  
at chance1 and the stake usually a drink
 of grog4 ,the play is fascinating4     
,multitudes of soldiers become          
established gamblers to the extent of   

their ability1 and often1 if they return
 to society1 spread the evil among their
 neighbors4  ,war begets a spirit of    
quarreling1 boxing1 and dueling2 and no 
wonder that it should1 for the whole    
business of war is nothing else but     
quarreling and fighting4 ,the soldier's 
ambition is to be a bully1 a hero1 and  
to be careless of his own life and the  
lives of others4 ,he is therefore       
impatient in contradiction1 receives an 
insult where none was intended1 and is  
ready to redress the supposed injury    
with the valor of his own arms2 for it  
will not do for soldiers to shrink from 
the contest and be cowards4  ,war       
destroys the habits of industry and     
produces idleness4 ,industry is         
necessary to good morals as well as to  
the wealth and happiness of a country1  
and every wise government will take all 
laudable means to encourage it2 but a   
large proportion of common soldiers who 
may return from the armies have lost the
 relish and habits of manual labor and  

are often found loitering about in      
public places1 and if they engage in any
 kinds of labor1 it is with a heavy hand
 and generally to little purpose4 ,they 
therefore make bad husbands1 unhappy    
neighbors1 and are worse than a dead    
weight in society4 ,their children are  
badly educated and provided for1 and    
trained up to demoralizing habits1 which
 are handed down from generation to     
generation4  ,these immoralities1 and   
many more that might be named1 are not  
confined to soldiers in time of war1 but
 they are diffused more or less through 
the whole mass of community2 and war    
produces a general corruption in a      
nation1 and is therefore unwise1 even in
 a temporal point of view4 ,but when we 
consider the natural effects of these   
immoralities on the souls of men1 all   
temporal advantages are in comparison   
annihilated4 ,in this school of vice    
millions are ripening for eternal woe4  
,the destroying influence will spread   
and diffuse itself through the whole    

mass of society unless the spirit of the
 ,lord lifts up a standard against it4  
,the state of morals1 so much depressed 
by the ,american ,revolution1 was only  
raised by the blessed effusions of      
,god's holy spirit4  ,if war does       
actually demoralize a people1 then no   
wise person can consistently engage in  
it4   ,,vii4 ,,war ,,is ,,unwise1 ,,as  
,,it ,,is ,,hazarding ,,eternal ,,things
 ,,for ,,only ,,the ,,chance ,,of       
,,defending ,,temporal ,,things  ,says  
our blessed ,saviour3 ,for what is a man
 profited1 if he should gain the whole  
world1 and lose his own soul8  ,the loss
 of a soul infinitely exceeds all finite
 calculations4 ,it is not only deprived 
forever and ever of all good but is     
plunged into misery inexpressible and   
everlasting4 ,all temporal things       
dwindle to nothing when placed in       
comparison with eternal realities4 ,the 
rights1 liberties1 and wealth of nations
 are of little value compared with one  
immortal soul4 ,but astonishing to think

 that millions and millions have been   
put at everlasting hazard only for the  
chance of defending temporal things6    
,the habits and manners of a soldier's  
life are calculated1 as we have already 
seen1 to demoralize them1 to obliterate 
all early serious impressions1 to       
introduce and confirm them in the most  
daring wickedness and fit them for      
everlasting destruction4 ,and           
notwithstanding ,god may have           
occasionally1 to display his sovereign  
power1 snatched some soldiers from the  
ranks of rebellion and made them the    
heirs of his grace1 yet no sober        
,christian will say that the army is a  
likely place to promote their salvation2
 but1 on the contrary1 must acknowledge 
that it is a dangerous place for the    
souls of men4 ,it may be assumed as an  
undeniable fact that the great mass of  
soldiers are notoriously depraved and   
wicked4 ,with but few exceptions their  
impiety grows more daring the longer    
they practice war2 and when it is       

considered that thousands and thousands 
of such are hurried by war prematurely  
into eternity1 with all their sins      
unpardoned1 what an amazing sacrifice   
appears only for some supposed temporal 
good4 ,but when it is remembered that   
this infinite sacrifice is made merely  
for the chance of obtaining some        
temporal advantage1 the folly of war    
appears in more glaring colors1 as the  
battle is not always to the strong4     
,those who are contending for their     
rights1 and are least in the wrong1 are 
about as often unsuccessful as          
otherwise1 and then they very much      
increase their evils in a temporal point
 of view4 ,a wise man would not engage  
in a lawsuit to recover a cent1         
admitting that it was his just due1 if  
the trial put to the hazard his whole   
estate4 ,but this bears no comparison   
with one soul in competition with all   
temporal things2 and yet men1 professing
 to be wise1 not only put one soul at   
hazard but millions1 not for the chance 

of defending all temporal good1 but     
often for a mere bubble1 the hollow     
sound of honor2 and many of those who   
are watching for souls1 and must give an
 account1 instead of sounding the alarm1
 approve of it4  ,all who engage in war1
 either in the field or otherwise1      
practically regard time more than       
eternity1 and temporal more than eternal
 things4  ,if souls are of more value   
than temporal things1 and eternity of   
more consequence than time1 it must be  
unwise to engage in a war and put souls 
to immediate hazard of everlasting ruin1
 and totally wrong for ,christians to   
engage in it4   ,,viii4 ,,war ,,is      
,,unwise1 ,,as ,,it ,,does ,,not        
,,answer ,,the ,,professed ,,end ,,for  
,,which ,,it ,,is ,,intended  ,the      
professed object of war generally is to 
preserve liberty and produce a lasting  
peace2 but war never did and never will 
preserve liberty and produce a lasting  
peace1 for it is a divine decree that   
all nations who take the sword shall    

perish with the sword4 ,war is no more  
adapted to preserve liberty and produce 
a lasting peace than midnight darkness  
is to produce noonday light4  ,the      
principles of war and the principles of 
the gospel are as unlike as heaven and  
hell4 ,the principles of war are terror 
and force1 but the principles of the    
gospel are mildness and persuasion4     
,overcome a man by the former and you   
subdue only his natural power1 but not  
his spirit2 overcome a man by the       
latter1 and you conquer his spirit and  
render his natural power harmless4 ,evil
 can never be subdued by evil4 ,it is   
returning good for evil that overcomes  
evil effectually4 ,it is1 therefore1    
alone the spirit of the gospel that can 
preserve liberty and produce a lasting  
peace4 ,wars can never cease until the  
principles and spirit of war are        
abolished4  ,mankind have been making   
the experiment with war for ages to     
secure liberty and a lasting peace2 or1 
rather1 they have ostensibly held out   

these objects as a cover to their lusts 
and passions4 ,and what has been the    
result8 ,generally the loss of liberty1 
the overturning of empires1 the         
destruction of human happiness1 and the 
drenching of the earth with the blood of
 man4  ,in most other pursuits mankind  
generally gain wisdom by experience2 but
 the experiment of war has not been     
undertaken to acquire wisdom4 ,it has1  
in fact1 been undertaken and perpetuated
 for ages to gratify the corrupt desires
 of men4 ,the worst of men have         
delighted in the honors of military fame
 and it is what they have a strong      
propensity for2 and how can a ,christian
 take pleasure in that employment which 
is the highest ambition of ungodly men8 
,the things that are highly esteemed    
among men are an abomination in the     
sight of ,god4 ,is it not1 therefore1   
important that every one naming the name
 of ,christ should bear open testimony  
against the spirit and practice of war  
and exhibit the spirit and temper of the

 gospel before the world that lieth in  
wickedness1 and let their lights shine  
before men8  ,but what can the men of   
the world think of such ,christians as  
are daily praying that wars may cease to
 the ends of the earth1 while they have 
done nothing and are doing nothing to   
counteract its destructive tendency8    
,alas6 too many are doing much by their 
lives and conversation to support its   
spirit and principles4 ,can unbelievers 
rationally suppose such prayers to be   
sincere8 ,will they not rather conclude 
that they are perfect mockery8 ,what    
would be thought of a man daily praying 
that the means used for his sick child  
might be blessed for his recovery1 when 
he was constantly administering to him  
known poison8 ,with the same propriety  
do those ,christians pray that war may  
come to a final end1 while they are     
supporting its vital principles4  ,it is
 contrary to fact that war is calculated
 to preserve liberty and secure a       
lasting peace2 for it has done little   

else but destroy liberty and peace and  
make the earth groan under the weight of
 its terror and distress4  ,it is       
contrary to the word of ,god that war is
 calculated to promote peace on earth   
and good will toward men4 ,the law that 
is to produce this happy effect will not
 be emitted from the council of war or  
the smoke of a camp2 but the law shall  
go forth out of ,zion1 and the ,lord    
shall rebuke the strong nations and they
 shall beat their swords into plowshares
 and their spears into pruning hooks2   
then nations shall no more lift up sword
 against nation1 neither shall they     
learn the art of war any more2 then     
shall the earth be filled with the      
abundance of peace and there shall be   
nothing to hurt or destroy4 ,it is      
reserved alone for the triumph of the   
gospel to produce peace on earth and    
good will to men4  ,if war does actually
 provoke insult and mischief2 if it     
increases difficulties1 destroys        
property and liberty2 if it diminishes  

happiness1 injures the morals of        
society1 hazards eternal for only the   
chance of defending temporal things1    
and1 finally1 does not answer the end   
for which it was intended1 then it must 
be very unwise to engage in it1 and it  
must be wrong for ,christians to do     
anything to promote it1 and right to do 
all in their power to prevent it4       
,,war ,,is ,,criminal   ,i am now to    
show that war1 when judged of on the    
principles of the gospel1 is highly     
criminal4   ,i4 ,,going ,,to ,,war ,,is 
,,not ,,keeping ,,from ,,the            
,,appearance ,,of ,,evil1 ,,but ,,is    
,,running ,,into ,,temptation  444 ,i   
would have it understood that ,i        
consider every act of mankind which is  
palpably contrary to the spirit and     
precepts of the gospel criminal4  ,it is
 an express precept of the gospel to    
abstain from all appearance of evil4    
,watch and pray that ye enter not into  
temptation is also an express command of
 ,christ4  ,a person desiring not only  

to abstain from evil1 but from the very 
appearance of it1 will suffer wrong     
rather than hazard that conduct which   
may involve doing wrong4 ,he will be so 
guarded that if he errs at all he will  
be likely to give up his right when he  
might retain it without injuring others4
  ,no person1 it is believed1 will      
attempt to maintain that there is no    
appearance of evil in carnal warfare1 or
 that it is not a scene of great        
temptation4  ,one great object of the   
gospel is to produce good morals1 to    
subdue the irascible passions of men and
 bring them into sweet subjection to the
 gospel of peace4  ,but war cannot be   
prosecuted without rousing the corrupt  
passions of mankind4 ,in fact1 it is    
altogether the effect of lust and       
passion4 ,in times of war almost every  
measure is taken for the express purpose
 of inflaming the passions of men1      
because they are the vital springs of   
war1 and it would not exist without     
them4 ,those who are engaged in war1    

both in the council and in the field1   
have a feverish passion1 which varies as
 circumstances may happen to change4    
,those who are actually engaged in the  
heat of battle are usually intoxicated  
with rage4 ,should this be denied by any
 one1 ,i would appeal to the general    
approbation bestowed on the artist who  
displays most skill in painting scenes  
of this kind4 ,he who can represent the 
muscular powers most strongly exerted1  
the passions most inflamed1 and the     
visage most distorted with rage1 will   
gain the highest applause4 ,the truth of
 the assertion is1 therefore1 generally 
admitted4 ,some men1 perhaps1 may be so 
much under the influence of pride as to 
have the appearance of stoical          
indifference when their antagonists are 
at some distance1 but let them meet     
sword in hand and the scene is at once  
changed4  ,the temptations for those who
 constitute1 or those who encourage and 
support1 armies to commit or to connive 
at immorality are too various and too   

multiplied to be distinctly mentioned4  
,who can deny that war is altogether a  
business of strife8 ,but1 says an       
inspired apostle1 where envying and     
strife is1 there is confusion and every 
evil work4  ,now1 if war is a scene of  
confusion and strife and every evil     
work1 it is impossible for any one to   
engage in it and avoid the appearance of
 evil or be out of the way of           
temptation2 those who are armed with    
deathly weapons and thirsting for the   
blood of their fellow-mortals surely    
cannot be said to exhibit no appearance 
of evil4 ,but if engaging in wars is    
putting on the appearance of evil and   
running into temptation1 then it is     
highly criminal to engage in it4   ,,ii4
 ,,war ,,is ,,criminal1 ,,as ,,it       
,,naturally ,,inflames ,,the ,,pride    
,,of ,,man  ,one of the abominable      
things which proceed out of the corrupt 
heart of man1 as represented by our     
,saviour1 is pride4 ,god resisteth the  
proud1 but giveth grace to the humble4  

,the ,lord hates a proud look4 ,every   
one that is proud in heart is an        
abomination to the ,lord4 ,that pride is
 criminal and that humility is          
commendable will doubtless be admitted  
by all who believe the ,scriptures4     
,pride1 however1 is one of the chief    
sources of war4 ,it is pride that makes 
men glory in their strength and prowess2
 it is pride that hinders them from     
confessing their faults and repairing   
the injury done to others4  ,although   
pride is commonly condemned in the      
abstract1 yet it is generally commended 
in soldiers and fanned by every species 
of art and adulation1 not only by men of
 the world but too often by those who   
bear the ,christian name4 ,and why is it
 necessary to inflame the pride of      
soldiers8 ,because it is well understood
 that soldiers without pride are not fit
 for their business4  ,if war is a      
,christian duty1 why should not the     
example and precepts of ,christ1 instead
 of the example of the heroes of this   

world1 be exhibited to those who fight  
to stimulate them8 ,is not ,christ as   
worthy of imitation as the ,caesars and 
,alexanders of this world8 ,he was a    
triumphant conqueror2 he vanquished     
death and hell1 and purchased eternal   
redemption for his people2 but he       
conquered by resignation and triumphed  
by his death4 ,here is an example worthy
 of the highest emulation4 ,and why not 
animate soldiers by it8 ,only because it
 would unnerve their arms for war and   
render them harmless to their foes4  ,it
 is so common to compliment the pride of
 soldiers that1 instead of considering  
it that abominable thing which the ,lord
 hates1 they consider it a virtue4 ,we  
frequently hear gentlemen of the sword1 
as they are styled1 in reply to the     
flattery bestowed upon them1 frankly    
declare that it is their highest        
ambition to obtain the praise of their  
fellow-citizens2 and1 of course1 they   
confess that they are seeking the praise
 of men more than the praise of ,god4   

,these gentlemen1 however1 are far less 
criminal than those who lavish flattery 
on them2 for doubtless most of them are 
sincere and think themselves in the way 
of their duty1 while their profession   
often leads them1 necessarily1 from the 
means of knowing correctly what is duty4
 ,while professing ,christians have been
 taught from their cradles that the     
profession of arms is not merely an     
allowable but a noble employment1 it is 
easy for them to slide into the current 
and go with the multitude to celebrate  
victories and to eulogize heroes1       
without once reflecting whether they are
 imitating their ,lord and ,master4 ,but
 is it not time for ,christians to      
examine and ascertain if war is         
tolerated in the gospel of peace before 
they join in festivities to celebrate   
its bloody feats8 ,how would a pagan be 
astonished if he had been taught the    
meek1 lowly1 and forgiving spirit and   
principles of the gospel1 without       
knowing the practice of ,christians1 to 

see a host of men1 professing to be     
influenced by these blessed principles1 
marshaled in all the pomp of military   
parade1 threatening destruction to their
 fellow-mortals6 ,would he not conclude 
that either he or they had mistaken the 
genius of the gospel1 or that they      
believed it to be but a fable8  ,it is a
 notorious fact1 which requires no      
confirmation1 that military men1        
decorated with finery and clad in the   
glitter of arms1 instead of being meek  
and lowly in their temper and           
deportment1 are generally flushed with  
pride and haughtiness2 and1 indeed1 what
 purpose do their decorations and       
pageantry answer but that of swelling   
their vanity8 ,their employment is not  
soft and delicate4 ,other men who follow
 rough employments wear rough clothing2 
but the soldier's occupation is not less
 rough than the butcher's1 though1 in   
the world's opinion1 it is more         
honorable to kill men than to kill      
cattle4  ,but if war has a natural      

tendency to inflame1 and does inflame   
and increase the pride of men1 it is    
criminal2 it does that which the ,lord  
hates1 and it must be highly criminal to
 engage in it4   ,,iii4 ,,war           
,,necessarily ,,infringes ,,on ,,the    
,,consciences ,,of ,,men1 ,,and         
,,therefore ,,is ,,criminal  ,liberty of
 conscience is a sacred right delegated 
to man by his ,creator1 who has given no
 authority to man to infringe in the    
least on the conscience of his          
fellow-man4 ,though a man1 by following 
the dictates of his conscience1 may be  
injured by men1 yet they have no        
authority to deprive him of the rights  
of conscience4 ,to control the          
conscience is alone the prerogative of  
,god4 ,that man has no right to violate 
the conscience of his fellow-man is a   
truth which few1 under the light of the 
gospel1 since the days of ignorance and 
superstition1 have ventured to call in  
question4  ,but military governments1   
from their very nature1 necessarily     

infringe on the consciences of men4     
,though the word of ,god requires       
implicit obedience to rulers in all     
things not contrary to the ,scriptures1 
it utterly forbids compliance with such 
commands as are inconsistent with the   
gospel4 ,we must obey ,god rather than  
man1 and fear ,god as well as honor the 
king4 ,but governments1 whether         
monarchial or republican1 make laws as  
they please1 and compel obedience at the
 point of the sword4 ,they declare wars1
 and call upon all their subjects to    
support them4  ,offensive war1 by all   
professing ,christians1 is considered a 
violation of the laws of ,heaven2 but   
offensive war is openly prosecuted by   
professing ,christians under the        
specious name of self-defense4 ,france  
invaded ,spain1 ,germany1 and ,russia2  
,england invaded ,holland and ,denmark2 
and the ,united ,states invaded ,canada1
 under the pretense of defensive war4   
,the fact is1 however1 that no man can1 
on gospel principles1 draw a line of    

distinction between offensive and       
defensive war so as to make the former a
 crime and the latter a duty1 simply    
because the gospel has made no such     
distinction4 ,but while many ,christians
 profess to make the distinction1 and to
 consider offensive war criminal1 they  
ought to have the liberty to judge1 when
 war is waged1 whether it is offensive  
or defensive1 and to give or withhold   
their aid accordingly2 otherwise they   
are not permitted the free exercise of  
their consciences4  ,but suppose this   
principle adopted by governments4 ,could
 they prosecute war while they left     
every individual in the free exercise of
 his conscience to judge whether such   
war was offensive or defensive and to   
regulate his conduct accordingly8 ,would
 it be possible for governments to carry
 on war if they depended for support on 
the uncertain opinion of every          
individual8 ,no2 such a procedure would 
extinguish the vital strength of war and
 lay the sword in the dust4 ,the fact is

 well known1 and monarchs declare war   
and force their subjects to support it4 
,the majority in republican governments 
declare war and demand and enforce      
obedience from the minority4  ,though   
the constitutions of governments may1 in
 the most solemn manner1 guarantee to   
citizens the free exercise of their     
consciences1 yet governments find it    
necessary practically to make an        
exception in relation to war1 and a man 
may plead conscientious motives in vain 
to free himself from contributing to the
 support of war4  ,i think it proper    
here to notice what has appeared to me a
 gross absurdity among some ,christians 
in this land4 ,they have openly declared
 that in their opinion the late war was 
offensive2 that it was contrary to the  
laws of ,god1 and that they were opposed
 to it2 but though they wished not to   
support it because it was criminal1 yet 
they said1 if they were called on in a  
constitutional way1 they would support  
it4 ,thus did they publicly declare that

 they would1 under certain              
circumstances1 obey man rather than     
,god4  ,but soldiers actually resign up 
their consciences to their commanders1  
without reserving any right to obey only
 in such cases as they may judge not    
contrary to the laws of ,god4 ,were they
 at liberty to judge whether commands   
were morally right or not1 before they  
yielded obedience1 it would be totally  
impracticable for nations to prosecute  
war4 ,ask a general if his soldiers have
 the privilege of determining whether   
his commands are right or not1 and he   
will tell you it is their duty only to  
obey4  ,suppose that a general and his  
army are shut up in a city in their own 
country1 and that provisions are        
failing2 that an army is advancing for  
their relief1 but cannot reach the place
 until all means of sustenance will be  
consumed2 that the inhabitants cannot be
 let out without admitting the          
besiegers2 and that in this extremity1  
to preserve his army for the defense of 

his country1 the commander orders his   
men to slay the inhabitants1 doing this 
evil that good may come4 ,but some      
conscientious soldiers refuse to obey a 
command to put the innocent to the sword
 for any supposed good4 ,what must be   
the consequence8 ,their lives must      
answer for their disobedience4 ,nor is  
this contrary to the usages of war4 ,and
 ,christians satisfy their consciences  
upon the false principle that soldiers  
are not accountable for their conduct1  
be it ever so criminal1 if they obey    
their commanders2 all the blame must    
fall on the officers1 which involves the
 absurdity of obeying man rather than   
,god4 ,thus soldiers must be            
metamorphosed into something besides    
moral and accountable beings in order to
 prosecute war2 and1 in fact1 they are  
treated generally not as moral agents   
but as a sort of machinery to execute   
the worst of purposes4  ,the only       
plausible method of which ,i can        
conceive to avoid the above consequences

 requires that soldiers should not      
practically resign their consciences1   
but1 when commands which are morally    
wrong are given1 that they should refuse
 obedience and die as martyrs4 ,but to  
enter an army with such views would be  
to belie the very oath of obedience     
which they take4 ,besides1 who could    
execute the martyrs and be innocent8 ,in
 this way all might become martyrs1 and 
the army be annihilated4  ,but if war   
does not admit the free exercise of     
conscience on ,christian principles1    
then it is criminal for ,christians to  
become soldiers1 and the principles of  
war must be inconsistent with the       
principles of ,christianity4   ,,iv4    
,,war ,,is ,,criminal1 ,,as ,,it ,,is   
,,opposed ,,to ,,patient ,,suffering    
,,under ,,unjust ,,and ,,cruel          
,,treatment  ,that patient suffering    
under unjust and cruel treatment from   
mankind is everywhere in the gospel held
 up to view as the highest ,christian   
virtue probably few professing          

,christians will deny4  ,but            
notwithstanding this truth is generally 
admitted1 there is very commonly        
introduced a carnal1 sophistical mode of
 reasoning to limit1 or explain away1   
this precious doctrine1 which is        
peculiar to the gospel and which        
distinguishes it from all other kinds of
 morality and religion on earth4 ,it has
 relation1 it is said1 only to matters  
of religion and religious               
persecution1--as if the gospel required 
mankind actually to regard a little     
wealth and a few temporal things more   
than all religious privileges and life  
itself2 for1 by this human maxim1 men   
may fight to defend the former1 but not 
the latter4 ,and this maxim is built on 
the supposition that ,christians are not
 bound strictly by gospel precepts in   
relation to temporal things1 but only in
 relation to spiritual things4 ,hence it
 is said that the martyrs conducted     
nobly in refusing to fight for the      
privilege of worshiping the true ,god1  

but if ,christians now refuse to fight  
to defend their money and their         
political freedom they act in a         
dastardly manner and violate the first  
principles of nature4 ,thus are temporal
 regarded more than spiritual and       
everlasting things4  ,the precepts of   
the gospel1 however1 unequivocally      
forbid returning evil for evil1 and     
enjoin patient sufferings under         
injurious and cruel treatment4 ,a few   
instances shall be quoted3 ,now we      
exhort you1 brethren1 warn them that are
 unruly1 comfort the feeble-minded1     
support the weak1 be patient towards all
 men4 ,see that none render evil for    
evil to any man2 but ever follow that   
which is good1 both among yourselves1   
and unto all men4 ,if1 when ye do well1 
and suffer for it1 ye take it patiently1
 this is acceptable with ,god4 ,the     
apostle ,james1 in his solemn           
denunciation against oppressors1 says1  
,ye have condemned and killed the just1 
and he doth not resist you2 he then     

immediately exhorts the ,christians1    
saying1 ,be patient therefore1 brethren1
 unto the coming of the ,lord4 ,finally1
 be ye all of one mind1 having          
compassion one for another1 love as     
brethren1 be pitiful1 be courteous1 not 
rendering evil for evil1 railing for    
railing2 but contrariwise blessings1    
knowing that ye are thereunto called1   
that ye should inherit a blessing4 ,for 
the eyes of the ,lord are over the      
righteous1 and his ears are open to     
their prayers2 but the face of the ,lord
 is against them that do evil4 ,and who 
is he that will harm you1 if ye be      
followers of that which is good8  ,a    
patient1 forbearing1 suffering          
disposition is peculiar to the lamblike 
temper of the gospel1 and is wholly     
opposed to the bold1 contending1 daring 
spirit of the world which leads mankind 
into quarreling and fighting4  ,it is   
generally admitted1 ,i believe1 that it 
is the duty of ,christians patiently to 
suffer the loss of all temporal things1 

and even life itself1 rather than       
willfully violate any of ,god's         
commands4 ,if1 then1 it is the duty of a
 ,christian patiently to suffer death   
rather than bear false witness against  
his neighbor1 be he friend or foe1 is it
 not equally his duty patiently to      
suffer death rather than kill his       
neighbor1 whether friend or foe8 ,not   
merely taking away the life of our      
neighbor is forbidden1 but every        
exercise of heart and hand which may    
have a natural tendency to injure him4  
,but which is the greatest              
evil1--telling a lie1 or killing a man8 
,by human maxims you may do the latter  
to save your life1 but not the former2  
though the former might injure no one   
but yourself1 while the latter1 besides 
injuring yourself1 might send your      
neighbor to eternal destruction4  ,the  
spirit of martyrdom is the true spirit  
of ,christianity4 ,christ himself meekly
 and submissively died by the hands of  
his enemies1 and instead of resistance1 

even by words1 he prayed1 ,father1      
forgive them1 for they know not what    
they do4 ,stephen1 when expiring under a
 shower of stones from his infuriate    
murderers1 prayed1 ,lord1 lay not this  
sin to their charge4 ,st4 ,paul         
testified that he was not only ready to 
be bound but to die for the ,lord       
,jesus4 ,the early martyrs resigned up  
their lives with patient submission as  
witnesses for ,jesus1--and this at a    
time1 when1 ,sir ,henry ,moncrief       
,wellwood in his ,sermons1 page #cce1   
says1 ,tertullian has told us that      
,christians were sufficiently numerous  
to have defended themselves against the 
persecutions excited against them by the
 heathen1 if their religion had         
permitted them to have recourse to the  
sword4  ,the spirit of martyrdom is the 
crowning test of ,christianity4 ,the    
martyr takes joyfully the spoiling of   
his goods1 and counts not his life dear 
to himself4  ,but how opposite is the   
spirit of war to the spirit of          

martyrdom6 ,the former is bold and      
vindictive1 ready to defend property and
 honor at the hazard of life1 ready to  
shed the blood of an enemy4 ,the latter 
is meek and submissive1 ready to resign 
property and life rather than injure    
even an enemy4 ,surely patient          
submission under cruel and unjust       
treatment is not only the highest       
,christian virtue but the most extreme  
contrast to the spirit of war4  ,now if 
it is a duty required by the gospel not 
to return evil for evil1 but to overcome
 evil with good2 to suffer injustice and
 to receive injury with a mild1 patient1
 and forgiving disposition1--not only in
 words but in actions1--then all kinds  
of carnal contention and warfare are    
criminal and totally repugnant to the   
gospel1 whether engaged in by           
individuals or by communities4  ,can it 
be right for ,christians to attempt to  
defend with hostile weapons the things  
which they profess but little to regard8
 ,they profess to have their treasure   

not in this world but in heaven above1  
which is beyond the reach of earthly    
invaders1 so that it is not in the power
 of earth or hell to take away their    
dearest interests4 ,there may be a      
propriety in the men of the world       
exclaiming that their dearest rights are
 invaded when their property and        
political interests are infringed upon2 
but it is a shame for ,christians to    
make this exclamation1 while they       
profess to believe that their dearest   
interest is in the hand of ,omnipotence1
 and that the ,lord ,god of hosts is    
their defense4  ,whoever1 without divine
 command1 dares to lift his hand with a 
deathly weapon against the life of his  
fellow-man for any supposed injury      
denies the ,christian character in the  
very act1 and relies on his own arm     
instead of relying on ,god for defense4 
,v4 ,,war ,,is ,,criminal1 ,,as ,,it    
,,is ,,not ,,doing ,,to ,,others ,,as   
,,we ,,should ,,wish ,,them ,,to ,,do   
,,to ,,us  ,says our blessed ,saviour1  

,all things whatsoever ye would that men
 should do to you1 do ye even so to     
them2 for this is the law and the       
prophets4 ,now if we wish men to be kind
 and forbearing to us1 we must be kind  
and forbearing to them2 if we wish them 
to return love for hatred and good for  
evil1 then we must return love for      
hatred and good for evil2 if we wish not
 to be injured by men1 then we must not 
injure them2 if we wish not to be       
killed1 then we must not kill4  ,but    
what is the practical language of war8  
,does the man who is fighting his       
fellow-man and exerting all his strength
 to overcome him really wish to be      
overcome himself and to be treated as he
 is striving to treat his enemy8 ,can it
 be believed that ,england1 in the late 
war1 wished ,france to do to her what   
she endeavored to do to ,france2 or that
 the latter really desired in return    
what she endeavored to inflict on       
,england8 ,if not1 both violated this   
express precept of ,christ4  ,none can  

say1 consistently with the principles of
 the gospel1 that they wish to be killed
 by their enemies2 therefore none can1  
consistently with those principles1 kill
 their enemies4 ,but professing         
,christians do kill their enemies1 and1 
notwithstanding all they may say to the 
contrary1 their actions speak louder    
than their words4 ,it is folly for a man
 to say he does not wish to do a thing  
while he is voluntarily exerting all his
 powers to accomplish it4  ,but if the  
act of war does violate this express    
precept of ,christ1 then it must be     
exceedingly criminal to engage in it4   
,,vi4 ,,war ,,is ,,inconsistent ,,with  
,,mercy1 ,,and ,,is ,,therefore         
,,criminal  ,mercy is the grand         
characteristic of the gospel1 and the   
practice of mercy is the indispensable  
duty of man4 ,be ye merciful1 as your   
,father also is merciful2 ,for he maketh
 his sun to rise on the evil and on the 
good1 and sendeth rain on the just and  
on the unjust2 ,blessed are the         

merciful1 for they shall obtain mercy2  
,for he shall have judgment without     
mercy1 that hath showed no mercy4       
,mercy is that disposition which        
inclines us to relieve distress1 to     
forgive injuries1 and to promote the    
best good of those who are ill          
deserving4 ,mercy in us towards our     
enemies implies seeking and pursuing    
their best good for time and eternity4  
,it is sinful to exercise any affection 
towards enemies short of that           
benevolence or mercy which involves the 
advancement of their best good1 and     
,christians may not suspend this        
disposition1 or do evil that any        
supposed good may come2 for no law can  
be of higher authority than the express 
precept of ,christ which requires this  
disposition towards enemies1 and of     
course no other consideration can be    
paramount to this1 for nations are as   
much bound as individuals4  ,it is      
surely too grossly absurd for any to    
pretend that destroying the property and

 lives of enemies is treating them      
mercifully1 or pursuing their best good 
for time and eternity4 ,nor can any so  
impose upon their imaginations as to    
think that injuring mankind is treating 
them with benevolence or mercy4  ,but   
the direct object of war is injury to   
enemies2 and the conduct of soldiers    
generally speaks a language not easily  
to be misunderstood4 ,though soldiers   
are not always as bad as they might be1 
their tender mercies are often but      
cruelty4 ,when they storm a fortified   
place and do not put all the captives to
 the sword1 they are complimented for   
exercising mercy1 merely because they   
were not so cruel as they might have    
been4 ,but shall a highway robber be    
called an honest man because he takes   
but half the money of him whom he robs8 
,is it an act of mercy1 when a man      
encroaches on your property1 to take    
away his life8 ,do nations exercise     
mercy towards each other when they enter
 into bloody wars in consequence of a   

dispute which shall govern a small      
portion of territory8 or does a nation  
show mercy to another that has actually 
invaded its rights by falling upon the  
aggressor and doing all the injury in   
its power8 ,this surely is not forgiving
 injuries4 ,and when two contending     
armies come in contact and rush on each 
other with all the frightful engines of 
death and cut each other to pieces they 
do not appear to me as merciful1 kind1  
and tender-hearted1 forgiving one       
another in love1 even as ,god for       
,christ's sake forgives his children4   
,yet this is the rule by which they     
should act and by which they will at    
last be judged4  ,but the whole system  
of war is opposed to mercy1 and is      
therefore altogether unlike the spirit  
of the gospel1 and must be criminal4    
,,vii4 ,,war ,,is ,,criminal1 ,,as ,,the
 ,,practice ,,of ,,it ,,is              
,,inconsistent ,,with ,,forgiving       
,,trespasses ,,as ,,we ,,wish ,,to ,,be 
,,forgiven ,,by ,,the ,,final ,,judge   

,our ,saviour says3 ,if ye forgive men  
their trespasses1 your heavenly ,father 
will also forgive you2 but if ye forgive
 not men their trespasses1 neither will 
your heavenly ,father forgive your      
trespasses2 ,forgive1 and ye shall be   
forgiven4  ,here it is evident that the 
everlasting salvation of men depends on 
their exercising forgiveness towards    
their enemies2 for if they forgive not1 
they will not be forgiven of ,god1 and  
with what measure they mete to others1  
it will be measured to them again4  ,to 
forgive is to pass by an offense1       
treating the offender not according to  
his desert1 but as though he had done   
nothing amiss4  ,but do the principles  
of war lead individuals or nations to   
pass by offenses and to treat offenders 
as if they were innocent8 ,do they not1 
on the contrary1 require justice and    
exact the very last mite8 ,has it the   
aspect of forgiveness for us1 when an   
enemy trespasses on our rights1 to arm  
with weapons of slaughter and meet him  

on the field of battle8 ,who1 while     
piercing the heart of his enemy with a  
sword1 can consistently utter this      
prayer3 ,father1 forgive my trespasses1 
as ,i have forgiven the trespasses of   
this my enemy8 ,but this1 in reference  
to this subject1 is the only prayer the 
gospel warrants him to make4 ,and       
professing ,christian nations1 while at 
war and bathing their swords in each    
other's blood to redress mutual         
trespasses1 are daily in their public   
litanies offering this prayer2 but is it
 not obvious that either their prayers  
are perfect mockery1 or they desire not 
to be forgiven but to be punished to the
 extent of their deserts8  ,if          
individuals or nations desire that ,god 
would forgive their trespasses1 then    
they must not only pray for it1 but     
actually exercise forgiveness towards   
those who trespass against them2 and    
then they may beat their useless swords 
into plowshares and their spears into   
pruning hooks and learn war no more4    

,but it must be very criminal to engage 
in war1 or to tolerate it in any way1 if
 it is inconsistent with the forgiveness
 of injuries as we hope to be forgiven1 
and in this respect violates the        
precepts of the gospel4   ,,viii4       
,,engaging ,,in ,,war ,,is ,,not        
,,manifesting ,,love ,,to ,,enemies ,,or
 ,,returning ,,good ,,for ,,evil        
,returning good for evil and manifesting
 benevolence to enemies is1 perhaps1 the
 most elevated and noble part of        
,christian practice1--the inculcation of
 which in the gospel exalts             
,christianity far above any other form  
of religion and proves it to be not only
 divine but efficacious to subdue the   
turbulent and corrupt passions of men2  
and for these reasons this part of duty 
ought to be zealously advocated and     
diligently performed by every one who   
bears the ,christian name4  ,the ablest 
writers who have defended the divine    
origin of the ,scriptures against       
infidels have urged this topic as       

constituting conclusive evidence in     
their favor2 and unbelievers1 instead of
 attempting to meet the argument fairly1
 have urged the inconsistency of        
,christians in acting contrary to so    
conspicuous a rule of duty2 and such is 
and ever has been the most powerful     
weapon that infidels can wield against  
,christianity4 ,but it is the will of   
,god that by welldoing we should put to 
silence the ignorance of foolish men4   
,let ,christians act in strict          
conformity to this part of ,christian   
practice1 and they will wrest from the  
infidel's hand his strongest weapon4    
,that exercising benevolence towards    
enemies and returning good for evil is  
inculcated as one of the most important 
doctrines of the gospel is evident as   
well from the whole tenor of the ,new   
,testament as from the express commands 
of the ,son of ,god3 ,i say unto you1   
,love your enemies1 bless them that     
curse you1 do good to them that hate    
you1 and pray for them that despitefully

 use you and persecute you1 that ye may 
be the children of your ,father in      
heaven2 ,if thine enemy hunger1 feed    
him2 if he thirst1 give him drink2 for  
in so doing thou shalt heap coals of    
fire on his head2 ,be not overcome of   
evil1 but overcome evil with good4      
,such are some of the divine precepts on
 this subject4 ,so different1 however1  
are the laws of war among ,christian    
nations1 that rendering comfort or      
relief to enemies is considered high    
treason1 and they punish with death the 
performance of the very duty which ,god 
commands as a condition of eternal life6
  ,the common sense of every man revolts
 from the idea that resisting an enemy  
by war is returning good for evil4 ,who 
would receive the thrust of a sword as  
an act of kindness8 ,was it ever        
considered that killing a man was doing 
good to him8 ,has not death always been 
considered the greatest evil which could
 be returned for capital crimes8 ,but   
the principles of war not only allow    

enemies to return evil for evil by      
killing one another1 but secure the     
highest praise to him who kills the     
most4 ,it is often said of those who    
distinguish themselves in butchering    
their fellow-men1 that they cover       
themselves with glory6  ,nations1 when  
they go to war1 do not so much as       
pretend to be actuated by love to their 
enemies2 they do not hesitate to declare
 in the face of ,heaven that their      
object is to avenge their wrongs4 ,but1 
says an inspired apostle1 ,dearly       
beloved1 avenge not yourselves1 but give
 place unto wrath3 for it is written1   
,vengeance is mine2 ,i will repay1 saith
 the ,lord4 ,retributive judgment1 the  
execution of strict justice1 or         
vengeance1 ,god declares often1 belongs 
to him4 ,he has reserved it in his own  
hand as his sovereign prerogative4  ,it 
is not very surprising that savage      
pagans should glory in revenge1 but that
 those should do so who have the ,bible 
in their hands1 and profess to take it  

as the rule of their faith and practice1
 is truly astonishing4 ,still more      
astonishing is it that some ministers of
 the gospel not only connive at but     
approve of the spirit and practice of   
revenge by war4  ,but though the whole  
tenor of the gospel absolutely enjoins  
returning good for evil and blessing for
 cursing2 yet the open and avowed       
principles of war are to return evil for
 evil1 violence for violence4  ,now if  
the principles of war are so directly   
opposed to the principles of the gospel1
 if the practice of war is so perfectly 
contrary to ,christian practice1 then it
 must be very criminal for ,christians  
not to bear open testimony against war1 
and much more criminal to do anything to
 promote it4   ,,ix4 ,,war ,,is         
,,criminal1 ,,because ,,it ,,is         
,,actually ,,rendering ,,evil ,,for     
,,evil  ,it is a fact which can neither 
be disguised nor controverted that the  
whole trade of war is returning evil for
 evil4 ,this is a fundamental principle 

in the system of self-defense4          
,therefore every exertion in the power  
of contending nations is made to inflict
 mutual injury1 not merely upon persons 
in public employment and upon public    
property1 but indiscriminately upon all 
persons and property4 ,hence it is an   
established rule of what is styled      
civilized warfare that if one party     
takes a person suspected of being a spy1
 they put him to death2 which act is    
retaliated by the other the first       
opportunity4 ,if one party storms a     
fortified place and puts the garrison or
 the inhabitants to the sword1 the      
other1 in their defense1 must retaliate 
the same thing1 and1 if possible1 to a  
greater degree4 ,if one side executes a 
number of captives for some alleged     
extraordinary act1 the other1 on the    
principles of self-defense1 may execute 
double the number2 the first may then1  
on the same principles1 double this     
number2 and so they may proceed to      
return evil for evil1 till one or the   

other yields4  ,the principles of       
self-defense require not merely an eye  
for an eye and a tooth for a tooth1 but 
for one eye two eyes1 for one tooth two 
teeth4 ,they require the retaliation of 
an injury to a double                   
degree1--otherwise1 there would be no   
balance in favor of the defensive side2 
but as both parties must always be on   
the defense1 both must1 of course1      
retaliate to a double degree4 ,thus war 
is aggravated and inflamed1 and its     
criminality raised to the highest pitch4
  ,the doctrine of retaliation is not   
only openly avowed and practiced by     
professing ,christian nations1 but is   
sometimes defended before national      
councils by professing ,christians of   
high standing in churches4 ,o6 tell it  
not in ,gath6 publish it not in the     
streets of ,askelon6 lest the daughters 
of the uncircumcised triumph6  ,that the
 retaliation of injury1 of whatever kind
 it may be and to whomsoever it may be  
offered1 is most absolutely and         

unequivocally forbidden by the whole    
spirit of the gospel dispensation1 as   
well as by its positive precepts1 surely
 can never be fairly controverted4      
,says the great ,author and finisher of 
our faith1 ,ye have heard that it hath  
been said1 ,an eye for an eye1 and a    
tooth for a tooth3 but ,i say unto you  
that ye resist not evil2 but whosoever  
shall smite thee on the right cheek1    
turn to him the other also4 ,whether the
 literal import of these words be       
contended for or not1 they cannot fairly
 be construed as teaching anything short
 of a positive and unconditional        
prohibition of the retaliation of       
injury4 ,had our ,lord added to these   
words the maxim of the world1 ,if any   
man assaults you with deathly weapons1  
you may repel him with deathly weapons1 
it would have directly contradicted the 
spirit of this command and made his     
sayings like a house divided against    
itself4  ,the apostles largely insist   
upon this doctrine of their divine      

,master1 thus3 ,recompense to no man    
evil for evil2 ,be ye all of one mind1  
not rendering evil for evil1 or railing 
for railing2 ,see that none render evil 
for evil to any man4 ,these             
comprehensive passages make no          
conditions or limitations1 and are1     
therefore1 applicable to all men and    
binding upon all in all situations and  
circumstances under the light of the    
gospel2 but had they added1 ,if any man 
injures you1 you may return him an      
injury and repel violence with violence1
 it would have been most palpably       
absurd1 and the precepts of the gospel  
would have been truly what infidels have
 asserted they are1--a series of gross  
contradictions4  ,but ,i repeat that the
 open and avowed principles of war1 even
 among ,christian nations1 are those of 
returning evil for evil4 ,surely1       
nations neither aim nor pretend to aim  
at the best good of their enemies2 but1 
on the contrary1 their real and         
professed object in the sight of ,god   

and man is to do them1 while at war1 all
 the injury in their power4 ,what means 
that language which conveys instructions
 to those who command ships of war1 to  
sink1 burn1 and destroy1 if it does not 
mean evil to enemies8 ,why do nations   
encourage the cupidity of men by        
licensing and letting loose swarms of   
picaroons on their enemies1 if it is not
 to inflict evil on them8 ,but all this 
is sanctioned under the notion of       
self-defense1 and1 as though it were a  
light thing for men thus publicly to    
trample on the laws of the gospel1 they 
lift up their daring hands to heaven and
 supplicate ,god's help to assist them  
in violating his own commands6 ,no      
apology can be made for such proceedings
 until it is shown that war is not      
returning evil for evil4  ,but what is  
it to return evil for evil8  ,when one  
man is injured by another and returns   
injury1 he returns evil for evil and    
violates those precepts of the gospel   
which have been quoted4 ,when one       

association of men is injured by another
 association and the injured returns an 
injury1 evil is returned for evil and   
those precepts are violated4 ,when one  
nation infringes on the rights of       
another and they in return infringe on  
the aggressor's rights1 they return evil
 for evil and violate those precepts4   
,when one nation declares war against   
another and is repelled by war1 evil is 
returned for evil and those precepts are
 violated4 ,but these things are        
constantly practiced1 without a blush or
 a question as to their propriety2 and  
,god is supplicated to aid in the       
business4  ,to what a state has sin     
reduced our world8 ,is not the church   
covered with darkness and the people    
with gross darkness8 ,a man may now     
engage in war with his fellow-man and   
openly return evil for evil1 and still  
remain in respectable standing in most  
of the churches1 being at the same time 
highly applauded and caressed by the    
world lying in wickedness6  ,but if we  

are here to be directed and at last to  
be judged by the gospel1 no man can     
return evil for evil1 in war or         
otherwise1 without aggravated guilt4    
,x4 ,,war ,,is ,,criminal1 ,,as ,,it    
,,is ,,actually ,,doing ,,evil ,,that   
,,good ,,may ,,come2 ,,and ,,this ,,is  
,,the ,,best ,,apology ,,that ,,can ,,be
 ,,made ,,for ,,it  ,that it is an evil 
to spread distress1 desolation1 and     
misery through a land and to stain it   
with the blood of men probably none will
 deny4 ,war1 with its attending horrors1
 is considered by all1 even those who   
advocate and prosecute it1 to be the    
greatest evil that ever befalls this    
wicked1 bleeding1 suffering world4      
,though men go to war primarily to      
gratify their corrupt passions1--for    
they can never propose the attainment of
 any good by war which shall be         
commensurate with the natural and moral 
evils that will be occasioned by the    
acquisition1--yet the prospect of       
attaining some supposed good must be    

held out as a lure to the multitude and 
a means of self-justification4  ,usually
 the object of war is pompously         
represented to be to preserve liberty1  
to produce honorable and lasting peace1 
and promote the happiness of mankind2 to
 accomplish which1 liberty1 property1   
and honor--that honor which comes from  
men--must be defended1 though war is the
 very thing that generally destroys     
liberty1 property1 and happiness1 and   
prevents lasting peace4 ,such is the    
good proposed to be attained by the     
certain and overwhelming evil of war4   
,but no maxim is more corrupt1 more     
false in its nature1 or more ruinous in 
its results than that which tolerates   
doing evil that good may come4 ,nor can 
any defend this maxim without taking the
 part of infidels and atheists1 to whom 
it appropriately belongs1 and with whose
 principles and practice alone it is    
consistent4  ,the apostle ,paul         
reprobates this maxim in the severest   
terms1 and he considered it the greatest

 scandal of ,christian character to be  
accused of approving it3 ,as we be      
slanderously reported1 says he1 and as  
some affirm that we say1 ,let us do evil
 that good may come2 whose damnation is 
just4  ,now if war is in fact an evil1  
and it is prosecuted with a view to     
attain some good1 then going to war is  
doing evil that good may come4 ,it is   
therefore doing that which scandalizes  
,christian character2 that which is     
wholly irreconcilable with the          
principles of the gospel1 and which it  
is highly criminal for any man or nation
 to do4   ,,xi4 ,,war ,,is ,,opposed    
,,to ,,the ,,example ,,of ,,the ,,son   
,,of ,,god1 ,,and ,,is ,,therefore      
,,criminal  ,the example of the ,son of 
,god is the only perfect model of moral 
excellence1 and his moral conduct1 so   
far as he acted as man1 remains a       
perfect example for ,christians4  ,but  
did he appear in this world as a great  
military character1 wearing a sword of  
steel1 clothed with military finery1 and

 surrounded by glittering soldiers1     
marching in the pomp and parade of a    
warrior8 ,no2 he was the meek and lowly 
,jesus1 despised and rejected of men4   
,he was ,king of kings and ,lord of     
lords1 but his kingdom was not of this  
world4 ,had his kingdom been of this    
world1 then would he have appeared as an
 earthly conqueror1 and his servants    
would have been warriors4  ,though a    
prince1 he was the ,prince of ,peace4   
,at his advent the angels sang1 ,glory  
to ,god in the highest1 on earth peace1 
good will to men4 ,he came not to       
destroy men's lives1 but to save them4  
,he was the ,lamb of ,god1 meek and     
lowly4 ,he followed peace with all men2 
he returned good for evil and blessing  
for cursing1 and when he was reviled he 
reviled not again4 ,finally1 he was     
brought as a lamb to the slaughter1 and 
as a sheep before her shearers is dumb1 
so he opened not his mouth4 ,that he did
 this as a necessary part of his        
mediatorial work need not be denied2 but

 that he intended it also as an example 
to his followers is fully confirmed by  
an inspired apostle1 who says1 ,if1 when
 ye do well1 and suffer for it1 ye take 
it patiently1 this is acceptable with   
,god4 ,for hereunto were ye called3     
because ,christ also suffered for us1   
leaving us an example1 that ye should   
follow his steps3 who did no sin1       
neither was guile found in his mouth3   
who1 when he was reviled1 reviled not   
again2 when he suffered1 threatened not2
 but committed himself to him who       
judgeth righteously4  ,christ taught his
 disciples the doctrines of peace1 and  
commanded them to take up the cross and 
follow him2 to live in peace and to     
follow peace with all men4 ,his last    
gift to them was peace4 ,he said to     
them1 when about to send them into the  
world1 ,behold ,i send you forth as     
lambs among wolves2 thus teaching them  
what treatment they might expect and    
what character they must maintain among 
wicked men4 ,the nature of lambs and    

wolves is too well known for any one to 
mistake this figurative representation4 
,wolves are fierce1 bloody1 and ravenous
 beasts2 but lambs are mild1            
inoffensive1 and unresisting1 having no 
means of relief but by flight4 ,now if a
 host of professing ,christian warriors1
 marshaled under the ensign of a preying
 eagle or a prowling lion1 clothed in   
all the splendor of deathly armor1 and  
rushing forward to destroy their        
fellow-creatures1 are in figurative     
language but lambs1 ,i confess ,i am at 
a loss where to look for the wolves6 ,do
 these warlike ,christians appear mild  
as lambs and harmless as doves1 kind and
 tender-hearted1 doing good to all1 to  
friends and foes1 as they have          
opportunity8 ,can fighting be living    
peaceably with all men8 ,is it returning
 good for evil1 and overcoming evil with
 good8 ,if not1 it is not imitating the 
example of ,christ4  ,if ,christians    
were like ,christ1 their warfare would  
not be carnal1 but spiritual1           

corresponding with the armor which he   
has provided4 ,they would conquer by    
faith and overcome by the blood of the  
,lamb1 not counting their lives dear to 
themselves4  ,on the whole1 if to engage
 in war is not avoiding the appearance  
of evil1 but is running into temptation2
 if it inflates the pride of men2 if it 
infringes on the rights of conscience2  
if it is not forgiving trespasses as we 
wish to be forgiven2 if it is not       
patient suffering under unjust and cruel
 treatment2 if it is not doing to others
 as we would have them do to us2 if it  
is not manifesting love to enemies and  
returning good for evil2 if it is       
rendering evil for evil2 if it is doing 
evil that good may come2 and if it is   
inconsistent with the example of        
,christ1 then it is altogether contrary 
to the spirit and precepts of the gospel
 and is highly criminal4 ,then          
,christians cannot engage in war or     
approve of it without incurring the     
displeasure of ,heaven4         99      

99       99       99       99  ,in view 
of the subject1 if what has been said is
 in substance correct1 and of this ,i   
desire the reader conscientiously to    
judge1 then the criminality of war and  
its inconsistency with the gospel are   
undeniable4  ,it is admitted by all that
 war cannot exist without criminality   
somewhere1 and generally where          
quarreling and strife are1 there is     
blame on both sides4 ,and how it is that
 many ,christians who manifest a        
laudable zeal to expose and counteract  
vice and wickedness in various other    
forms are silent on the subject of war1 
silent as to those parts or practices of
 war which are manifestly and           
undisputably criminal1 is to me         
mysterious4 ,there has been a noble and 
persevering opposition against the      
inhuman and cruel practice of the slave 
trade2 and by the blessing of ,god the  
efforts against it have been successful1
 probably1 for the time1 beyond the most
 sanguine expectations4 ,when the       

lawfulness of this practice was first   
called in question1 it was violently    
defended as well by professing          
,christians as by others4 ,comparatively
 few ,christians fifty years ago doubted
 the propriety of buying and holding    
slaves2 but now a man advocating the    
slave trade could hardly hold in this   
vicinity a charitable standing in any of
 the churches4 ,but whence has arisen so
 great a revolution in the minds of the 
mass of professing ,christians on this  
subject8 ,it has happened not because   
the spirit or precepts of the gospel    
have changed1 but because they are      
better understood4  ,christians who have
 been early educated to believe that a  
doctrine is correct1 and who cherish a  
respect for the instructions of their   
parents and teachers1 seldom inquire for
 themselves1 after arriving at years of 
maturity1 unless something special calls
 up their attention2 and then they are  
too apt to defend the doctrine they have
 imbibed before they examine it1 and to 

exert themselves only to find evidence  
in its favor4 ,thus error is perpetuated
 from generation to generation until    
,god1 in his providence1 raises up some 
to bear open testimony against it2 and  
as it becomes a subject of controversy1 
one after another gains light1 and truth
 is at length disclosed and established4
 ,hence it is the solemn duty of every  
one1 however feeble his powers1 to bear 
open testimony against whatever error   
prevails1 for ,god is able from small   
means to produce great effects4  ,there 
is at present in many of our churches a 
noble standard lifted up against the    
abominable sin of intemperance1 the     
greatest evil1 perhaps1 war excepted1 in
 the land1 and this destructive vice has
 already received a check from which it 
will never recover unless ,christians   
relax their exertions4 ,but if war is a 
greater evil than drunkenness1 how can  
,christians remain silent respecting it 
and be innocent8  ,public teachers      
consider it to be their duty boldly and 

openly to oppose vice4 ,from the press  
and from the pulpit they denounce theft1
 profaneness1 ,sabbath breaking1 and    
intemperance2 but war is a greater evil 
than all these1 for these and many other
 evils follow in its train4  ,most      
,christians believe that in the         
millennial day all weapons of war will  
be converted into harmless utensils of  
use1 that wars will cease to the ends of
 the earth1 and that the benign spirit  
of peace will cover the earth as the    
waters do the seas4 ,but there will be  
then no new gospel1 no new doctrines of 
peace2 the same blessed gospel which we 
enjoy will produce peace on earth and   
good will to men4 ,and is it not the    
duty of every ,christian now to exhibit 
the same spirit and temper which will be
 then manifested8 ,if so1 let every one 
follow the things that make for peace1  
and the ,god of peace shall bless him4  
,,objections ,,answered  ,as was        
proposed1 a number of objections to the 
general sentiments that have been       

advocated shall be stated and answered4 
,objection first4 ,shall we stand still 
and suffer an assassin to enter our     
houses without resistance and let him   
murder ourselves and families8  ,answer4
 ,i begin with this because it is       
generally the first objection that is   
made to the doctrine of peace by all    
persons1 high and low1 learned and      
unlearned2 notwithstanding it is an     
objection derived from a fear of        
consequences and not from a conviction  
of duty1 and might with the same        
propriety have been made to the martyrs 
who1 for conscience' sake1 refused to   
repel their murderers with carnal       
weapons1 as to ,christians who1 for     
conscience' sake1 refuse at this day to 
resist evil4 ,no ,christian will pretend
 that defense with carnal weapons is not
 criminal1 if the gospel really forbids 
it1 let the consequences of             
nonresistance be what they may4 ,for the
 requisitions of the gospel are the rule
 of duty4 ,but ,i presume the objection 

above stated arises altogether from an  
apprehension of consequences rather than
 from regard to duty4  ,every candid    
person must admit that this objection is
 of no force1 until the question whether
 the gospel does or does not prohibit   
resistance with deathly weapons is first
 settled4 ,it might1 therefore1 justly  
be dismissed without further remark2 but
 as mankind are often more influenced by
 supposed consequences than by          
considerations of duty1 and as the      
objection is very popular1 it may       
deserve a more particular reply4  ,in   
the first place1 ,i would observe that  
the supposition of the objector relates 
to a very extreme case1 a case which has
 very rarely1 if ever1 occurred to      
,christians holding to nonresistance    
with deathly weapons1 and it bears      
little or no resemblance to the general 
principles or practices of war which are
 openly advocated and promoted by       
professing ,christians4 ,should an event
 like that supposed in the objection    

take place1 it would be a moment of     
surprise and agitation in which few     
could act collectedly from principle4   
,what was done would probably be done in
 perturbation of mind4 ,but war between 
nations is a business of calculation and
 debate1 affording so much time for     
reflection that men need not act from   
sudden and violent impulse1 but may act 
from fixed principle4 ,in this respect1 
therefore1 war is a very different thing
 from what is involved in the objection 
which does not in the least affect the  
principles or practice of systematic    
warfare4 ,it is not uncommon to hear    
persons who are hopefully pious1 when   
pressed by the example and the precepts 
of ,christ against war1 acknowledge that
 most of the wars which have existed    
since the gospel dispensation cannot be 
justified on ,christian principles2 yet 
these very persons are never heard to   
disapprove of the common principles of  
war1 or to counteract them by their     
lives and conversation before a wicked  

world2 but1 on the contrary1 they will  
often eulogize heroes1 join in the      
celebration of victories1 and take as   
deep an interest in the result of       
battles as the warriors of this world2  
and if their conduct is called in       
question1 they will attempt to justify  
it by pleading the necessity of         
self-defense1 and immediately introduce 
the above objection which is by no means
 parallel with the general principles   
and practices of all wars4  ,the truth  
is1 war is a very popular thing among   
mankind1 because it is so congenial to  
their natural dispositions2 and1 however
 gravely some men may1 at times1 profess
 to deplore its calamity and wickedness1
 it is too evident that they take a     
secret pleasure in the approbation of   
the multitude and in the fascinating    
glory of arms2 and we have reason to    
believe that this objection is often    
made merely to ward off the arrows of   
conviction which would otherwise pierce 
their consciences4  ,the objection1     

however1 wholly overlooks the providence
 and promise of ,god4 ,assassins do not 
stroll out of the circle of ,god's      
providence4 ,not only is their breath in
 his hand1 but the weapons they hold are
 under his control4 ,besides1 ,god's    
children are dear to him1 and he shields
 them by his protecting care1 not       
suffering any event to befall them      
except such as shall be for his glory   
and their good4 ,whoever touches them   
touches the apple of his eye4 ,he has   
promised to be a very present help to   
them in every time of need1 and to      
deliver them that trust in him out of   
all their trouble4 ,he will make even   
their enemies to be at peace with them4 
,for the eyes of the ,lord are over the 
righteous and his ears are open to their
 prayers1 but the face of the ,lord is  
against them that do evil2 and who is he
 that will harm you if ye be followers  
of that which is good8 ,but if ye suffer
 for righteousness' sake1 happy are ye1 
and be not afraid of their terror1      

neither be troubled4 ,if ,god be thus   
for his children1 who can be against    
them8 ,is not the arm of the ,lord      
powerful to save1 and a better defense  
to all who trust in him than swords and 
guns8 ,whoever found him unfaithful to  
his promises or feeble to save8 ,are not
 the hosts of heaven at his command8    
,are not his angels swift to do his     
will8 ,are they not all ministering     
spirits sent forth to minister for them 
who shall be heirs of salvation8 ,the   
angel of the ,lord encampeth round about
 them that fear him1 and delivereth     
them4 ,if the ,lord is on their side1   
,christians have no cause to fear what  
man can do unto them4 ,says the blessed 
,saviour1 ,whosoever will save his life 
shall lose it1 and whosoever shall lose 
his life for my sake shall find it4  ,if
 consequences are rightly examined1 they
 may prove to be of more importance than
 at first supposed4 ,if the gospel does 
forbid resistance with deathly weapons1 
then he who saves his temporal life by  

killing his enemy may lose his eternal  
life2 while he who loses his life for   
,christ's sake is sure of everlasting   
life4 ,thus the ,christian1 if he is    
killed1 goes to heaven2 but the         
assassin1 if he is killed1 goes to hell1
 and the soul of the slayer is in danger
 of following4 ,whoever kills another to
 prevent being killed himself1 does it  
on presumption2 for1 whatever may be the
 appearances1 ,god only can know whether
 one man will assassinate another1      
before the event has taken place4 ,men1 
however1 seem to think little of killing
 or being killed by fighting1 whether in
 single combat or on the field of       
general battle1 though they shudder at  
the idea of being put to death by an    
assassin1 unless they can inflict or    
attempt to inflict on him the same evil4
  ,but the objection is usually made on 
the supposition that the doctrine in    
question requires ,christians to stand  
still and rather court the dagger than  
otherwise4 ,this is an unfair statement1

 for it would be presumption to stand   
still when there was a chance of escape4
 ,besides1 the ,christian must act on   
the defensive1 not with carnal1 but with
 spiritual weapons1 which are more      
powerful when exercised in faith than   
swords or spears4  ,probably no instance
 can be found of robbers murdering such 
as conscientiously held to              
nonresistance4 ,it is resistance that   
provokes violence2 forbearance and good 
will repress it4 ,but if instances of   
this kind may be found1 it is no        
evidence against the doctrine in        
question any more than against the      
principles of the ,martyrs4 ,god may1   
for wise reasons1 call away some of his 
children by the hands of murderers2 if  
so1 instead of losing1 they save their  
lives4  ,objection second4              
,self-defense1 and1 if necessary1 with  
deathly weapons1 is the first law of    
nature4 ,all the animal creation are    
armed with means of defense1 and the    
principles of the gospel are not        

contrary to the principles of nature2   
therefore self-defense is not           
inconsistent with ,christianity4        
,answer4 ,it is admitted that the laws  
of the gospel are not contrary to the   
primitive laws of nature2 but it is by  
no means granted that they are          
consistent with the laws of corrupt     
nature4 ,in consequence of the revolt of
 man the earth was cursed for his sake4 
,it appears probable that before the    
fall of man animals were harmless and   
docile2 and it is not improbable that   
when the curse shall be removed1 when   
the earth shall be filled with          
righteousness and peace1 the lion and   
the lamb may literally lie down         
together4 ,at present1 indeed1 the dove1
 the lamb1 and some other animals have  
no means of defense1 unless flight be   
considered such4 ,and while warriors are
 figuratively represented by ferocious  
beasts1 real ,christians are represented
 by lambs and doves4 ,so far as nature  
is made to speak fairly on the subject1 

it speaks in favor of the doctrine which
 has been advocated4  ,but corrupt      
nature strongly dictates many things    
quite contrary to the precepts of the   
gospel2 and no doctrine will be given up
 more reluctantly by corrupt nature than
 that of the lawfulness of war1 because 
no doctrine is more congenial with the  
depraved feelings and propensities of   
unsanctified men1 for their feet are    
swift to shed blood2 destruction and    
misery are in their ways1 and the way of
 peace have they not known2 there is no 
fear of ,god before their eyes4         
,objection third4 ,the precepts of the  
gospel are consistent with the moral    
law1 or the eternal nature of things1   
which is forever the standard of right  
and wrong to all moral beings in the    
universe2 and war has been prosecuted   
consistently with this rule of right and
 wrong2 therefore war cannot be contrary
 to the precepts of the gospel4         
,answer4 ,this is an objection founded  
on an undefinable something aside from  

divine precept2 yet as some terms in it 
have been much used in polemic divinity 
by men of eminent talents and piety1    
whose praise is in the churches1 ,i     
think it neither proper nor modest to   
dissent from so high authority without  
offering some reasons4 ,i shall1        
therefore1 make a few general           
observations on what is called the moral
 law1 the eternal rule of right and     
wrong1 or the nature of things2 all of  
which phrases1 ,i believe1 have been    
occasionally used by eminent writers as 
conveying the same ideas4  ,i cannot    
agree with such as suppose that a moral 
law or nature of things exists          
independently of the will of ,god and is
 the common law of ,god and man4 ,it    
appears to me as inconsistent to suppose
 a law to exist without a lawgiver as to
 suppose a world to exist without a     
creator4 ,if ,god is the only eternal   
and independent ,being in the universe1 
and if all things are the work of his   
power and goodness1 then the supposition

 that an eternal law exists             
independently of him appears to me to be
 absurd1 as on this supposition there   
exists a law without a lawgiver and an  
effect without a cause4 ,if ,god is not 
the author of all things1 then there    
must be more than one eternal cause of  
things4  ,to suppose that the reason and
 fitness of things independently of the 
will of ,god1 either in his works1 his  
providence1 or word1 can be a rule of   
man's duty appears to me as inconsistent
 as to suppose that men might institute 
divine worship from such fitness of     
things independently of the existence of
 ,god2 for the will of ,god to man seems
 as necessary to lay a foundation of    
moral obligation and to direct man's    
obedience as the existence of ,god is   
necessary to lay a foundation of        
religious worship4 ,should it be asked  
whether the laws of ,god are not founded
 on the eternal nature and fitness of   
things1 ,i would answer that such a     
supposition appears to me no more       

reasonable than to suppose that his     
power is founded on the eternal capacity
 of things2 for the capacity of things  
has just as much reality and eternity in
 it to found the omnipotence of ,god    
upon1 as the reason and nature of things
 have to found his infinite wisdom or   
justice upon4  ,i therefore dissent from
 all standard of moral obligation which 
are supposed to exist aside from1 and   
independently of1 the divine will2 and  
fully agree with the ,assembly's        
,shorter ,catechism1 in the answer to   
this question3 ,what is the duty which  
,god requires of man8 ,answer3 ,the duty
 which ,god requires of man is obedience
 to his revealed will4 ,should it1      
however1 be said that things do exist   
aside from the divine will1 that it does
 not depend on the divine will1 but on  
the nature of things1 that two and two  
make four1 or that a thing cannot be in 
motion and at rest at the same time1 it 
is by no means admitted that this order 
or constitution of things exists        

independently of ,god2 but it is        
believed to be as much the effect of his
 power and goodness as anything else4   
,and if ,god is not the author of all   
the laws both in the natural and moral  
world1 it may reasonably be inquired1   
who is8  ,if ,god is the moral governor 
of the world1 then all his laws over    
men1 as moral beings1 must be moral     
laws2 and to make a distinction between 
the laws designed to regulate the moral 
conduct of men1 and to call some of them
 moral and others by different names1   
seems to me not necessary1 while ,i find
 no such distinction in the ,scriptures4
 ,because some of ,god's laws were      
intended to be temporary1 under certain 
circumstances1 they were no less of a   
moral nature on that account2 neither   
was it any less criminal to violate     
them4  ,as created things are in some   
respects constantly changing1 and as the
 relations of things are often varied1  
so a law may be relatively right at one 
time and relatively wrong at another4   

,but as man is frail and short-sighted1 
and is incapable of seeing the end from 
the beginning1 he is totally unable of  
himself to judge what is and what is not
 right1 all things considered2 hence the
 necessity of a revelation from ,god to 
direct his steps4  ,that there is a     
fitness of things and a standard of     
moral right and wrong cannot be denied2 
but1 instead of being founded in a      
supposed nature of things independent of
 ,god1 it originates in the very nature 
and perfections of ,god himself1 and can
 never be known by man any farther than 
the nature and perfections of ,god are  
known4 ,a standard of right and wrong   
independent of ,god1 whether by the name
 of moral law or nature of things1 is   
what never has been and never can be    
intelligibly defined4 ,it is like a form
 without dimensions1 like a foundation  
resting on nothing4 ,it is1 therefore1  
in my opinion1 as extravagant to talk of
 an eternal nature of things1 without   
reference to the laws of ,god1 as it    

would be to talk of an eternal wisdom or
 an eternal omnipotence1 independent of 
the existence of ,god4  ,but if the     
statement of the objector is meant only 
to imply a rule of right and wrong      
emanating from the nature and           
perfections of ,god1 and coincident with
 his laws1 then1 admitting the propriety
 of the terms moral law1 nature of      
things1 etc41 the objection1 if it      
proves anything1 may prove quite too    
much for its advocates2 for under       
certain circumstances it has been       
consistent with this rule of moral right
 and wrong utterly to exterminate       
nations1 to destroy men1 women1 and     
children1 and show them no mercy4       
,besides1 the whole force of the        
objection rests on the supposition that 
no laws which have existed1 and which   
were not contrary to the moral law1 can 
be abrogated under the ,christian       
dispensation or be inconsistent with the
 precepts of the gospel4 ,it hence      
follows that whatever has been morally  

right and lawful for men to do must     
forever remain right and lawful to be   
done4 ,this is a necessary result from  
the premises2 but no ,christian can     
consistently subscribe to this4 ,the    
premises must1 therefore1 be unsound and
 the objection of no force4  ,if literal
 sacrifices1 slavery1 and many other    
practices which are totally abolished   
under the ,christian dispensation were  
not contrary to the moral law under the 
,old ,testament economy1 why may not the
 same be true of war8 ,why may not the  
gospel forbid war as consistently as it 
can forbid slavery8  ,objection fourth4 
,the nature of religion and morality    
under the ancient dispensation was the  
same as under the new4 ,love to ,god and
 man was the substance of the law and   
the prophets2 and though truth under the
 former was inculcated more by types and
 ceremonies1 yet the essence of religion
 was the same under that as under the   
present dispensation2 and as war was not
 inconsistent with the nature and       

precepts of religion then1 it cannot be 
inconsistent with the nature and        
precepts of religion now1 under like    
circumstances4  ,answer4 ,it is readily 
admitted that the essence of religion is
 the same under the present as under the
 former dispensation1 both requiring at 
all times and in all actions holy       
exercises of heart in cordial obedience 
to divine command2 yet the laws for     
external conduct under the two          
dispensations differ widely1 and the    
practice of war involves much of the    
external conduct of men4 ,it was never  
right for men to indulge unholy feelings
 in the act of war1 but the external act
 was required as a means of executing   
the divine vengeance2 the gospel does   
not command1 but seems plainly to       
forbid1 the external act of war4  ,but  
to suppose that saints under the gospel 
can ever be placed in circumstances like
 those of the ancient church is to      
suppose that they may be put under the  
same typical economy which has vanished 

away1 given place to the substance1 and 
ceased to be binding even on the natural
 ,israelites4 ,to be in like            
circumstances they must also be made the
 executors of ,god's wrath1 to inflict  
vengeance1 by his particular command1 on
 idolatrous and rebellious nations4 ,the
 ,israelites had the same high authority
 to exterminate the ,canaanites and     
subdue the idolatrous nations about     
,palestine that the holy angels had to  
destroy ,sodom and ,gomorrah4  ,it is   
perfectly plain that if ,god should     
positively command ,christians to take  
the weapons of war and not only repel   
invasion but actually exterminate       
nations1 it would be their duty to obey1
 and a refusal would be open rebellion  
against ,god4 ,the ,old ,testament      
saints received such commands1 but      
,christians have no such authority1     
which makes a material difference in    
circumstances4  ,some general           
observations relative to the different  
dispensations of the church of ,god may 

illustrate this topic more fully4  ,the 
,old ,testament economy has sometimes1  
perhaps without reason1 been divided    
into the ,adamic1 ,patriarchal1 and     
,mosaic dispensations of the church2 but
 as the latter was more full and        
complete1 and as the distinction between
 the ,mosaic and ,christian             
dispensations is common1 ,i shall       
confine my remarks chiefly to that      
distinction1 though ,i consider the     
great distinction to be between the ,old
 and ,new ,testament economies4  ,the   
,old ,testament economy1 in general1 was
 typical of the ,new4 ,under the former 
dispensation literal and temporal things
 typified spiritual and everlasting     
things under the latter4 ,the nation of 
,israel1 chosen and separated from all  
other nations1 typified the true ,israel
 of ,god1 who are chosen out of every   
nation and sanctified and set apart as a
 holy nation and peculiar people1 to    
offer up spiritual sacrifices to ,god4  
,the land of ,canaan was a type of the  

heavenly ,canaan4 ,jerusalem was a type 
of the ,new ,jerusalem from above4      
,mount ,zion and the royal throne of    
,israel1 which were in ,jerusalem1      
typified the heavenly ,zion and the     
throne of the true ,david who now reigns
 in glory4 ,the sacrifices were types of
 spiritual offerings4 ,the ,israelites  
had enemies within and foes without1    
literal weapons of war and literal      
warfare1 typical of spiritual foes1     
spiritual armor1 and spiritual          
warfare4#a ,their kings were seated on  
the throne of the ,lord 7see #a ,chron4 
xxix4 #bc74 ,at the command of ,god they
 judged and made war and conquered their
 enemies and thus typified the ,son of  
,god who is now on the throne of his    
,father ,david1 and who in righteousness
 judges and makes war and rides forth   
conquering and to conquer4 ,the ancient 
promises and threatenings were mostly   
temporal1 but typical of spiritual and  
everlasting promises and threatenings4  
,doubtless the gospel was preached by   

types and figures under the ,old        
,testament economy1 and the saints of   
old looked upon those temporal things   
merely as shadows representing a more   
enduring substance4 ,when they looked   
upon ,canaan1 the land of promise1 they 
viewed it as a type of the heavenly     
,canaan1 and confessed that they were   
strangers and pilgrims on earth seeking 
a better country4 ,when they looked on  
the bleeding lamb they beheld1 by the   
eye of faith1 the ,lamb of ,god who     
taketh away the sins of the world4      
,thus we may see that almost the whole  
of the ,old ,testament economy was      
typical and temporary1 and not intended 
to be perfect and everlasting4 ,but     
under the gospel dispensation we have a 
new covenant and better promises which  
are intended to be perfect and          
everlasting4 ,it is therefore more      
proper for those who live under this new
 and perfect dispensation to look at the
 substance than at the shadow for a rule
 of duty4 ,errors are often and easily  

propagated by reasoning from analogy and
 introducing it as proof of sentiments  
instead of illustration4 ,this is       
frequently done in relation to the ,old 
,testament economy and common political 
government4 ,it is not uncommon to hear 
ministers1 in their political sermons1  
reason and infer just as if there were a
 perfect parallel between the ,jewish   
theocracy and political governments1    
when at the head of one was the ,lord of
 hosts and at the head of the others are
 but men2 when one was the church of the
 living ,god1 and the others are but    
human institutions4 ,they not           
unfrequently speak of ,god's driving out
 the heathen before his ,american       
,israel and planting them in a goodly   
land1 as though there were a perfect    
parallel between the ,americans driving 
the ,indians from their native soil and 
taking possession of it themselves1     
without divine commission1 and the      
,israelites going at the express command
 of ,god and taking possession of       

,canaan4 ,thus they endeavor to keep up 
a parallel between ,god's ancient church
 and civil governments4 ,the economy of 
,god's ancient covenant people was by no
 means a political institution in the   
popular sense1 but it was a dispensation
 of the church of ,god1 and in its      
rites1 ceremonies1 and government was   
typical of the kingdom of ,messiah under
 his mediatorial reign1 and differed    
widely in its nature1 origin1 and design
 from mere political governments2       
therefore all reasoning drawn from a    
supposed analogy between them is        
specious and false4 ,the ,israelites had
 no authority to enact laws or to alter 
,god's laws one iota2 their duty was    
implicitly to obey them4  ,but if       
,christians take their authority for    
going to war from the practice of the   
,old ,testament saints1 their example   
will prove too much2 it will not only   
allow war1 but offensive war in its most
 dreadful forms4  ,objection fifth4     
,abraham went to war1 not like the      

,israelites at the command of ,god1 yet 
he met with the divine approbation when 
he returned from the slaughter of the   
kings2 he1 therefore1 must have acted on
 a universal law still in force2 and as 
,christians are called the children of  
,abraham they ought1 of course1 to      
imitate his example in such things as   
,god approved4  ,answer4 ,abraham1 like 
the ,israelites1 was under a typical    
dispensation and practiced rites and    
ceremonies which were a shadow of good  
things to come4 ,that he acted without  
divine command1 in the war referred to1 
is more than we are warranted to say4   
,he was a prophet and the friend of ,god
 and probably was acquainted with the   
divine will on this subject4            
,christians are not called the children 
of ,abraham because they imitate his    
example in war1 but because they        
exercise like precious faith with him4  
,if ,christians are warranted to imitate
 the example of ,abraham in all things  
which were tolerated by ,god1 then they 

may sacrifice cattle1 practice polygamy1
 and buy and hold slaves4 ,but if they  
object to his example as a rule of duty 
in these instances1 why not object to   
his example as a rule of duty in the    
case of war8  ,but to say that he acted 
from some universal law still in force  
is taking for granted the question in   
dispute1 and cannot be admitted without 
evidence4  ,the war waged by ,abraham   
against the kings was1 ,i apprehend1    
offensive rather than defensive2 for    
,lot1 his brother's son1 whom he        
rescued1 did not then belong to his     
family or kingdom1 but was separated    
from him and was also a patriarch1 a    
father of nations1 and a prince or head 
over his own house or kingdom4  ,it     
appears very evident that offensive as  
well as defensive war was tolerated     
under the patriarchal economy1 as may be
 seen from the words of the inspired    
,jacob when blessing his sons 7,gen4    
xlviii4 #bb74 ,that1 as well as the     
,mosaic dispensation1 was typical1 and  

doubtless war was allowed under both for
 the same reasons4  ,but there can be no
 doubt that whoever attempts to justify 
war by the example of ,abraham may      
equally justify the slavery of our      
fellow-men2 and whoever depends on his  
example for authority for engaging in   
war1 to be consistent1 must advocate and
 defend the doctrine of slavery4        
,objection sixth4 ,it appears to be a   
universal law of ,god that whoso        
sheddeth man's blood1 by man shall his  
blood be shed4 ,if one man1 or one      
nation1 attacks another and sheds his   
blood1 his own must be shed in return4  
,hence this precept not only authorizes 
taking away the life of a murderer1 but 
authorizes nations to repel by war      
nations that wage war against them4     
,answer4 ,whether this was a precept    
given to man as a rule of duty or not is
 very questionable1 though it has       
generally been so construed1 at least   
since the dark ages of the church2 and  
it is still more questionable whether it

 is a universal and perpetual law4  ,if 
we attend to the phraseology of this    
decree of ,god1 we shall find it to be  
very different from that of the         
precepts1 generally1 delivered to       
,moses4 ,god did not say to ,noah1 as he
 often did to ,moses1 thou shalt do     
this1 or that1 but he said1 ,i will     
require the life of man1 etc4 ,if ,god  
had designed to delegate executive      
authority to ,noah and his descendants  
to execute retributive judgment on the  
manslayer1 the connection of the whole  
language must have been altered1 for    
,god declared what he would do himself4 
,it appears1 therefore1 to have been    
,god's decree1 and the promulgation of  
his law by which he would inflict       
righteous judgment on the guilty2 the   
penalty was intended as a warning to    
deter mankind from violence1 the sin for
 which the old world was swept away4    
,and ,i see no reason why this          
threatening should not be considered    
parallel with the decrees of            

,christ1--that all they that take the   
sword shall perish with the sword2 he   
that leadeth into captivity shall go    
into captivity2 he that killeth with the
 sword must be killed with the sword2   
here is the faith and the patience of   
the saints4 ,why the former should be   
considered as a rule of obedience for   
man1 and these latter passages not so1  
,i am unable to say4 ,he that killeth   
with the sword must be killed with the  
sword is as positive as whoso sheddeth  
man's blood1 by man shall his blood be  
shed4  ,it may be observed that the     
faith and patience of the saints is here
 spoken of in such a way as to imply    
that they exercised and manifested their
 faith and patience when they were put  
to death by violence or carried into    
captivity4 ,and1 indeed1 how could their
 faith and patience appear if they1 like
 the wicked world1 returned evil for    
evil1 carried into captivity1 and killed
 with the sword8  ,the original         
threatening has been fulfilled by the   

providence1 and sometimes by the express
 command1 of ,god4 ,as ,noah was the    
head of the new world and the father of 
nations1 it seems to have had reference 
to nations rather than to individuals2  
and all nations that have shed blood in 
war must1 in their turn1 have their own 
blood shed2 so that all they that take  
the sword may perish with the sword     
agreeably to the threatening made known 
to ,noah1 and to those announced by     
,christ4  ,but1 admitting that the law  
quoted in the objection was intended as 
a rule of duty for man1 it does not     
appear that it was designed to be       
universal and perpetual4 ,before the    
flood no authority appears in any sense 
to have been delegated to man to shed   
the blood of man4 ,so far from executing
 the penalty of death or causing it to  
be executed upon ,cain1 who was of the  
wicked one and slew his brother1        
notwithstanding his guilty forebodings1 
,god threatened a sevenfold vengeance on
 him who should presume to do it4       

,under the ,mosaic dispensation many    
crimes were punishable with death       
according to positive precept2 but ,god1
 for wise reasons1 did not always have  
the penalty executed4 ,david was guilty 
of murder and adultery1 both capital    
crimes2 yet he was permitted to live4   
,all kinds of vindictive punishment     
under the ,christian dispensation appear
 to be absolutely forbidden4 ,by        
vindictive ,i mean that which is        
intended to vindicate the law1 as       
executing strict justice1 and prevent   
offenses only1 as taking away life1 but 
which is not designed to promote the    
individual good of the person punished4 
,that punishment which is designed and  
which has a tendency to promote the good
 of the punished1 as well as to deter   
offenders1 ,i consider to be strictly   
disciplinary or corrective1 and         
consistent with the spirit and precepts 
of the gospel4 ,says an apostle1 ,dearly
 beloved1 avenge not yourselves1 but    
give place unto wrath3 for it is        

written1 ,vengeance is mine2 ,i will    
repay1 saith the ,lord4 ,for the wrath  
of man worketh not the righteousness of 
,god4 ,it has been said that this only  
forbids a revengeful temper1 but this   
evasion will not do2 for ,christians are
 here forbidden to do the very thing    
which ,god declares he will do himself1 
and he does nothing but what is holy4   
,render to no man evil for evil1 is a   
positive precept without any limitation1
 and which admits of no evasion2 and it 
must plainly rescind the law of shedding
 man's blood because he had shed the    
blood of man4  ,but the exclamation is  
often made1 ,what1 not punish a murderer
 with death6 ,little do those who make  
this exclamation think that they        
themselves also are sinners and that    
every sin deserves not only temporal    
death but ,god's wrath and curse        
forever1 and that they are in like      
condemnation unless redeemed by the     
blood of the ,lamb4 ,for such1 it might 
be well to inquire if they know what    

manner of spirit they are of4  ,the most
 prominent characteristic of ,messiah's 
reign over men in this world is mercy1  
since he has secured the rights and     
honor of the divine government by the   
sacrifice of himself so that the guilty 
may live4 ,he has given his life as a   
ransom and taken the world into his     
hands as the ruler1 judge1 and rewarder1
 and offers the chief of sinners mercy2 
and the merits of his blood are         
sufficient to cleanse from all sin as   
well against man as against ,god4 ,and  
who can help being astonished at the    
amazing difference between his laws and 
his dealings with men1 and those        
sanguinary laws of men according to     
which under the light of the gospel they
 punish with death4  ,the professed     
principle and design of these laws is   
strict justice2 but were men dealt with 
according to strict justice by him who  
rules above1 who would be able to stand8
 ,these laws of men accept no atonement 
for capital offenses2 no mercy is       

offered1 for none is provided for those 
who incur their penalty2 but the gospel 
offers mercy to the chief of sinners    
while it condemns those who reject the  
offers4 ,capital offenders will never be
 condemned by civil governments for the 
rejection of offered mercy1 for no mercy
 is provided for them4 ,how unlike the  
divine government6 ,but ,christians are 
commanded to be merciful1 as their      
,father in heaven is merciful1 who      
showers down blessings on the evil and  
unthankful4 ,our ,master has told us    
that with what judgment we judge we     
shall be judged2 and with what measure  
we mete it shall be measured to us      
again2 that if we forgive we shall be   
forgiven2 and if we forgive not we shall
 not be forgiven2 and that if we show no
 mercy we shall have judgment without   
mercy4  ,christians ought to ponder the 
subject well before they advocate the   
consistency and safety of dispensing    
justice without mercy4 ,let them learn  
what that meaneth1 ,i will have mercy   

and not sacrifice4  ,objection seventh4 
,every purpose is established by        
counsel1 and with good advice make war2 
,for by wise counsel thou shalt make    
war1 etc4 ,here war is recognized as a  
duty under certain circumstances1 and   
the manner in which it is to be         
undertaken is pointed out1 viz41 by wise
 counsel4  ,answer4 ,the inspired       
,proverbs are maxims of wisdom          
illustrated1 for the most part1 by some 
familiar subject that existed at the    
time they were delivered4 ,the object   
here is not to inculcate the lawfulness 
of war but the necessity of sound wisdom
 in relation to the actions of men2 and 
the subject of war appears to be        
introduced merely to illustrate this    
idea4 ,the counsel and wisdom of men in 
relation to their temporal and worldly  
concerns are often worthy of imitation  
in reference to spiritual things2 for   
the children of this world are1 in some 
sense1 wiser in their generation than   
the children of light1 and the conduct  

of worldly men is often very            
appropriately introduced to illustrate  
,christian duty4 ,our ,lord says1 ,what 
king1 going to war with another king1   
sitteth not down first1 and consulteth  
whether he be able with ten thousand to 
meet him that cometh against him with   
twenty thousand8 ,doubtless our ,lord's 
design was to warn people to count the  
cost before they professed to be        
followers of him1 that they might not be
 deceived and discouraged1 and that they
 might act from principle and not from  
hypocrisy4 ,but he inculcated these     
things by referring to the example of   
kings in their consultations about war4 
,and it is believed that the passages   
before cited are of similar import4     
,these references to war1 being         
introduced merely for the illustration  
of other subjects1 will no more prove   
the lawfulness of war than the reference
 of the apostle to the ,olympic games1  
for illustration1 will prove the        
lawfulness of those heathen feats4 ,but 

if this explanation should not be       
satisfactory1 it may be observed that   
the ,proverbs were written under the    
,old ,testament economy which tolerated 
offensive as well as defensive war2     
whence it does not appear that any war  
can be undertaken under the present     
dispensation1 by wise counsel1 except   
that which is spiritual2 so that if the 
ancient was typical of the new          
dispensation1 then the passages quoted  
will now apply only to spiritual        
warfare4  ,objection eighth4 ,when the  
soldiers demanded of ,john the ,baptist 
what they should do1 one of the         
directions which he gave them was to be 
content with their wages4 ,if their     
occupation had been unlawful1 then he   
would not have directed them to be      
contented with the wages of wickedness4 
,answer4 ,john the ,baptist was under   
the ,mosaic economy1 the new            
dispensation not having commenced4 ,he  
was but the forerunner of the ,lord1 a  
herald to sound his approach4 ,but he   

gave the soldiers another direction1    
viz41 to do violence to no man1         
obedience to which is totally           
incompatible with war1 as that is       
nothing else but violence4 ,only hinder 
soldiers from doing violence to any man 
and you stop at once the whole progress 
of war2 therefore1 if the directions of 
,john are insisted on as gospel         
authority1 they will prove1 probably1   
much more against the lawfulness of war 
than in favor of it4  ,objection ninth4 
,the ,centurion and ,cornelius were     
,christians and soldiers and highly     
approved of ,god for their faith and    
piety2 nor were they directed by ,christ
 or his apostles to renounce their      
profession2 therefore the profession of 
arms is not inconsistent with ,christian
 duty4  ,answer4 ,they were first       
soldiers and then ,christians2 and we   
have no evidence that they continued in 
the profession of arms2 nor are we      
warranted to say that they were not     
directed to renounce that profession1 as

 the ,scriptures are silent on the      
subject4 ,peter1 it appears1 tarried a  
number of days with ,cornelius1 and he  
doubtless explained to him the spirit   
and precepts of the gospel2 and it is   
very probable that neither ,cornelius   
nor the ,centurion continued soldiers in
 any other sense than they were soldiers
 of ,christ1 as the idolatrous rites    
enjoined on the ,roman soldiers were    
totally inconsistent with the ,christian
 character1 aside from the unlawfulness 
of war itself4 ,besides1 the ,roman     
soldiers were as often engaged in       
offensive as in defensive war2          
therefore1 if the argument has any force
 on the question1 it will tolerate not  
only defensive but offensive war1 and   
also the idolatrous rites of the ,roman 
armies4  ,objection tenth4 ,our ,lord   
paid tribute money1 which went to       
support military power1 but he would not
 contribute to the support of a wicked  
thing1 therefore war is not inconsistent
 with ,christianity4  ,answer4 ,a       

distinguished trait of the ,christian   
religion is peace4 ,the command is1     
,follow peace with all men4 ,blessed are
 the peacemakers3 for they shall be     
called the children of ,god4  ,our ,lord
 set the example of giving no just cause
 of offense to any4 ,tribute was        
demanded of him unjustly according to   
the existing laws1 but lest fault should
 be found1 he wrought a miracle and paid
 it4 ,money is a temporal thing1 and    
belongs to the governments of this      
world1 as the various coins bear the    
ensign of the nation by whom they were  
made2 but the ,christian's treasure is  
not in this world1 and when the rulers  
of this world call for that which bears 
their own image and superscription1     
,christians have no right to withhold   
from them their dues1 for they must     
render to ,caesar the things that are   
,caesar's4 ,for this cause they ought to
 pay tribute and resign up temporal     
things without a murmur to temporal     
governments1 and leave it with ,caesar  

to manage the things of ,caesar4 ,thus  
far are ,christians warranted to act1   
from the example of ,christ and the     
precepts of the gospel2 but how does the
 lawfulness of war follow from          
,christians rendering to ,caesar his    
due8 ,is it because some of the money   
goes to support war8 ,probably1 of the  
money which our ,lord paid as much went 
to the support of idolatry and the games
 of the day as to the support of war4   
,now if the argument is sound1 we may   
not only prove by it the lawfulness of  
war but the lawfulness of idolatry and  
many other abominable things practiced  
by the heathen governments4  ,objection 
eleventh4 ,our ,lord1 just before his   
crucifixion1 commanded his disciples to 
take swords1 and1 if any were destitute1
 to sell their garments and procure     
them1 as they would no longer have his  
personal presence to protect them2 and  
as they were to encounter great trials  
and difficulties1 they must1 besides    
relying on providence1 take all prudent 

means for their defense and             
preservation4  ,answer4 ,that our ,lord 
did not direct them to take swords for  
self-defense is evident because he told 
them that two were enough1 and because  
the disciples never made any use of them
 after their ,master directed ,peter to 
put up his and pronounced a penalty on  
all who should have recourse to swords  
afterwards4 ,but the design seems to    
have been to show by example in the most
 trying situation where self-defense was
 justifiable1 if in any case1 that the  
use of the sword was utterly prohibited 
under the gospel economy1 and to show   
the criminality and danger of ever using
 deathly weapons against mankind        
afterwards4 ,if ,christ's kingdom had   
been of this world1 then1 he tells us1  
his servants would have fought2 but his 
kingdom being not of this world1 the    
weapons of their warfare were not carnal
 but spiritual4 ,he therefore rebuked   
them for their mistaken zeal1 healed the
 wound they made1 and forbade the use of

 the sword4  ,objection twelfth4        
,christians are commanded to be in      
subjection to civil rulers who are      
,god's ministers to execute wrath on the
 wicked and are ministers of good to the
 church2 therefore ,christians are bound
 to take the sword at their command2 for
 civil government is ordained of ,god   
and civil rulers are not to bear the    
sword in vain1 and ,christians may      
lawfully do what ,god ordains to be     
done4  ,answer4 ,that civil government1 
so called in distinction from religious 
government1 is ordained by ,god is fully
 admitted1 and also that ,god ordains   
whatsoever comes to pass4 ,but there is 
a great difference between his decretive
 and his preceptive will4 ,the former is
 not a rule of duty for man without the 
latter2 the latter is always a rule of  
duty4 ,this fact might be proved by a   
multitude of instances from ,scripture4 
,persons therefore may be very wicked in
 doing what ,god ordains to be done1 if 
they act without his command4  ,that    

civil governments and civil rulers exist
 only by ,god's decretive will1 which is
 fulfilled by his providence and not by 
his preceptive will1 is evident because 
,god has never authorized the           
appointment of them or given any        
precepts or any commands as a code of   
laws to any denomination or class of    
people as such1 distinct from his own   
covenant people or church2 and this fact
 ,i beg leave to submit as a conclusive 
evidence that civil governments and     
civil rulers exist only by ,god's       
decretive will and not by his preceptive
 will4 ,under the ancient dispensation  
no laws or directions were given to any 
class of men1 as such1 other than ,god's
 own covenant people or church1 unless  
some special commands on singular       
occasions1 or the general command to    
repent and turn to ,god1 be excepted4   
,the king on the throne of ,israel was  
as truly an officer in the church of    
,god as the high priest who entered into
 the holy of holies4 ,both were set     

apart and anointed with the holy oil1 at
 the command of ,god1 and both were     
types of the ,son of ,god4 ,the king as 
much typified his kingly office as the  
priest did his priestly office4 ,both   
were necessary parts of that complete   
shadow of good things then to come4     
,under the gospel dispensation no       
authority from ,god is to be found for  
appointing and setting apart civil      
rulers1 nor are there any directions    
given to civil rulers1 as such1 how to  
conduct in their office1 unless those   
who rule in the church are called civil 
rulers4 ,all the precepts and directions
 in the gospel1 excepting such as were  
special 7as those which related only to 
the apostles7 or such as are universal  
7relating alike to all men71 are given  
to the disciples as members of ,christ's
 kingdom1 who are not of this world1    
even as he was not of this world4  ,the 
,son of ,god came into the world to set 
up the kingdom of heaven1 which is a    
perfect and everlasting kingdom and     

distinct from all other kingdoms which  
are to be destroyed to give place to his
 divine and heavenly reign4 ,he came in 
the likeness of men1 sin excepted1 and  
laid down his life a ransom for the     
world1 and then rose a triumphant       
conqueror1 and in the complex character 
of ,god and man1 as ,mediator1 he took  
the universe1 his purchased possession1 
into his hands as a lawgiver1 judge1 and
 rewarder4 ,he took the scepter when it 
departed from ,judah1 and is exalted far
 above all principality and power and   
might and dominion1 and has a name above
 every name1 all executive power in     
heaven and earth being given to him as  
,mediator4 ,thus1 as ,mediator1 the     
kingdom of heaven is his kingdom4 ,he   
reigns not only as ,king of kings and   
,lord of lords but seated on the throne 
of his father ,david1 he is forever     
,king in ,zion and is head over all     
things to his church4 ,his kingdom is   
not of this world1 neither are his      
subjects of this world1 though some of  

them are in it4  ,he sent out his       
disciples to appear in a distinct       
character from the world and to be a    
light to it by imitating his example and
 by exhibiting his spirit and temper4   
,they ought not to say1 as the ,jews    
did1 that they have no king but ,caesar1
 for they have an everlasting ,king and 
kingdom and laws perfect and eternal4   
,they should1 therefore1 set their      
affections on things above and not on   
things beneath4  ,while the kingdoms of 
this world exist1 ,christians must      
remain in captivity to them and must    
obey all their laws which are not       
contrary to the laws of the gospel2     
otherwise they cannot remain peaceful1  
harmless1 and blameless in the midst of 
a wicked world before whom they must    
shine as lights4  ,though the church is 
now in captivity1 yet her redemption    
draweth nigh1 for ,god will soon        
overthrow the throne of kingdoms1 and   
the thrones will be cast down and the   
princes of this world will come to      

naught4 ,the stone which was cut out of 
the mountain without hands will dash    
them to pieces1 as the potter's vessel  
is shivered1 and will become a great    
mountain and fill the whole earth2 then 
the kingdom and the dominion and the    
greatness of the kingdom under the whole
 heaven shall be given to the people of 
the saints of the most high ,god whose  
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and of
 whose dominion there shall be no end4  
,though ,god1 by his decree1 has        
ordained civil governments and          
established kingdoms1 and will by his   
providence make them subservient to the 
good of his church and people1 and      
notwithstanding it is the duty of       
,christians to be in subjection to them 
and pay tribute1 yet it does not follow 
that their genius and laws may not often
 be contrary to the genius and laws of  
the gospel1 and when they are so        
,christians must not obey them nor count
 their lives dear to themselves4 ,it    
should be distinctly remembered that    

when ,christians were exhorted and      
commanded to be obedient to civil       
rulers1 they were under heathen1        
idolatrous1 civil governments1 and those
 civil governments were by no means     
congenial with the spirit and precepts  
of the gospel2 still ,christians were   
commanded to be in subjection to them2  
not1 however1 without limitation1 for   
they utterly refused obedience in many  
instances and nobly suffered or died as 
martyrs4  ,thus civil government may be 
an ordinance of ,god1 may be subservient
 to the good of the church1 may be an   
instrument in ,god's hands of executing 
his wrath1 and ,christians may be bound 
to obey magistrates in all things not   
contrary to the gospel2 and yet it will 
not follow that ,christians may         
consistently with the gospel take up the
 sword or do anything to countenance    
war4  ,if it be the duty of ,christians 
to take the sword and enter the field of
 battle at the command of their civil   
rulers1 then there could be no          

impropriety in having armies wholly made
 up of real ,christians1 especially     
since it is the duty of every man to    
become a ,christian2 and as professing  
,christian nations are almost constantly
 fighting each other1 it would be       
perfectly proper for hosts of pious     
saints to be daily engaged in shedding  
each other's blood4 ,but how would it   
appear1 how does it appear1 for those   
who have drunk into the same peaceful   
and heavenly spirit1 who are united     
together by the tender ties of the      
,redeemer's blood1 who are all members  
of the same family1 and who hope through
 divine grace to dwell together in      
everlasting love and blessedness1 to be 
fighting one another here with          
relentless fury8  ,let us contemplate   
the subject1 in this point of view1 a   
little further4 ,suppose an ,english and
 an ,american frigate in the time of    
war1 both manned entirely with real     
,christians1 should meet in a neutral   
port4 ,ought they not then to conduct   

towards each other as brethren of one   
common ,lord8 ,as they are all members  
of the same family and have all been    
redeemed by the same blood1 and         
sanctified by the same divine spirit1   
they surely must have the most tender   
affection for each other1 and it would  
be highly proper for them to meet       
together for ,christian fellowship1     
worship1 and communion4 ,suppose1 then1 
that they occasionally go on board each 
other's ships for religious worship2    
that their chaplains lead in their      
devotions1 using such petitions as      
these--praying that they may be all of  
one heart and one mind in the knowledge 
of ,christ1 knit together in the bonds  
of ,christian love2 that they may have  
much of the wisdom from above which is  
first pure1 then peaceable1 gentle1 easy
 to be entreated2 that they may do good 
to all as they have opportunity1        
especially to the household of faith2   
that they may be meek and gentle as     
lambs and harmless as doves2 that they  

may be kind and forgiving and that1 like
 their ,divine ,master1 they may return 
good for evil and have their affections 
on things above and not on things       
beneath2 after which they unitedly      
partake of the symbols of ,christ's     
broken body and shed blood1 and then    
part with the tenderest tokens of       
,christian fellowship and love4 ,they   
leave the port and meet again at sea4   
,it now becomes their duty1 on the      
principles of war1 instead of meeting as
 ,christian brethren1 to meet as raging 
tigers and discharge the flaming engines
 of death on each other2 and in order to
 perform their duty to their ,god and   
country1 they must exert all their power
 and skill to destroy one another4 ,the 
dreadful struggle and carnage must be   
continued by both parties as long as    
both can fight4 ,when half of their     
crews are wallowing in their blood and  
expiring in agonies1 a violent effort   
must be made by one or both to board the
 other and end the contest sword in     

hand4 ,those hands which recently       
saluted each other with ,christian love 
now plunge the envenomed steel into     
their brethren's bosoms4 ,at length one 
is vanquished and yields to the other4  
,those who remain alive after the       
conflict again unite in prayer and give 
thanks to ,god that he has given them   
courage and strength to fight so nobly1 
and that he has shielded their lives in 
the hour of battle4 ,thus they again    
resume their ,christian fellowship and  
communion4 ,this mutual fellowship1     
communion1 and love are perfectly       
consistent with ,christian character and
 are required by it4 ,the conduct which 
has been supposed as enemies when       
fighting is also entirely consistent    
with the principles of war and with the 
character of warriors1 and is such as   
would be highly applauded and admired by
 the world4 ,but is it not obviously and
 perfectly absurd and perfectly         
incompatible with the principles of the 
gospel for ,christians to act in this   

twofold character8 ,if1 however1 it is  
the duty of ,christians to obey the     
command of their rulers and engage in   
war1 then it would be perfectly proper  
for what has been supposed to take      
place4 ,christians may one day surround 
the table of the ,lord together1 and the
 next kill and destroy each other4  ,the
 god of this world1 not being yet       
chained down to hell1 deceives the      
nations and gathers them together to    
battle2 but the children of peace1 the  
citizens of ,zion1 ought not to mingle  
with them or listen to the deceiver4    
,they should take to themselves not     
carnal weapons but the whole armor of   
,god1 that they may be able to stand in 
an evil day and to quench all the fiery 
darts of ,satan4  ,objection thirteenth4
 ,to deny the right of the magistrate to
 call on his subjects to take the sword 
is to deny that he is an avenger to     
execute wrath1 though the gospel        
expressly declares that he is4  ,answer4
 ,this conclusion does not follow unless

 it is a fact that ,god cannot and does 
not actually make him the instrument of 
doing it1 by his providence1 without his
 command2 for1 as we have already       
observed1 men may fulfill the decrees of
 ,god under his providence1 without his 
command1 and be very criminal in the    
deed4 ,god raised up the king of        
,assyria and made him the rod of his    
anger1 to chastise his people and to    
execute wrath upon the ungodly nations  
around4 ,howbeit he meant not so1 but it
 was in his heart to cut off nations not
 a few4 ,and ,god declared1 with        
reference to him1 that when he had      
performed his whole work he would punish
 the fruit of his stout heart and the   
glory of his high looks4 ,it will not be
 contended that warlike nations are     
commanded by ,god to destroy and trample
 down the nations of the earth as the   
dust of their feet2 yet1 when they do   
so1 they doubtless fulfill his high     
decree and are avengers to execute his  
wrath on a wicked world4  ,the beast    

represented in the ,revelation with     
seven heads and ten horns has generally 
been considered as an emblem of nations4
 ,these ten horns1 or powers1 are to    
hate the great harlot of ,babylon2 to   
eat her flesh and burn her with fire2   
and though they destroy the greatest    
enemy of the church1 and in this way are
 ministers of good to her1 yet they     
receive their power and their seat and  
their authority from the old serpent1   
the dragon4 ,and a magistrate or king   
may be a minister of good to the church 
and an avenger to execute wrath1 and    
still be very wicked in the deed and use
 very unlawful means to accomplish the  
end4 ,while he fulfills the decree of   
,heaven1 he acts not in obedience to the
 command of ,god1 but to the dictates of
 his own lusts and passions4  ,objection
 fourteenth4 ,the passages of ,scripture
 which have been quoted against         
retaliation and which inculcate love to 
enemies and the returning of good for   
evil have reference to individuals in   

their conduct towards each other1 but   
have no relation to civil government and
 are not intended as a rule of duty for 
one nation towards another2 they        
therefore have no bearing on the subject
 of war4  ,answer4 ,those precepts of   
the gospel appear to be binding         
universally without any limitation1 and 
men have no right to limit that which   
,god has not limited4 ,if the commands  
of the gospel are binding upon every one
 in his individual capacity1 then they  
must be binding upon every one in any   
collective body1 so that whatever is    
morally wrong for every individual must 
be equally wrong for a collective body2 
and a nation is only a large number of  
individuals united so as to act         
collectively as one person4 ,therefore1 
if it is criminal for an individual to  
lie1 steal1 quarrel1 and fight1 it is   
also criminal for nations to lie1 steal1
 quarrel1 and fight4 ,if it is the duty 
of an individual to be kind and         
tender-hearted and to have a forgiving  

and merciful disposition1 it is likewise
 the duty of nations to be kind1        
forgiving1 and merciful4 ,if it is the  
duty of an individual to return good for
 evil1 then it is the duty of nations to
 return good for evil4  ,it is          
self-evident that individuals cannot    
delegate power to communities which they
 do not possess themselves4 ,therefore1 
if every individual is bound to obey the
 precepts of the gospel and cannot as an
 individual be released from the        
obligation1 then individuals have no    
power to release any collective body    
from that obligation4 ,to say that ,god 
has given to nations a right to return  
evil for evil is begging the question1  
for it does not appear and cannot be    
shown that ,god has restricted the      
precepts of the gospel to individuals1  
or that he has given any precepts to    
nations as such1 or to any other        
community than his own covenant people  
or church4 ,this objection makes        
government an abstraction according with

 the common saying1 ,government is      
without a soul4  ,no practice has a more
 corrupt tendency than that of          
attempting to limit the ,scriptures so  
as to make them trim with the corrupt   
practices of mankind4 ,whoever1 for the 
sake of supporting war1 attempts to     
limit these precepts of the gospel to   
individuals and denies that they are    
binding upon nations destroys one of the
 main pillars by which the lawfulness of
 war is upheld4 ,the right of nations to
 defend themselves with the sword is    
argued on the supposed right of         
individual self-preservation2 as it is  
said to be right for individuals to     
defend themselves with deathly weapons1 
so it is lawful for nations to have     
recourse to the sword for defense of    
their rights4 ,but if these passages are
 applicable to individuals and prohibit 
them from acts of retaliation1 and if   
the rights of nations are founded on the
 rights of individuals1 then nations    
have no right to retaliate injury4      

,objection fifteenth4 ,christians1 with 
comparatively few exceptions1 have not  
doubted the lawfulness of war1 and many 
have actually fought and bled on the    
field of battle and considered          
themselves in the way of their duty4    
,and shall all our pious forefathers be 
condemned for engaging in war8  ,answer4
 ,it is admitted that many pious people 
have engaged in war1 but they might have
 been in an error on this subject as    
well as on many other subjects4 ,many of
 our pious forefathers engaged in the   
slavery of their fellow-men1 and thought
 themselves in the way of their duty2   
but does it follow that they were not in
 an error8 ,the circumstance that       
multitudes defend a sentiment is no     
certain evidence of its truth4 ,some of 
the reformers were objected to because  
the multitude were against them4        
,popularity1 however1 ever has          
influenced and ever will influence      
mankind more than plain gospel duty1    
until the earth shall be filled with the

 abundance of peace4 ,but               
notwithstanding this1 it is not right to
 follow the multitude to do evil4 ,all  
ought to remember that they have no     
right to follow the example of any one  
any further than that example coincides 
with the example of ,christ or the      
precepts of the gospel2 all other       
standards are fallible and dangerous4   
,if real ,christians have1 from mistaken
 zeal1 prayed against each other and    
fought each other and shed each other's 
blood1 this does not justify war4       
,objection sixteenth4 ,if ,christians   
generally should adopt these sentiments1
 it would be impossible for them to     
subsist in this world in its present    
state1 and if they did continue it must 
be in abject slavery4 ,they would become
 hewers of wood and drawers of water to 
the tyrannical and oppressive1 and would
 only encourage them in their deeds of  
wickedness4 ,the injustice of men must  
be restrained or the earth will again be
 filled with violence4 ,the necessity of

 the case is such that mankind would be 
warranted to take up arms to maintain   
their rights and repel oppressors1 if   
the ,scriptures were silent on the      
subject4#b  ,answer4 ,we have the       
history of the heathen world to teach us
 what mankind are without the light of  
revelation4 ,they are full of all       
unrighteousness1 covetousness1          
maliciousness2 full of enmity1 murder1  
debate1 deceit1 malignity2 they are     
proud1 boasters1 without natural        
affection1 implacable1 unmerciful4 ,now 
the very design of the gospel is to     
subdue and overcome these abominable    
passions and dispositions2 not however  
by returning violence for violence but  
by producing virtues directly contrary4 
,the great duty of ,christians is to be 
a light to this wicked world by         
exhibiting in their conduct and         
conversation the spirit and temper of   
the gospel4 ,if such were the practice  
of ,christians1 we have reason to       
believe that wicked men would be        

overawed and deterred from their        
violence in a great measure4 ,besides1  
if all real ,christians should utterly  
refuse to bear arms for the destruction 
of their fellow-men1 it would greatly   
diminish the strength and boldness of   
warlike nations1 so that it would be    
impracticable for them to prosecute war 
with the vigor and fury that they now   
do4  ,but if the gospel prohibits war1  
then to urge the necessity of the case  
against the commands of ,god is open    
rebellion against his government as well
 as total distrust of his word and      
providence4  ,if ,christians live in    
habitual obedience to ,god's commands1  
they have the promise that all things   
shall work together for their good1 and 
they have no reason to fear them that   
kill the body and after that have no    
more that they can do4  ,it is strange  
that ,christians should have so great a 
reluctance to suffer inconvenience in   
worldly things for the sake of the      
gospel4 ,the scoffs and persecutions of 

the world and the fear of the loss of   
worldly things are powerful barriers    
against ,christian warfare4 ,the gospel 
teaches us that all who live godly in   
,christ ,jesus shall suffer persecution1
 and that through much tribulation the  
saints must enter into the kingdom of   
heaven2 and is it not plainly owing     
wholly to their conformity to the world 
that they now suffer so little          
persecution and practice so little      
self-denial8 ,if there is reserved for  
them an eternal weight of glory1 what if
 they1 like their ,divine ,master1      
should not have where to lay their      
heads8 ,if they are to inherit a crown  
of immortal glory1 what if they are     
called to suffer the loss of earthly    
things8 ,if they are hereafter to reign 
as kings and priests unto ,god1 what if 
they are not ranked among the great and 
honorable of the earth8 ,if they suffer 
with ,christ1 then will they also reign 
with him2 but if they deny him1 he also 
will deny them2 and if they are ashamed 

of him1 he will also be ashamed of them 
before his ,father and the holy angels4 
,let ,christians then obey his commands 
and trust to his protection while they  
resolutely abstain from the wicked      
practices of the world4  ,objection     
seventeenth4 ,it is the duty of mankind 
to use means for the preservation of    
life and liberty2 they must till the    
ground1 if they expect a crop4 ,it would
 be presumptuous for them to pray for   
and to expect their daily bread without 
using such means as ,god has put in     
their power to obtain it2 and it would  
be equally presumptuous to expect the   
preservation of their lives and         
liberties without using such means to   
preserve and defend them as ,god has put
 into their hand2 they must act as well 
as pray4  ,answer4 ,that using means is 
the duty of ,christians1 there can be no
 doubt2 but they must be such as ,god   
has appointed1 and not such as human    
wisdom may dictate4 ,there is no dispute
 as to the propriety of using means1 but

 only as to the kind of means which     
,christians ought to use4 ,the weapons  
of their warfare are not carnal1 but    
spiritual1 and they are mighty through  
,god to the pulling down the strongholds
 of sin and ,satan4 ,it is often said1  
,if you wish to put a stop to war1      
spread the gospel through the world4 ,we
 would inquire1 ,if the gospel tolerates
 war1 how will its universal diffusion  
put a stop to war8  ,as has already been
 observed1 it would be open rebellion to
 do what ,god has forbidden1 and        
high-handed presumption to ask his aid  
in the things which he has prohibited4  
,objection eighteenth4 ,some            
ecclesiastical historians inform us that
 ,christians in the early ages of the   
church1 though they contended so firmly 
for the faith as to suffer martyrdom    
rather than submit to idolatry1 yet did 
not refuse to bear arms in defense of   
their country1 even when called upon by 
heathen magistrates1 and their example  
ought to have weight with us4  ,answer4 

,the testimony of the early ,fathers is 
entitled to regard1 but must not be     
considered as infallible authority1 for 
they were men of like passions with     
others and cannot be followed safely any
 farther than they followed ,christ4    
,but the weight of their testimony on   
the subject1 ,i apprehend1 will be found
 to stand directly against the          
lawfulness of war on ,christian         
principles4  ,erasmus1 who was an       
eminent scholar1 and who was probably as
 well acquainted with the sentiments of 
the primitive ,fathers as any modern    
writer1 in his ,antipolemus1 or ,plea   
against ,war1 replies to the advocates  
of war as follows3 ,they further object 
those opinions or decrees of the        
,fathers in which war seems to be       
approved4 ,of this sort there are some1 
but they are only late writers1 who     
appeared when the true spirit of        
,christianity began to languish1 and    
they are very few2 while1 on the other  
hand1 there are innumerable ones among  

the writers of acknowledged sanctity    
which absolutely forbid war2 and why    
should the few rather than the many     
intrude themselves into our mind8       
,barclay1 who examined the writings of  
the ,fathers on this subject1 says1 ,it 
is as easy to obscure the sun at midday 
as to deny that the primitive           
,christians renounced all revenge and   
war4  ,clarkson1 who also examined the  
,fathers1 declares that every ,christian
 writer of the second century who       
notices the subject makes it unlawful   
for ,christians to bear arms4  ,clarkson
 has made copious extracts from the     
writings of the ,fathers against war1 a 
few of which1 as quoted by him and      
others1 shall be inserted here4  ,justin
 ,martyr and ,tatian both considered the
 devil the author of war4  ,justin      
,martyr1 while speaking of the          
prophecies relating to the days of      
peace1 says1 ,that this prophecy is     
fulfilled you have good reason to       
believe1 for we who in times past killed

 one another do not now fight with our  
enemies4 ,clarkson adds1 ,it is         
observable that the word 'fight' does   
not mean to strike1 beat1 or give a     
blow1 but to fight in war2 and the word 
'enemy' does not mean a common adversary
 who has injured us1 but an enemy of    
state4  ,irenaeus says that ,christians 
in his day had changed their swords and 
their lances into instruments of peace1 
and that they knew not how to fight4    
,maximilian and a number of others in   
the second century actually suffered    
martyrdom for refusing1 on gospel       
principles1 to bear arms4  ,celsus made 
it one of his charges against the       
,christians that they refused to bear   
arms for the ,emperor4 ,origen1 in the  
following century1 admitted the fact and
 justified the ,christians on the ground
 of the unlawfulness of war itself4     
,tertullian1 in his discourse to        
,scapula1 tells us that no ,christians  
were to be found in the ,roman armies4  
,in his declaration on the worship of   

idols he says1 ,though the soldiers came
 to ,john and received a certain form to
 be observed1 and though the ,centurion 
believed1 yet ,jesus ,christ1 by        
disarming ,peter disarmed every soldier 
afterwards2 for custom can never        
sanction an illicit act4  ,again1 in his
 ,soldier's ,garland1 he says3 ,can a   
soldier's life be lawful1 when ,christ  
has pronounced that he who lives by the 
sword shall perish by the sword8 ,can   
one who professes the peaceable doctrine
 of the gospel be a soldier when it is  
his duty not so much as to go to law8   
,and shall he who is not to avenge his  
own wrongs be instrumental in bringing  
others into chains1 imprisonment1       
torment1 and death8  ,he tells us1 also1
 that the ,christians in his day were   
sufficiently numerous to have defended  
themselves if their religion had        
permitted them to have recourse to the  
sword4  ,there are some marvelous       
accounts of ,christian soldiers related 
by ,eusebius2 but ,valesius1 in his     

annotations on these accounts1 has      
abundantly proved them to be fabulous1  
though he was not opposed to war and    
could have had no other object but to   
support the truth4 ,eusebius1 in his    
orations on ,constantine1 uses such     
extravagant adulation1 which falls but  
little short of idolatry1 that his      
account of ,christian warriors ought to 
be received with great caution1         
especially when we recollect that church
 and state were1 in his day1 united4    
,on the whole1 it is very evident that  
the early ,christians did refuse to bear
 arms1 and although one of their        
objections was the idolatrous rites     
connected with military service1 yet    
they did object on account of the       
unlawfulness of war itself4  ,we have no
 good evidence of ,christians being     
found in the armies until we have       
evidence of great corruption in the     
church4 ,but admitting that we had good 
evidence that there were professing     
,christians in the army at an early     

period of the church1 ,i apprehend it   
would be of little importance1 for the  
idolatrous rites and ceremonies of the  
heathen armies were of such a nature as 
to be totally inconsistent with         
,christian character1 and the example of
 idolatrous ,christians surely ought to 
have no weight4  ,some objections of    
less importance might be stated which   
have from time to time been made against
 the sentiments here advocated2 but to  
state and reply to everything that might
 be said is not necessary4 ,specious    
objections have been and still are made 
to almost every doctrine of             
,christianity4 ,mankind can generally   
find some plausible arguments to support
 whatever they wish to believe4 ,the    
pleas in favor of war are very congenial
 with the natural feelings of the human 
heart1 and unless men will examine with 
a serious1 candid1 and prayerful        
disposition to ascertain the truth as it
 is in ,jesus1 they will be very likely 
to imbibe and defend error4#c  ,the     

writer1 though far from supposing that  
everything he has said on a subject that
 has been so little discussed is free   
from error1 is conscious of having      
endeavored to examine it with           
seriousness and candor1 and feels       
satisfied that the general sentiments he
 has advanced are according to          
godliness4 ,he sincerely hopes that     
every one who may peruse these pages    
will do it in the meek and unbiased     
spirit of the gospel1 and then judge    
whether war can be reconciled with the  
lamblike example of ,christ2 whether it 
is really forgiving the trespasses of   
enemies1 loving and doing them good1 and
 returning good for evil2 for if it is  
not1 it is unquestionably inconsistent  
with the spirit and the precepts of     
,christianity4  ,all who earnestly      
desire and look for the millennial glory
 of the church should consider that it  
can never arrive until the spirit and   
practice of war are abolished4 ,all who 
love our ,lord ,jesus ,christ in        

sincerity cannot but ardently desire    
that wars may cease to the ends of the  
earth and that mankind should embrace   
each other as brethren4 ,if so1 is it   
not their duty to do all in their power 
to promote so benevolent an object8     
,ought not every individual ,christian  
to conduct in such a manner that if     
every other person imitated his example 
it would be best for the whole8 ,if so1 
would they not immediately renounce     
everything that leads to wars and       
fightings and embrace everything which  
would promote that glorious reign of    
righteousness and peace for which they  
earnestly hope1 long1 and pray8 ,the    
work of righteousness shall be peace1   
and the effect of righteousness1        
quietness and assurance forever4        
,,footnotes3  #a ,says the ,rev4 ,dr4   
,scott1 in his ,essay1 p4 #dbb3 ,we     
ought not therefore to fear our enemies 
because he will be with us1 and if ,god 
be for us1 who can be against us8 ,or   
who can doubt but he that is in us is   

greater than he that is in the world8   
,this was typically intimated in the    
promises made to ,israel respecting     
their wars with the ,canaanites and     
other nations1 which were shadows and   
figures of the good fight of faith4     
,bishop ,horne1 in his preface to the   
,psalms1 views the subject in the same  
light4  #b ,all these objections        
introduced are carefully selected from  
some of the ablest advocates for the    
lawfulness of war4  #c ,the last point  
,american ,christians will give up is   
the justification of their fathers in   
the ,war of the ,revolution4     ,,hymn 
,,suggested ,,by ,,the ,,preceding      
,,train ,,of ,,thought1 ,,and ,,appended
 ,,to ,,the ,,original ,,edition ,,of   
,,the ,,essay ,,on ,,war      ,great    
,sun of glory1 rise and shine1          
,dispel the gloom of night2     ,let the
 foul spirits stretch their wings1      
,and fly before thy light4      ,rebuke 
the nations1 stop their rage1           
,destroy the warrior's skill1     ,hush 

all the tumults of the earth2       ,o  
speak6 say1 ,peace1 be still4           
,break1 break the cruel warrior's sword1
       ,asunder cut his bow1            
,command him by thy sovereign word      
,to let the captives go4      ,no more  
let heroes' glory sound1       ,no more 
their triumphs tell1     ,bring all the 
pride of nations down--       ,let war  
return to hell4      ,then let thy      
blessed kingdom come1       ,with all   
its heavenly train1     ,and pour thy   
peaceful spirit down1       ,like gentle
 showers of rain4      ,then shall the  
prowling beasts of prey1       ,like    
lambs be meek and mild2     ,vipers and 
asps shall harmless twine       ,around 
the weaned child4      ,the happy sons  
of ,zion sit       ,secure beneath their
 vines2     ,or1 shadowed by their      
fig-tree's tops1       ,shall drink     
their cheering wines4      ,the nations 
to thy scepter bow1       ,and own thy  
gentle sway2     ,then all the wandering
 tribes of men       ,to thee their     

tribute pay4      ,angelic hosts shall  
view the scene1       ,delighted1 spread
 their wings2     ,down to the earth    
again they fly1       ,and strike their 
lofty strings4      ,the listening      
nations catch the sound1       ,and join
 the heavenly choir1     ,to swell aloud
 the song of praise1       ,and vie with
 sacred fire4      ,glory to ,god on    
high6 they sound1       ,in strains of  
angels' mirth2     ,good will and peace 
to men1 they sing1       ,since heaven  
is brought to earth4     ,,the          
,,mediator',s ,,kingdom ,,not ,,of      
,,this ,,world3 ,,but ,,spiritual  ,,by 
,,an ,,inquirer      ,the writer of the 
following pages has1 for a considerable 
time1     doubted the propriety of some 
of the common practices of              
,christians4 ,to satisfy himself he has1
 if he is not deceived1     candidly and
 diligently examined the ,scriptures    
with a view to     ascertain and        
practice the truth4 ,after considerable 
inquiry his     doubts increased4 ,he   

then applied to some highly respectable 
and     pious friends1 who frankly      
acknowledged that they had never        
fully examined the subject1 as they had 
never had any doubt     concerning it4  
,they judged the matter weighty and     
advised him to     arrange his thoughts 
and commit them to paper4 ,this he has  
endeavored to do as well as a very      
infirm state of body and a     press of 
commercial business would admit4 ,after 
submitting what     he had written to   
some of his friends1 they unanimously   
advised     him to lay it before the    
public1 hoping that it might have a     
tendency to call the subject into notice
 and lead to a more     complete and    
full examination4 ,with this view he has
 ventured to     commit the following   
sheets to the press4 ,he has only to beg
     that the ,christian who may take   
the trouble to read them will     not be
 so solicitous to reply to the arguments
 as to examine and     illustrate the   
truth4  ,the kingdom of our glorious    

,mediator is but little noticed in the  
world1 yet it is precious in the eyes of
 the ,lord4 ,the ,lord hath chosen      
,zion4 ,she is the redeemed of the      
,lord4 ,he hath said1 he who touches her
 touches the apple of his eye4 ,she is  
purchased by the blood of the ,lamb1    
sanctified by the ,spirit of grace1 and 
defended by the arm of ,omnipotence4    
,notwithstanding she may still be       
covered with sackcloth1 the days of her 
mourning have an end4 ,the ,lord will   
raise her from the dust and make her an 
eternal excellency and the joy of many  
generations4 ,the mystical body of      
,christ is composed of that innumerable 
company which no man can number1--out of
 every nation and kindred and people and
 tongue1--which will finally stand      
before the throne of ,god and the ,lamb1
 clothed with white robes and palms in  
their hands4 ,it is but one body1       
although composed of many members4 ,the 
temple1 which was a symbol of the       
church1 was composed of many stones1    

although but one building4 ,the         
spiritual temple is built of lively     
stones upon the foundation of the       
apostles and prophets1 ,jesus ,christ   
himself being the chief corner stone4   
,this spiritual temple will continue to 
rise under different dispensations until
 the elect are gathered together from   
the four winds of heaven and the top    
stone is carried up with shouts of      
,grace1 ,grace1 unto it6  ,the          
,mediator's kingdom is not of this      
world4 ,jesus answered1 ,my kingdom is  
not of this world3 if my kingdom were of
 this world1 then would my servants     
fight1 that ,i should not be delivered  
to the ,jews 7,john xviii4 #cf74 ,in    
remarking upon these words we are       
naturally led to consider1      ,i4     
,what the ,mediator's kingdom is4       
,,ii4 ,its nature4   ,,iii4 ,its laws4  
,from which we propose to make several  
inferences and illustrations for        
improvement4  ,agreeably to the         
arrangement of our subject1 we shall    

first endeavor to ascertain what the    
kingdom of the ,mediator is2 or that    
kingdom which he so emphatically calls  
,my ,kingdom1 in distinction from all   
other kingdoms4 ,jesus answered1 ,my    
kingdom---- ,our glorious ,mediator     
takes to himself the majesty of a       
sovereign and claims a kingdom4 ,in his 
mediatorial character he possesses1 in  
an extensive sense1 universal empire4   
,he is exalted far above all            
principality and power and might and    
dominion1 and has a name which is above 
every name4 ,he is ,king of kings and   
,lord of lords4 ,he is not only king on 
his holy hill of ,zion but rules amongst
 the nations4 ,he is1 however1 in an    
appropriate sense1 king of saints under 
the gospel dispensation1 as he governs  
the worlds with a view to his own glory 
and their exaltation4  ,that the church1
 under the gospel dispensation1 is in a 
special manner the kingdom of heaven or 
the kingdom which ,christ so often      
called his kingdom appears evident 7it  

is thought7 from many passages of       
,scripture4 ,the prophet ,daniel1 while 
interpreting the symbols of the four    
great empires which were to arise in the
 earth1 adds that in the days of these  
kings shall the ,god of heaven set up a 
kingdom which shall never be destroyed4 
,this kingdom could not be the ,church  
,universal1 for that was established in 
the family of ,adam and had continued   
without being broken in a line of holy  
men down to the prophet's day4 ,it must 
therefore have a special reference to   
something future4 ,when ,john the       
,baptist came preaching1 he said1       
,repent ye1 for the kingdom of heaven is
 at hand1 fully implying that it had not
 then commenced4 ,he preached repentance
 preparatory to ushering in that kingdom
 which the ,god of heaven was about to  
set up4 ,in the days of the fourth great
 kingdom mentioned in the prophecy of   
,daniel the ,lord ,jesus ,christ came   
into our world to establish his kingdom4
 ,as he entered upon his ministry he    

declared that the time was fulfilled and
 that the kingdom of ,god was at hand4  
,when he first commissioned his         
disciples and sent them forth to preach1
 he directed them to say to their       
hearers1 ,the kingdom of ,god is come   
nigh unto you4 ,in speaking of ,john the
 ,baptist1 he says1 ,he was the greatest
 of prophets2 but adds1 ,he that is     
least in the kingdom of ,god is greater 
than he2 which must be conclusive       
evidence that ,john the ,baptist was not
 in the kingdom of ,god4 ,at the ,last  
,supper1 after our ,lord had blessed and
 partaken of the bread1 he said to his  
disciples1 ,i will not any more eat     
thereof until it be fulfilled in the    
kingdom of ,god4 ,in like manner1 after 
taking the cup1 he said1 ,i will not    
drink of the fruit of the vine until the
 kingdom of ,god shall come4 ,all of    
which seems fully to imply that the     
kingdom which the ,god of heaven was    
about to set up did not commence before 
the gospel dispensation4 ,christ came   

under the ,mosaic dispensation1 that is1
 under the law1 to redeem those who were
 under the law1 by the sacrifice of     
himself2 and being found in the fashion 
of a man1 he humbled himself1 and became
 obedient unto death1 even the death of 
the cross4 ,wherefore ,god hath highly  
exalted him1 and hath given him a name  
which is above every name4 ,after he    
arose from the dead he appeared to his  
disciples by many infallible proofs1    
being seen of them forty days1 and      
speaking of the things pertaining to the
 kingdom of ,god4 ,and ,jesus came and  
spake unto them1 saying1 ,all power is  
given unto me in heaven and in earth4   
,go ye therefore1 and teach all nations1
 baptizing them in the name of the      
,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the    
,holy ,ghost3 teaching them to observe  
all things whatsoever ,i have commanded 
you3 and1 lo1 ,i am with you always1    
even unto the end of the world4 ,amen4  
,here we see the ,mediator possessing a 
kingdom and giving laws to his subjects 

and commanding obedience4 ,although his 
kingdom was then small1 like a little   
leaven1 yet it had the power to leaven  
the whole lump4 ,the stone which was cut
 out of the mountain without hands will 
become a great mountain and fill the    
whole earth4 ,every knee must finally   
bow to his scepter and every tongue     
confess that he is ,lord to the glory of
 ,god the ,father4  ,from this concise  
view of the subject we conclude that the
 kingdom of ,god1 or ,christ's kingdom1 
is in a special manner the gospel       
dispensation which was not completely   
established until after the resurrection
 of our ,lord4  ,,ii4 ,the next point of
 inquiry is its nature4 ,jesus answered1
 ,my kingdom is not of this world4 ,by  
this we understand the ,mediator's      
kingdom1 not being of this world1       
supposes that its nature1 its laws1 and 
its government are all distinct from the
 nature1 laws1 and governments of this  
world4 ,that the ,mediator's kingdom is 
not of this world1 but spiritual1       

heavenly1 and divine1 will fully appear1
 it is apprehended1 from the following  
reasons4  #ast4 ,from the character of  
the ,king4 ,he was not born like the    
kings of the earth4 ,he was the ,son of 
the living ,god and ,heir of all things4
 ,he was conceived by the power of the  
,holy ,ghost and born of a virgin4 ,his 
birth was not celebrated with the       
earthly pomp of princes1 but by a few   
humble shepherds and a choir of angels4 
,his palace was a stable and his cradle 
a manger4 ,when a child he was not      
amused with toys1 but was about his     
,father's business4 ,when he was        
dedicated to his ministry1 it was not by
 the appointment of kings1 or the       
consecration of bishops1 but by the     
baptism of his humble forerunner1 and   
the descent of the ,holy ,ghost in a    
bodily shape like a dove1 and a voice   
from the excellent glory1 saying1 ,this 
is my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well  
pleased4 ,his companions were the       
despised fishermen of ,galilee and the  

angels of heaven4 ,he was a man of      
sorrow and acquainted with grief2 yet he
 was the eternal ,son of the eternal    
,father4 ,nature owned his voice and    
devils trembled at his power2 but he was
 despised and rejected of men4 ,when he 
fed the hungry multitude1 they were     
gratified with the loaves and fishes and
 sought to make him a king2 but he      
departed out of the place2 for his      
kingdom was not of this world4 ,when    
,satan1 the god of this world1 offered  
him all the kingdoms of this world and  
the glory of them if he would only fall 
down and worship him1 he rebuked him    
with holy contempt and said1 ,get thee  
hence1 ,satan2 for his kingdom was not  
of this world4 ,the ,mediator did not   
intermeddle with the affairs of the     
governments of this world2 for his      
kingdom was not of this world4 ,when he 
was solicited to command a brother to   
divide his earthly substance1 instead of
 complying with the request he only gave
 a pointed admonition and said1 ,man1   

who made me a judge1 or a divider1 over 
you8 ,when his enemies endeavored to    
catch him in his words by extorting from
 him something unfavorable to the laws  
of ,caesar1 ,jesus answered them and    
said1 ,render to ,caesar the things     
which are ,caesar's1 and to ,god the    
things which are ,god's4 ,when they     
demanded of him tribute1 and that       
unjustly1 according to their own laws1  
he paid it without a murmur1 to set an  
example of peace and quietness for his  
disciples4 ,in all things he avoided    
interfering or meddling with the        
governments of this world4  #b;dly4     
,from the representations of the ,bible1
 ,the kingdom of ,god is righteousness1 
peace1 and joy in the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the
 ,mediator's kingdom is founded in      
right4 ,his scepter is a right scepter4 
,he rules in righteousness4 ,the        
unrighteous shall not inherit the       
kingdom of ,god4 ,righteousness is      
opposed to all injustice1 oppression1   
and cruelty2 it regards the rights of   

,god and man2 it requires love to the   
,lord our ,god with all our heart1 with 
all our mind1 and with all our strength1
 and to our neighbors as ourselves4 ,his
 kingdom is a kingdom of peace2 he is   
the ,prince of ,peace4 ,at his birth the
 angels sang1 ,peace on earth1 and good 
will to men4 ,peace is opposed directly 
to all contention1 war1 and tumult1     
whether it regards individuals1         
societies1 or nations4 ,it forbids all  
wrath1 clamor1 and evil speaking4 ,it   
forbids the resistance of evil or       
retaliation1 and requires good for evil1
 blessing for cursing1 and prayer for   
persecution4 ,our glorious ,mediator not
 only exhibited a pattern of peace in   
his life but preached peace in the great
 congregation4 ,his last and richest    
legacy to his disciples was the gift of 
peace3 ,my peace ,i leave with you1 my  
peace ,i give unto you3 not as the world
 giveth1 give ,i unto you4 ,christ came 
in the power of the ,spirit1 and was    
full of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,it is the    

communion of the ,holy ,ghost which     
fills the kingdom of heaven with that   
joy which is unspeakable and full of    
glory4 ,except a man be born of the     
,spirit1 he cannot enter into the       
kingdom of heaven4 ,finally1 we have his
 own express declaration1 ,my kingdom is
 not of this world4  ,from what has been
 said it may be concluded that the      
,mediator's kingdom is1 in a special    
sense1 the gospel dispensation1 or the  
kingdom of heaven1 and that it is not of
 this world1 but spiritual1 heavenly1   
and divine4 ,and this brings us to      
notice1  ,,iii4 ,the laws by which it is
 governed4 ,it is governed by the same  
laws which regulate the heavenly hosts4 
,be ye therefore perfect1 even as your  
,father in heaven is perfect1 is the    
command of our ,divine ,master4 ,it is  
the kingdom of heaven4 ,jesus said1 ,my 
kingdom is not of this world3 if my     
kingdom were of this world1 then would  
my servants fight1 that ,i should not be
 delivered to the ,jews4 ,the laws of   

the ,mediator's kingdom require supreme 
love to ,god4 ,jesus said1 ,thou shalt  
love the ,lord thy ,god with all thy    
heart1 and with all thy soul1 and with  
all thy mind2 this is the first and     
great commandment4 ,this implies right  
apprehension of his being and           
perfections1 and supreme love to his    
word and delight in his law1 such as the
 sweet singer of ,israel expressed3 ,o  
how ,i love thy law6 it is my meditation
 day and night4 ,it implies unlimited   
confidence in ,god and unshaken belief  
in the testimony he has given of his    
,son and a spirit of filial obedience to
 all his precepts4  ,the laws of the    
,mediator's kingdom require love to man3
 ,thou shall love thy neighbour as      
thyself4 ,this prohibits rendering to   
any man evil for evil2 but1             
contrariwise1 it demands blessing4 ,it  
utterly forbids wrath1 hatred1 malice1  
envy1 pride1 revenge1 and fighting2 but 
requires1 on the contrary1 meekness1    
forgiveness1 long-suffering1 tenderness1

 compassion1 and mercy4 ,the subjects of
 the ,mediator's kingdom are commanded  
to do good to all as they have          
opportunity2 but especially to those of 
the household of faith4 ,this command   
extends not only to the gentle and kind 
but to the disobedient and froward2 to  
friends and to enemies4 ,if thine enemy 
hunger1 feed him2 if he thirst1 give him
 drink1 is the command of our ,lord4    
,this injunction1 it is apprehended1 is 
directly opposed to resisting the       
oppression of enemies by force4 ,jesus  
said1 ,if my kingdom were of this world1
 then would my servants fight2 but1     
instead of avenging wrongs1 the explicit
 direction is to overcome evil with     
good4 ,the ,mediator is the only avenger
 of the wrongs done to his subjects3    
,for it is written1 ,vengeance is mine1 
and ,i will repay1 saith the ,lord4 ,in 
a special manner the subjects of the    
,mediator must love the brethren4 ,they 
must visit the widow1 the fatherless1   
and the afflicted1 and live unspotted   

from the world4 ,the ,lord accepts every
 act of kindness done to the brethren as
 done to himself1 and regards every act 
of injustice1 cruelty1 and revenge      
towards them as expressed towards       
himself4 ,he considers them his own     
property1 the purchase of his blood4 ,he
 will1 therefore1 not only be their     
portion but their defense2 a wall of    
fire round about them and a glory in the
 midst4 ,the ,mediator sits as ,king    
upon his holy hill of ,zion1 and is     
swaying his scepter in righteousness    
throughout his vast dominions4          
99       99       99       99       99  
,having very briefly considered what the
 ,mediator's kingdom in a special manner
 is1 its nature and its laws1 we now    
pass1 as was proposed1 to make several  
inferences and illustrations4  #ast4 ,if
 the ,mediator's kingdom is in a special
 manner the gospel dispensation1 and its
 nature and laws are not of this world1 
but spiritual1 heavenly1 and divine1    
then we may infer that the kingdoms of  

this world are not united to the kingdom
 of our ,lord1 but are opposed to it4   
,if they are not for him1 they are      
against him2 and if they gather not with
 him1 they scatter abroad4 ,they must1  
therefore1 be at war with the ,lamb2 but
 the ,lamb shall overcome them1 for he  
hath on his vesture and on his thigh a  
name written1 ,king of kings and ,lord  
of lords4 ,the great conflict in our    
world is between the kingdom of the     
,mediator and the kingdom of ,satan2 but
 the victory is not uncertain4 ,although
 the heathen rage1 and the people       
imagine a vain thing1 the kings of the  
earth set themselves1 and the rulers    
take counsel together1 against the      
,lord1 and against his ,anointed1       
saying1 ,let us break their bands       
asunder1 and cast away their cords from 
us4 ,he that sitteth in the heavens     
shall laugh3 the ,lord shall have them  
in derision4 ,then shall he speak to    
them in his wrath1 and vex them in his  
sore displeasure4 ,out of his mouth     

goeth a sharp sword1 that with it he    
should smite the nations2 and he shall  
rule them with a rod of iron3 and he    
treadeth the winepress of the fierceness
 and wrath of ,almighty ,god4  ,the     
,psalmist1 by the ,holy ,ghost1 says of 
,christ1 ,thou shalt break them with a  
rod of iron2 thou shalt dash them to    
pieces like a potter's vessel4 ,again1  
,he shall cut off the spirit of princes2
 he is terrible to the kings of the     
earth4 ,isaiah1 by the revealing spirit1
 had the scenes of futurity opened to   
his view4 ,he saw the glorious ,redeemer
 marching through the earth in the      
greatness of his power2 for he saw1 by  
prophetic vision1 the great day of his  
wrath appear1 and none but his redeemed 
were able to stand4 ,in view of the     
dreadful scene his soul was filled with 
astonishment1 and he exclaims3 ,who is  
this that cometh from ,edom1 with dyed  
garments from ,bozrah8 this that is     
glorious in his apparel1 travelling in  
the greatness of his strength8 ,i that  

speak in righteousness1 mighty to save4 
,wherefore art thou red in thine        
apparel1 and thy garments like him that 
treadeth in the winefat8 ,i have trodden
 the winepress alone2 and of the people 
there was none with me3 for ,i will     
tread them in my anger1 and trample them
 in my fury2 and their blood shall be   
sprinkled upon my garments4 ,for the day
 of vengeance is in my heart1 and the   
year of my redeemed is come4 ,i looked1 
and there was none to help2 and ,i      
wondered there was none to uphold3      
therefore mine arm brought salvation    
unto me2 and my fury1 it upheld me4 ,and
 ,i will tread down the people in my    
anger1 and make them drunk in my fury1  
and ,i will bring down their strength to
 the earth4 ,from this it appears that  
the nations of the earth will be        
gathered like the grapes of a vineyard1 
and cast into the great wine press of   
the wrath of ,god ,almighty2 and the    
great ,redeemer will thresh them in his 
anger and trample them in his fury4     

,their destruction must be inevitable if
 their laws and governments are directly
 opposed to the ,mediator's kingdom4    
,when he shall come out of his place to 
shake terribly the nations of the earth1
 then the earth#d will no longer cover  
the blood of the slain2 for he will make
 inquisition for blood1 and write up the
 nations4 ,then he will stain the pride 
of all glory and bring into contempt all
 the honorable of the earth4 ,the       
nations will be like stubble before the 
devouring fire1 and will be chased away 
like chaff before the whirlwind1 and no 
place will be found for them4  ,the     
interpretation of the symbols of the    
four great empires by the prophet       
,daniel fully confirms this idea4 ,in   
first describing the vision to          
,nebuchadnezzar he says3 ,thou sawest   
till that a stone was cut out without   
hands1 which smote the image upon his   
feet that were of iron and clay1 and    
brake them to pieces4 ,then was the     
iron1 the clay1 the brass1 the silver1  

and the gold1 broken to pieces together1
 and became like the chaff of the summer
 threshingfloors2 and the wind carried  
them away1 that no place was found for  
them3 and the stone that smote the image
 became a great mountain1 and filled the
 whole earth4 ,the prophet thus         
interprets the vision3 ,and in the days 
of these kings shall the ,god of heaven 
set up a kingdom1 which shall never be  
destroyed3 and the kingdom shall not be 
left to other people1 but it shall break
 in pieces and consume all these        
kingdoms1 and it shall stand for ever4  
,forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone
 was cut out of the mountain without    
hands1 and that it brake in pieces the  
iron1 the brass1 the clay1 the silver1  
and the gold2 the great ,god hath made  
known to the king what shall come to    
pass hereafter4  ,thus we see that the  
kingdoms of the world by not submitting 
to the kingdom of our ,lord1 but by     
making war with the ,lamb1 are devoted  
to awful destruction1 for the ,lamb will

 overcome them4 ,his kingdom will stand1
 for it is an everlasting kingdom2 and  
of his dominion there shall be no end4  
,the gospel dispensation 7or the kingdom
 of heaven7 must remain forever1 as it  
is governed by the same spirit which    
prevails in the eternal fountain of     
blessedness himself4 ,it is therefore   
emphatically called the kingdom of ,god 
not only in distinction from the        
kingdoms of this world but in           
distinction from all the other          
dispensations of the church4 ,it is not 
of this world2 it is the kingdom of     
heaven1--the reign of righteousness1    
peace1 and joy in the ,holy ,ghost4  #b4
 ,if the ,mediator's kingdom is not of  
this world1 but spiritual1 heavenly1 and
 divine1 and the kingdoms of this world 
are opposed to it1 then we may infer    
that the kingdoms of this world must    
belong to the kingdom of ,satan4 ,there 
are but two kingdoms in our world4 ,at  
the head of one is the ,mediator1 and at
 the head of the other is ,satan4 ,satan

 is the god of this world and reigns    
without a rival in the hearts of the    
children of disobedience4 ,he is the    
prince of the power of the air4 ,all the
 kingdoms of this world and the glory of
 them are given to him#e until the time 
that ,god shall write up the nations and
 make inquisition for blood4 ,then the  
great battle of ,god ,almighty will be  
fought1 and the beast and the false     
prophet will be cast into a lake of     
fire2 and ,satan will be bound a        
thousand years2 and the saints will take
 the kingdom and possess it2 and wars   
shall cease from under heaven4 ,after   
the thousand years ,satan will again be 
let loose1 and shall go out to deceive  
the nations which are in the four       
quarters of the earth1 ,gog and ,magog1 
to gather them together to battle3 the  
number of whom is as the sand of the    
sea4 ,and the devil who deceived them   
was cast into the lake of fire and      
brimstone1 where the beast and the false
 prophet are1 and shall be tormented day

 and night for ever and ever4 ,thus it  
appears that ,satan is the mainspring of
 all warlike powers1 and when he is     
bound wars will cease2 but as soon as he
 is again let loose they will rage4 ,the
 writer is sensible that this will be a 
very unpopular doctrine with the men of 
this world1 and with those worldly      
,christians who are struggling and      
teasing and panting for the profits and 
the honors of this world4 ,if it is a   
fact that the nature and laws of the    
,mediator's kingdom are diametrically   
opposite to the kingdoms of this world1 
then the inference is irresistible that 
the kingdoms of this world belong not to
 the kingdom of our ,lord but to the    
kingdom of ,satan2 and however unsavory 
the truth may be1 it ought not to be    
disguised4 ,satan is the strong man1 but
 the ,mediator is the stronger1 and he  
will bind him and spoil his goods4 ,the 
,son of ,god was manifested that he     
might destroy the works of the devil4   
,when he shall destroy the rage of the  

nations and the tumult of the people1   
then ,satan's goods will be spoiled4    
,when ,satan is cast into the bottomless
 pit1 tumult and war will retire with   
him back to hell2 and instead of the    
blast of the trumpet and the groans of  
the dying will be heard the shouts of   
the saints and the songs of the         
redeemed4 ,then will be heard as it were
 the voice of a great multitude1 and as 
the voice of many waters1 and as the    
voice of mighty thunderings1 saying1    
,alleluia1 for the ,lord ,god           
,omnipotent reigneth4  #c4 ,if the      
,mediator's kingdom is not of this      
world1 and the kingdoms of this world   
are under ,satan's dominion1 then we may
 infer the great impropriety of the     
subjects of the ,mediator's kingdom     
using the weapons of this world and     
engaging in tumults1 wars1 and          
fightings4 ,jesus answered1 ,my kingdom 
is not of this world3 if my kingdom were
 of this world1 then would my servants  
fight1 that ,i should not be delivered  

to the ,jews4 ,the ,jews expected in    
their ,messiah a temporal prince2 but   
because his kingdom was not of this     
world they crucified the ,lord of life  
and glory4 ,had he only appeared in the 
pomp of this world and in the splendor  
of a temporal conqueror to vanquish the 
,romans who were in possession of their 
earthly ,canaan and oppressing their    
nation1 they would immediately have     
rallied round his standard and followed 
him to earthly conquest and glory4 ,he  
was apparently too inattentive to their 
rights and liberties 7which the patriots
 of this world now emphatically call    
their dearest interests74 ,they said1   
,if we let him alone1 all men will      
believe on him2 and the ,romans shall   
take away both our place and our nation4
 ,it may be asked1 ,why were the ,jews  
apprehensive1 if all men should believe 
on him1 the ,romans would take away both
 their place and their nation8 ,the     
answer does not appear difficult4 ,they 
doubtless perceived that both his life  

and precepts directly opposed rendering 
vengeance to their enemies2 and1 on the 
contrary1 demanded nothing less than    
love to their enemies1 good for evil1   
and blessing for cursing4 ,this they    
could not endure1 as it directly opposed
 their carnal desires and filled them   
with malice against the ,prince of      
,peace4 ,they might1 with much greater  
propriety than any nation under the     
gospel light1 have said1 ,shall we      
imbibe this pusillanimous spirit of     
doing good to those who oppress us and  
tamely bend our necks to the yoke of    
tyranny and suffer our dearest interests
 to be wrested from us without once     
making a struggle to defend them8       
,rather1 let us arise and fight         
manfully1 and defend our liberties or   
die gloriously in their vindication4 ,we
 say they might1 with much greater      
propriety1 have made these declarations 
than any under the light of the gospel1 
because they considered themselves under
 the ,mosaic dispensation which had     

fully tolerated them not only in        
defensive but offensive war4 ,but when  
they perceived that the doctrines of the
 ,mediator were calculated to disannul  
their dispensation and extinguish their 
carnal hopes 7notwithstanding his       
credentials were divine71 their malice  
was kindled against him1 and their      
vengeance was not satiated until they   
wreaked their hands in the blood of the 
,son of ,god4 ,and we may confidently   
expect that wherever the same ,spirit of
 ,christ lifts up a standard against the
 same carnal policy and temporal        
interest there will follow the same     
spirit of envy1 persecution1 and revenge
 which was manifested against the ,lord 
of life and glory4 ,if any man 7no      
matter who7 will live godly in ,christ  
,jesus1 he shall suffer persecution4    
,the ,spirit of ,christ is the same now 
that it was then1 and the world is the  
same1 the carnal heart is the same1 and 
the great adversary of souls is the     
same4 ,only let it be styled patriotic  

to persecute the followers of the ,lamb 
of ,god1 and we should soon see the     
heroes of this world drunk with the     
blood of the martyrs of ,jesus2 and     
probably many would be as conscientious 
as ,paul was while breathing out        
threatenings and slaughter against the  
disciples of the meek and lowly ,jesus4 
,it is not impossible that when the     
witnesses#f are slain1 their crime may  
be a refusal to use carnal weapons in   
defense of their country4  ,as it is a  
matter of great practical consequence to
 know whether the subjects of the       
,prince of ,peace are authorized in any 
case under the gospel dispensation to   
use carnal weapons or not1 we propose in
 this inference to be a little more     
particular4 ,although it is supposed    
that the ,lord ,jesus ,christ acted in a
 threefold capacity1--as ,god1 ,man1 and
 ,mediator1--yet we have never heard it 
questioned by ,christians that all his  
conduct as man was to remain a perfect  
example for his brethren1 and all his   

precepts a perfect rule for their duty4 
,as his kingdom was not of this world1  
he did not intermeddle with the         
governments of this world2 he only      
submitted to all their laws which were  
not contrary to the laws of his heavenly
 ,father4 ,he was meek and lowly2 so    
little did he possess of this world that
 he had not where to lay his head4 ,he  
went about continually doing good4 ,he  
was full of compassion even to his      
enemies4 ,he wept over ,jerusalem4 ,he  
was finally brought as a lamb to the    
slaughter1 and as sheep before their    
shearers are dumb1 so he opened not his 
mouth4 ,when he was reviled he reviled  
not again1 but committed himself to him 
who judges righteously4 ,he prayed for  
his murderers and apologized for his    
persecutors1 saying1 ,father1 forgive   
them1 for they know not what they do4   
,as the church under a former           
dispensation had divine authority for   
engaging in war1 it is important to     
ascertain whether this authority was    

abrogated under the gospel dispensation 
or not4#g ,that many things have been   
tolerated under one dispensation of the 
church and prohibited under another1    
most ,christians allow4 ,that the       
preceptive will of ,god is to be our    
only rule of duty1 few ,christians deny4
 ,the knowledge communicated to us of   
the preceptive will of ,god to his      
church1 under the first dispensation1 is
 very limited4 ,we find1 however1 no    
authority for taking the life of man in 
any case1 not even for murder2 but1 on  
the contrary1 a sevenfold vengeance was 
pronounced upon him who should slay the 
murderer4 ,under the patriarchal        
dispensation he that shed man's blood by
 man was his blood to be shed4 ,in this1
 defensive war was tolerated4 ,under the
 ,mosaic dispensation1 not only         
defensive but offensive war was         
tolerated1 and not only war was         
permitted1 but retaliation1 as1 an eye  
for an eye2 a tooth for a tooth2 life   
for life1 etc4  ,the question to be     

decided is whether these regulations are
 still in force1 or whether they were   
disannulled by the gospel dispensation4 
,the life and precepts of our ,lord and 
his disciples while under the unerring  
guidance of his spirit must be our only 
authority in this inquiry4 ,that many   
things were done away by the gospel     
dispensation1 none will deny who believe
 the gospel4 ,the ceremonial part1 which
 was only a shadow of good things to    
come1 vanished away when the substance  
appeared2 and not only the ceremonial   
part was abolished1 but many other      
practices4 ,polygamy was permitted under
 the law1 but forbidden under the       
gospel4 ,divorce was allowed under the  
,mosaic but prohibited under the gospel 
dispensation1 except in the case of     
adultery4 ,under the ,mosaic            
dispensation the penalty for whoredom   
was stoning to death4 ,this penalty was 
not enforced under the gospel           
dispensation1 as may be seen in ,john   
viii4 #aa4 ,that all kinds of war1      

revenge1 and fighting were utterly      
prohibited under the gospel dispensation
 we think appears evident not only from 
the life of our glorious ,mediator but  
from his express precepts4 ,jesus       
answered1 ,my kingdom is not of this    
world3 if my kingdom were of this world1
 then would my servants fight1 that ,i  
should not be delivered to the ,jews4   
,no comment can add force to this       
passage1 for it is apprehended that no  
language can be more explicit against   
defensive war4  ,in ,christ's ,sermon on
 the ,mount he quoted a passage from    
,exodus1 ,ye have heard that it hath    
been said1 ,an eye for an eye1 and a    
tooth for a tooth3 but ,i say unto you1 
,that ye resist not evil3 but whatsoever
 shall smite thee on thy right cheek1   
turn to him the other also4 ,the force  
of this passage has generally been      
obviated by saying that we are not to   
take all the words of our ,lord         
literally4 ,although this is admitted1  
yet we are absolutely bound to take the 

spirit of every word1 if we can         
understand them1 by comparing the       
,scriptures with the ,scriptures4 ,that 
the spirit of this passage is directly  
opposed to the one our ,lord quoted from
 ,exodus1 we think cannot fairly be     
denied2 and1 of course1 it disannulled  
it1 for he who had power to make laws   
under one dispensation had power to     
abrogate them under another4  ,the      
blessed ,mediator did1 in the most      
explicit manner1 command his subjects to
 love their enemies and render good for 
evil4 ,this command we are of opinion is
 totally incompatible with resisting    
them with carnal weapons4 ,he says1 ,but
 ,i say unto you which hear1 ,love your 
enemies1 do good to them which hate you1
 and pray for them which despitefully   
use you4 ,let us for one moment compare 
this precept with defensive war and see 
if it can consistently be put into      
practice4 ,suppose our country is       
invaded and a professed disciple of the 
,prince of ,peace buckles on the harness

 and takes the field to repel by the    
point of the sword his enemy4 ,he       
advances amidst the lamentations of the 
wounded and the shrieks of the dying to 
meet his foe in arms4 ,he sees his wrath
 kindled and his spear uplifted1 and in 
this trying moment he hears his ,lord   
say1 ,love your enemy and render to him 
good for evil2 and his kindness to him  
is like ,joab's to ,amasa2 he thrusts   
him through the heart and hurries him to
 the awful tribunal of his ,judge1      
probably unprepared4 ,dear brethren1 be 
not deceived2 for ,god is not mocked4   
,who amongst our fellow-men would       
receive the thrust of a sword as an act 
of kindness8 ,only let conscience do its
 office1 and there will be no difficulty
 in deciding whether defensive war is   
inconsistent with the gospel            
dispensation or not4 ,carnal and        
spiritual weapons will no more unite    
under the gospel dispensation than iron 
and miry clay4  ,our very salvation     
depends on being possessed of a spirit  

of forgiveness to enemies4 ,if ye       
forgive not men their trespasses1       
neither will your ,father forgive your  
trespasses4 ,if men invade our rights   
and trespass upon our privileges1 is it 
forgiveness to repel them at the point  
of the bayonet8 ,the honest ,christian  
will find no difficulty in              
conscientiously deciding this question1 
notwithstanding he may be slow of heart 
in believing all that is written4  ,all 
the conduct of our ,lord had meaning to 
it1 and much of it was with an express  
view to teach his disciples by way of   
example4 ,a little before he was        
betrayed1 he ordered his disciples to   
take swords4 ,the object of this must   
have been either to use them for        
defense1 or for some other purpose4 ,the
 event proves that they were not taken  
for self-defense4 ,the question then is1
 ,for what were they taken8 ,the event  
appears fully to answer the question1   
viz43 ,to prohibit1 by way of example1  
the use of them for self-defense in the 

most trying situation possible4 ,if any 
situation would justify self-defense    
with carnal weapons1 it must have been  
the situation in which our ,lord and his
 disciples were placed at the time he   
was betrayed4 ,they were in a public    
garden1 and they were assaulted by a    
mob1 contrary to the statutes of the    
,romans and the laws of the ,jews2 and  
the object was to take his life4 ,this  
the disciples knew1 and ,peter judged it
 a proper time for defense1 and drew his
 sword and smote a servant of the ,high 
,priest and cut off his ear4 ,as our    
,lord's kingdom was not of this world1  
he would not suffer his subjects to use 
the weapons of this world in any        
situation4 ,he therefore healed the     
wound they made and rebuked ,peter for  
his mistaken zeal4 ,then said ,jesus    
unto him1 ,put up again thy sword into  
his place3 for all they that take the   
sword shall perish with the sword4      
,thinkest thou that ,i cannot pray to my
 ,father1 and he would presently send me

 more than twelve legions of angels8    
,here we see that our ,lord not only    
forbade his disciples to use the sword  
in self-defense1 but added a dreadful   
penalty to transgressors1--all they that
 take the sword shall perish with the   
sword4 ,the disciples did not then fully
 understand that his kingdom was not of 
this world4 ,as soon as they were       
prohibited using the weapons of this    
world they all forsook him and fled4#h  
,the apostle ,james1 in his epistle to  
the twelve tribes of ,israel which were 
scattered abroad1 asks them this        
question3 ,from whence come wars and    
fighting among you8 come they not even  
of your lusts that war in your members8 
,ye lust1 and have not3 ye kill1 and    
desire to have1 and cannot obtain3 ye   
fight and war1 and yet ye have not4 ,ye 
adulterers and adulteresses1 know ye not
 that the friendship of the world is    
enmity with ,god8 whosoever therefore   
will be a friend to the world is an     
enemy of ,god4 ,from this we think it   

evidently appears that the warlike      
spirit of the world is directly opposed 
to ,god4 ,the ,god of this world works  
effectually in the hearts of the        
children of disobedience and stirs up   
their lusts which war in their members  
and hurries them on to acts of cruelty1 
revenge1 and fighting4  ,this subject is
 of so much practical consequence that  
it requires a few observations in reply 
to some of the arguments of worldly and 
unenlightened ,christians in favor of   
using carnal weapons4 ,it is said that  
government is an ordinance of ,god which
 exists throughout his vast dominion4   
,in heaven above there are angels and   
archangels2 and upon earth there are    
magistrates and powers2 and in hell     
there is the prince of devils4 ,that    
,god in his holy providence has so      
disposed of events that governments of  
some kind or other do exist in all parts
 of his dominion1 none but skeptics will
 deny4 ,but who would pretend that the  
governments in heaven and hell are not  

diametrically opposite8 ,one is the     
spirit of peace and love1 and the other1
 rebellion and war4 ,perhaps the        
manifestation of these different spirits
 here on earth may fairly be the        
dividing line amongst its inhabitants1  
and show to which kingdom they belong4  
,they say all powers are ordained of    
,god4 ,thus far they are correct1 but it
 is apprehended that they do not make a 
proper distinction between the          
ordination of ,god and his preceptive   
will for man4 ,so far as the former     
agrees with the latter1 it is a rule of 
duty and cannot be any further4 ,one is 
the rule of ,god's own procedure 7if the
 expression is proper71 and the other   
the rule of action for his creatures2   
but the counsel of ,god and his laws for
 man are often diametrically opposite4  
,it is not improbable that this is part 
of the mystery of ,god which will1 by   
and by1 be finished4  ,the ,lord ,jesus 
,christ was delivered by the determinate
 counsel and foreknowledge of ,god2 and 

yet1 by wicked hands1 he was crucified  
and slain4 ,here1 as in the case of     
,pharaoh1 and many other instances      
recorded1 the divine counsel and the    
duty of man were directly opposite4 ,to 
ascertain our duty we must look at the  
preceptive will of ,god and not to his  
eternal counsel4 ,although all powers   
are ordained of ,god1 yet it must not be
 inferred that all the laws of the      
heathen or civilized world are to be a  
rule of duty for the ,mediator's        
subjects1 or that their spirit is       
agreeable to the spirit of the gospel   
dispensation4 ,it is said1 ,we are      
commanded to obey magistrates and every 
ordinance of man for the ,lord's sake4  
,all this is admitted4 ,but these       
injunctions are either limited by other 
precepts or they are unlimited4 ,if they
 are unlimited1 then all who have died  
martyrs fell a sacrifice to superstition
 instead of duty4 ,notwithstanding these
 directions were intended as a rule for 
,christians in all ages1 yet they were  

promulgated while the disciples were    
under idolatrous governments1 and were  
never intended to encourage them to     
worship idols4  ,these commands must1   
therefore1 be limited4 ,the question is1
 ,how are they limited8 ,we apprehend1  
by the spirit and other precepts of the 
gospel4 ,we have already shown1 we      
trust1 that these absolutely prohibit   
war in every form4 ,if so1 then none of 
these injunctions can counteract the    
position we are examining4 ,they only   
enjoin strict obedience to all human    
laws under which we live that do not    
contradict the spirit or precepts of the
 gospel2 when they do1 they are not     
binding and must be resisted2 not1      
however1 with carnal but spiritual      
weapons2 we must take joyfully the      
spoiling of our goods and count not our 
lives dear unto ourselves4  ,it has been
 often said that he who refuses to      
comply with the commands of the         
magistrate resists the powers that be1  
and1 according to the apostle's         

reasoning1 resists the ordinance of ,god
 and will receive to himself damnation4 
,and1 further1 as all powers are the    
ordinance of ,god they ought to be      
supported1 and if they cannot without1  
they must be even at the point of1 the  
sword4 ,here the subject of the         
,mediator must make a distinction       
between resisting the powers that be by 
force of arms and refusing to obey their
 unlawful commands4 ,it is not supposed 
that in one case he would obey and that 
in the other he would disobey the       
commands of his ,master4 ,no martyr ever
 considered himself as violating this   
precept in refusing to sacrifice to an  
idol at the command of an earthly power2
 neither will any subject of the        
,mediator view himself as violating it  
by refusing to use carnal weapons while 
he believes that his ,lord has utterly  
forbidden his using them4 ,it is        
apprehended that if this proves anything
 upon the principles of war1 that it    
will prove too much for its advocates4  

,the command is to obey the powers that 
be and not the powers that ought to be4 
,if it is taken in an unlimited sense1  
it must prohibit resisting even         
tyrannical powers1 and would1 of course1
 condemn every ,christian who engaged in
 the ,american ,revolution4 ,to say that
 all power is in the hands of the       
people1 and1 of course1 it is the people
 who are the powers that be1 is thought 
to be but a quibble4 ,we will suppose a 
very possible case1--that a foreign     
power completely overturns the          
government of the people and disannuls  
their laws and gives a new code2 in that
 case1 the command to obey the powers   
that be would not be annihilated4 ,the  
precept originally was given while the  
disciples were in the midst of          
tyrannical governments4 ,it is thought  
that it is so far from tolerating       
defensive war that it is opposed to it4 
,the precepts of the gospel cannot be   
dependent upon the convulsions of the   
nations4 ,if ,christians are bound to   

aid with carnal weapons in suppressing a
 rebellion1 then1 if the opposing power 
gains the predominance1 they must turn  
directly about and fight the very power 
they were before supporting4 ,such      
conduct would not become the citizens of
 ,zion4 ,if it is said the powers that  
be are ,christian rulers1 then we say1  
let them govern only by the laws of the 
,mediator's kingdom1 and we will bow    
with reverence before them1 and not     
teach for commandments the doctrines of 
men1 as we cannot receive human laws for
 divine precepts4  ,it is stated that   
our ,lord paid tribute1 and that we are 
commanded to pay tribute to whom tribute
 is due1 and that tribute supports the  
governments of this world4 ,this is     
granted2 but the ,mediator's subjects   
are required also to lead peaceable and 
quiet lives2 this is more promoted by   
paying tribute than by the refusal4 ,our
 ,lord directs ,peter to pay the tribute
 lest they should give offense4 ,but    
paying tribute for the sake of          

preserving peace is a very different    
thing from actually engaging in war4    
,whenever the ,christian is called upon 
to pay money by way of taxes or tribute1
 he does not part with any spiritual    
treasure1 but only earthly property1 for
 which he has the example and precepts  
of the ,lord4 ,the currency of the world
 generally bears the ensign of the      
nation which made it4 ,if it bears the  
image and superscription of ,caesar1    
then render to ,caesar the things that  
are ,caesar's1 and unto ,god the things 
which are ,god's4 ,christians1 however1 
whose hearts are upon this idol1 will   
sooner give up their lives than their   
,god4 ,the love of money is the root of 
all evil4 ,the real ,christian's        
treasure is in heaven and beyond the    
reach of the powers of earth or hell4   
,the things of this world are but       
privileges loaned him1 to be resigned at
 the call of his ,lord4 ,shall he then  
fear those who can only kill the body   
and afterwards have no more that they   

can do8 ,rather1 let him fear him who   
has power to destroy both soul and body 
in hell forever4 ,it is better for him  
to suffer wrong than to do wrong4  ,the 
permission granted to the ,jewish church
 to wage war has often been pleaded as  
authority for ,christians4 ,if this     
proves anything1 it proves too much1 for
 not only defensive but offensive war   
was permitted under the ,mosaic         
dispensation4 ,this the tyrants of the  
world have not generally contended was  
right since the gospel dispensation4 ,we
 think1 however1 that we have fully     
shown that this was abrogated under the 
gospel dispensation1 and that all kinds 
of war were prohibited2 if so1 it has no
 weight on the subject4#i  ,it has been 
said that ,christians with a small      
exception have never questioned the     
propriety of defensive war4 ,as it      
regards nominal ,christians1 this       
statement is perhaps correct1 but as it 
respects the real disciples of the      
,mediator1 it is to be questioned4 ,we  

hear of no ,christians in the first ages
 of the church engaged in carnal warfare
 until we hear of great corruptions in  
the church4 ,most ,protestants have been
 of opinion that those precious         
disciples who inhabited the dark valleys
 of ,piedmont during the great          
corruptions of the nominal church were  
the ,redeemer's true subjects4 ,these   
disciples1 of whom the world was not    
worthy1 utterly refused to engage even  
in defensive war1 notwithstanding they  
were hunted down by their bloody        
persecutors4#aj  ,it has been often said
 that the ,reformers1 who were good men1
 did not hesitate to engage in defensive
 war1 and that the ,reformation was     
finally supported by the sword4 ,that   
the ,reformers were generally pious men 
is readily admitted1 and that the       
,reformation1 under divine providence1  
was a glorious event to the church is   
also granted4 ,but the history of the   
,reformers1 when written by their       
friends1 abundantly manifests that they 

were men1 subject to like passions with 
other men1 and that all the means they  
employed could not be justified1 either 
by the spirit or the precepts of the    
gospel4  ,henry the ,eighth was a vile  
man1 but he was very active in          
protesting against the ,pope because his
 holiness would not grant him a divorce4
 ,god makes the wrath of man praise him4
 ,it will not probably be a great length
 of time 7in the opinion of the writer7 
before those churches which were        
defended with the sword will be         
destroyed by the sword4  ,it has been   
further urged that not only the         
,reformers but most pious ,protestants  
have prayed for the prosperity of the   
arms of their country1 and many have    
actually fought in the field of battle4 
,all this is likewise admitted4 ,but    
many pious men have had a mistaken zeal4
 ,it is fully believed that             
,protestants1 generally1 have been in   
the habit of considering the            
,reformation so glorious an event that  

they have very little inquired whether  
the means by which it was finally       
defended were agreeable to the spirit of
 the gospel or not4 ,they have been     
taught from their earliest years to     
consider that the weapons of warfare    
used by the ,reformers were lawful1 so  
that they have not hesitated to follow  
their example4 ,that the example and    
prayers of pious people ought to have   
weight is readily granted1 but to place 
a blind confidence in them1 we          
apprehend1 is criminal1 for their       
example is to be imitated no further    
than it agrees with the spirit and      
precepts of the gospel4 ,these must     
forever remain a perfect standard of    
duty2 whereas the practice of real      
,christians1 owing to their imperfect   
state1 is constantly changing and often 
contradictory4 ,during the ,american    
,revolution1 doubtless1 real ,christians
 were praying and fighting for the      
success of the ,american arms1 and real 
,christians in the ,british service were

 praying and fighting for the success of
 his ,majesty's arms4 ,the truth is1    
they ought not to pray for war in any   
shape1 but to pray that wars may cease  
from under heaven1 and that ,god's      
kingdom may come and his will be done on
 earth as it is done in heaven2 and not 
only to pray1 but endeavor to advance   
the kingdom of heaven and put a stop to 
wars and bloodshed4 ,the opinions of    
pious people often vary with the        
increase of light which shines upon the 
church4 ,one century ago most pious     
people believed in the propriety of the 
slave trade1 but very few can now be    
found to advocate the abominable        
practice4 ,the nature of the crime has  
not changed1 nor the evidence against   
it1 but the truth is1 that the opinion  
of pious people has materially changed  
upon this subject4 ,we ought always to  
remember that the example of pious      
people is to be of no weight any further
 than it agrees with the example of our 
,lord4 ,it is always unsafe to be       

looking too much to the fallible example
 of those whom we have esteemed pious   
for a rule of duty1 while we have the   
unerring word in our hands to light our 
way2 when any one is depending upon the 
example of ,christians not under the    
immediate influence of divine           
inspiration for evidence to support his 
hypothesis1 it is strong presumptive    
evidence that he has not the word of    
,god in his favor4 ,by the word of ,god 
and by that only ought every controversy
 to be tried4  ,it is further urged that
 we are commanded to pray for kings and 
all in authority2 it is true we must    
pray not only for kings but all men1    
even enemies4 ,this1 however1 does by no
 means imply that we are commanded to   
pray for a blessing upon their          
unhallowed undertakings2 but it only    
implies that we must pray that they may 
be translated out of nature's darkness  
into the light of the gospel1 and from  
the power of ,satan unto the living     
,god4  ,the great difficulty with the   

subjects of the ,mediator ever has been1
 and still is1 a want of faith in the   
promises of ,god4 ,they are prone to be 
afraid of consequences4 ,they look      
nearly as much at consequences as the   
children of ,israel did while journeying
 from ,egypt to ,canaan4 ,the truth is1 
they ought to have nothing to do with   
consequences1 but only duties4 ,thus    
saith the ,lord1 should be their warrant
 and only guide4 ,if they implicitly    
follow the command1 consequences are all
 safe in ,god's hand4 ,had ,abraham     
looked only at consequences1 it is not  
probable he would ever have been styled 
the ,father of the ,faithful4 ,it is not
 uncommon for timid and worldly         
,christians to be alarmed at            
consequences and to argue in this       
manner3 they say1 ,shall we stand still 
and suffer an assassin to enter our     
houses and take our lives and property  
without ever attempting to resist him8  
,all this must go upon the supposition  
that he who has said he will never leave

 nor forsake his people1 and is a very  
present help in every time of need1 will
 take no care of them4 ,no assassin     
could stand a moment before the prayer  
of faith which would enter the heavens  
and reach the ears of the ,lord of      
,sabaoth4 ,if faithless ,christians     
cannot be persuaded to look at the      
precepts and the promises1 but only at  
consequences1 they ought1 at least1 to  
examine them well4 ,suppose ,god1 in his
 holy providence1 should permit an      
assassin to take the life of one of his 
dear children2 the consequence would be1
 he would immediately be translated to  
glory2 and possibly the assassin might  
become a penitent2 but should he take   
the life of the assassin in defending   
himself1 the consequence then would be1 
he would hurry him into the abyss of the
 damned where his probation would be    
eternally ended4 ,he who puts his trust 
in the ,lord shall not fear what man can
 do to him2 he will be like ,mount ,zion
 which cannot be moved4  ,remember1 dear

 brethren1 that the weapons of our      
warfare are not carnal but spiritual1   
and mighty through ,god4 ,finally1 my   
brethren1 be strong in the ,lord1 and in
 the power of his might4 ,put on the    
whole armour of ,god1 that ye may be    
able to stand against the wiles of the  
devil4 ,for we wrestle not against flesh
 and blood1 but against principalities1 
against powers1 against the rulers of   
the darkness of this world1 against     
spiritual wickedness in high places4    
,wherefore take unto you the whole      
armour of ,god 7here is the equipment of
 a soldier of ,jesus ,christ71 that ye  
may be able to withstand in an evil day1
 and having done all1 to stand4 ,stand  
therefore1 having your loins girt about 
with truth1 and having on the           
breastplate of righteousness2 and your  
feet shod with the preparation of the   
gospel of peace2 above all1 taking the  
shield of faith1 wherewith ye shall be  
able to quench all the fiery darts of   
the wicked4 ,and take the helmet of     

salvation1 and the sword of the ,spirit1
 which is the word of ,god3 praying     
always with all prayer and supplication 
in the ,spirit1 and watching thereunto  
with all perseverance and supplication  
for all saints4 ,and the very ,god of   
peace shall be with you1 and he will    
shortly bruise ,satan under your feet4  
,for yet a little while and the         
,almighty angel will come down with a   
great chain in his hand2 and he will lay
 hold on the dragon1 that old serpent1  
which is the devil and ,satan1 and will 
bind him a thousand years1 and cast him 
into the bottomless pit1 and shut him   
up1 and set a seal upon him1 that he    
shall deceive the nations no more until 
the thousand years are fulfilled4 ,then 
wars will cease from under heaven and   
the implements of death will be         
converted into the harmless utensils of 
husbandry1 and there will be nothing to 
hurt nor destroy in all ,god's holy     
mountain4 ,the stone which was cut out  
of the mountain without hands will      

become a great mountain and fill the    
whole earth4 ,then will be heard a loud 
voice saying in heaven1 ,now is come    
salvation1 and strength1 and the kingdom
 of ,god1 and the power of his ,christ3 
for the accuser of our brethren is cast 
down1 which accused them before ,god day
 and night4 ,and they overcame him by   
the blood of the ,lamb1 and by the word 
of their testimony2 and they loved not  
their lives unto the death4 ,therefore  
rejoice1 ye heavens1 and ye that dwell  
in them4  ,it is1 however1 very         
important1 dear brethren1 that we keep  
it constantly in mind that the nature   
and precepts of the gospel are the same 
now as they will be then1 in that       
glorious reign of righteousness and     
peace1 and that it is our duty          
constantly to be influenced by the same 
spirit now which will then be manifested
 by the followers of the ,lamb4 ,the    
little leaven is of the same nature with
 whole lump when it is leavened4 ,let us
 therefore gird up the loins of our mind

 and watch unto prayer4  #d4 ,if the    
,mediator's kingdom is not of this      
world1 but spiritual1 heavenly1 and     
divine1 and if the kingdoms of this     
world are under the dominion of ,satan1 
and if the subjects of ,christ's kingdom
 are not permitted to use carnal        
weapons1 then we may infer who is the   
great whore that sitteth upon many      
waters2 with whom the kings of the earth
 have committed fornication1 and the    
inhabitants of the earth have been made 
drunk with the wine of her fornication4 
,a virgin or chaste woman is a familiar 
symbol in the ,scriptures of the true   
church of ,god2 and an unchaste woman is
 as familiar a symbol of an apostate or 
corrupt church4 ,as a lewd woman calls  
herself by the name of her husband1     
notwithstanding she has constant        
intercourse with other men1 so the      
corrupt church calls herself by the name
 of ,christ1 notwithstanding she has    
constant illicit intercourse with the   
kings of the earth4#aa ,to understand   

the true nature of spiritual whoredom   
will assist us in ascertaining the      
bounds of mystical ,babylon4  ,the      
children of ,israel were separated from 
all the nations of the earth and set    
apart to be holy unto the ,lord4 ,as    
they were in covenant with the ,god of  
,israel1 he addressed them in the       
endearing character of a husband4       
,whenever they made any covenant or     
formed a confederacy with the nations   
around them1 or imitated their          
idolatrous abominations1 they were      
charged with spiritual whoredom4 ,the   
church1 under the gospel dispensation1  
is redeemed from amongst men out of     
every nation1 and sanctified and set    
apart to be a peculiar people to show   
forth the praises of ,god4 ,it is styled
 the ,bride1 the ,lamb's wife4 ,its     
members are not to be conformed to this 
world but to be transformed by the      
renewing of the ,spirit4 ,they do not   
belong to any earthly kingdom1 for our  
,lord has said1 ,they are not of the    

world1 even as ,i am not of the world2  
but they are citizens of the heavenly   
,zion and belong to the household of    
,god2 they are members of the same      
community1 with the innumerable company 
of angels and the spirits of just men   
made perfect2 and are to be governed by 
the very same spirit and temper which   
reigns amongst those blessed inhabitants
 above4 ,god is an overflowing and      
unbounded ocean of blessedness and love2
 love is therefore the fulfilling of the
 law4  ,whenever the subjects of the    
,redeemer unite themselves to the       
kingdoms of this world1 and engage in   
their political contentions and         
fightings1 then it appears they commit  
spiritual whoredom1 for they forsake the
 fountain of living waters and hew out  
to themselves cisterns1--broken         
cisterns1 which can hold no water4 ,when
 they thus mingle with the world and    
unite in its pursuits they may          
spiritually be styled adulterers4  ,the 
apostle ,james1 while reproving the     

twelve tribes1 which were scattered     
abroad1 for their wars and fightings and
 friendship to the world1 styles them   
adulterers and adulteresses4 ,in direct 
opposition to this representation1 the  
first fruits of the church are styled   
virgins1 as not being defiled with      
women4 ,these are they which were not   
defiled with women2 for they are        
virgins4 ,these are they which follow   
the ,lamb whithersoever he goeth4 ,these
 were redeemed from amongst men1 being  
the firstfruits unto ,god and the ,lamb4
 ,and in their mouth was found no guile3
 for they are without fault before the  
throne of ,god4 ,as virgins are pure and
 undefiled1 so were the disciples of    
,christ in the first age of the church  
when they had no impure intercourse with
 the kingdoms of this world and followed
 the ,lamb in refusing to engage either 
in its profits1 honors1 or fightings4   
,they are1 therefore1 called virgins1   
without fault1 in opposition to those   
who mingle with the world1 who are      

spiritually styled harlots4  ,it        
evidently appears1 if what has been said
 is true1 that mystical ,babylon1 that  
mother of harlots and abominations of   
the earth1 is just as extensive as the  
union of the church with the kingdoms of
 this world2 and just in that proportion
 in which an individual ,christian1 or a
 single church1 or a number of churches 
united in one body1 engage in the       
honors1 profits1 and fightings of the   
kingdoms of this world1 just in that    
proportion they may be said to be guilty
 of spiritual whoredom4  ,the writer is 
well aware that this inference1 however 
just1 will be looked upon with contempt 
by worldly political ,christians whose  
dearest interest is involved in the     
kingdoms of this world1 and especially  
by those who are clothed in purple and  
scarlet and have a golden cup in their  
hands4 ,he has no expectation of being  
candidly heard by such1 but it is ,god's
 own dear children who have ignorantly  
mingled with the world1 having been     

blinded by their education1 from whom he
 expects a candid hearing4 ,if any man  
have ears to hear1 let him hear4  ,it is
 not common for a lewd woman openly to  
avow to the world her character2 neither
 can it be expected that the mother of  
harlots will own her name4 ,the writer  
is of opinion that very few have        
understood the full dimensions of this  
mystical city2 she appears to him in her
 greatest extent to be bounded but      
little short of the whole visible church
 of ,god4 ,she is styled the great      
,city1 which spiritually is called      
,sodom and ,egypt1 where also our ,lord 
was crucified4 ,and in her was found the
 blood of prophets and saints and of all
 that were slain upon the earth4 ,but a 
dreadful judgment awaits her3 ,she shall
 utterly be burnt with fire3 for strong 
is the ,lord ,god who judges her4 ,being
 mingled with the nations and supported 
by their power1 when they become like   
stubble before the devouring fire1 she  
will be consumed with them4 ,the whore  

is represented as riding upon a         
scarlet-colored beast1 and upheld by    
him4#ab  ,when he1 with all his heads1  
are cast into the lake of fire1 she will
 likewise be given to the burning flame4
 ,but before this great and dreadful day
 of the ,lord shall come1 which will    
burn as an oven1 when the whore shall be
 consumed with the nations of the earth1
 ,god will call to his people to come   
out of her1 saying unto them1 ,come out 
of her1 my people1 that ye be not       
partakers of her sins1 and that ye      
receive not of her plagues4 ,as ,god's  
ancient people were carried captives    
into literal ,babylon1 so ,god's dear   
people will be found captives in        
mystical ,babylon1 until they hear the  
command of their ,lord to come out of   
her that they be not partakers of her   
sins and that they receive not of her   
plagues4 ,the captive daughters of ,zion
 are very numerous4 ,o that they may    
soon arise and shake themselves from the
 dust6 ,shake thyself from the dust2    

arise1 and sit down1 ,o ,jerusalem3     
loose thyself from the bands of thy     
neck1 ,o captive daughter of ,zion4  #e4
 ,if the ,mediator's kingdom is not of  
this world1 and the kingdoms of this    
world are under the dominion of ,satan1 
and if ,christ's subjects cannot unite  
themselves to the kingdoms of this      
world1 without committing spiritual     
whoredom1 then we may infer the great   
impropriety of the subjects of the      
,mediator's kingdom becoming political  
,christians and enrolling themselves    
with the men of this world4 ,they cannot
 serve two masters3 for they will either
 hate the one1 and love the other2 or   
else they will hold to the one1 and     
despise the other4  ,how humiliating is 
it to see subjects of the ,king of ,zion
 engaged in the drudgery of the prince  
of darkness1 laboring and struggling to 
support his tottering throne6 ,satan's  
kingdom is divided against itself and   
must1 therefore1 come to an end4 ,but   
how lamentable is it to see the sons of 

the living ,god1 the subjects of the    
,prince of ,peace1 taking sides in the  
cause of the adversary of souls1 and    
actually opposing and fighting each     
other under his banner6 ,they do it     
ignorantly and will1 therefore1 obtain  
forgiveness1 for they know not what     
manner of spirit they are of4 ,they are 
commanded to have no fellowship with the
 unfruitful works of darkness1 but      
rather reprove them4  ,before our ,lord 
departed from this world to go to the   
,father1 he gave laws to his subjects   
for their rule of life until his second 
coming4 ,all these laws contemplated    
their residing as a holy nation in the  
midst of a wicked and benighted world1  
to reflect the rays of the ,sun of      
righteousness on the thick darkness     
which covers the people4 ,they were to  
be a city set upon a hill and a light to
 the world4 ,the apostle exhorts them to
 do all things without murmurings and   
disputings3 that ye may be blameless and
 harmless1 the sons of ,god1 without    

rebuke1 in the midst of a crooked and   
perverse nation1 among whom ye shine as 
lights in the world4 ,they must be a    
peculiar people to show forth the       
praises of ,god4 ,how inconsistent is   
it1 then1 for the citizens of the       
heavenly ,zion to be mingling with the  
politicians of this world and uniting in
 their processions1 feasts1 and cabals1 
when they ought rather to be praying for
 them1 that the very sins they commit in
 these scenes may be forgiven them6     
,dear brethren1 is it not high time to  
come out from the world and be          
separated8 ,be ye not unequally yoked   
together with unbelievers3 for what     
fellowship hath righteousness with      
unrighteousness8 and what communion hath
 light with darkness8 and what concord  
hath ,christ with ,belial8 ,wherefore   
come out from among them1 and be ye     
separate1 saith the ,lord1 and touch not
 the unclean thing2 and ,i will receive 
you1 and will be a ,father to you1 and  
ye shall be my sons and daughters1 saith

 the ,lord ,almighty4  #f4 ,in view of  
what has been said1 we finally infer    
that every interest which is not built  
upon the sure foundation stone which    
,god has laid in ,zion will be swept    
away when the storms of divine wrath    
shall beat upon our guilty world4 ,for1 
behold1 the day cometh1 that shall burn 
as an oven2 and all the proud1 yea1 and 
all that do wickedly1 shall be stubble3 
and the day that cometh shall burn them 
up1 saith the ,lord of hosts1 that it   
shall leave them neither root nor       
branch4 ,for the day of the ,lord of    
hosts shall be upon every one that is   
proud and lofty1 and upon every one that
 is lifted up2 and he shall be brought  
low4 ,the lofty looks of man shall be   
humbled1 and the haughtiness of men     
shall be bowed down2 and the ,lord alone
 shall be exalted in that day4 ,the     
,lord at thy right hand shall strike    
through kings in the day of his wrath4  
,he shall judge among the heathen1 he   
shall fill the places with their dead   

bodies2 he shall wound the head over    
many countries4 ,for1 behold1 the ,lord 
will come with fire1 and with his       
chariots like a whirlwind1 to render his
 anger with fury1 and his rebuke with   
flames of fire4 ,for by fire and by his 
sword will the ,lord plead with all     
flesh3 and the slain of the ,lord shall 
be many4 ,for the indignation of the    
,lord is upon all nations1 and his fury 
upon all their armies3 he hath utterly  
destroyed them1 he hath delivered them  
to the slaughter4 ,their slain shall be 
cast out1 and their stink shall come up 
out of their carcasses1 and the         
mountains shall be melted with blood4   
,for this is the day of the ,lord ,god  
of hosts1 a day of vengeance1 that he   
may avenge him of his adversaries3 and  
the sword shall devour1 and it shall be 
satiate and be made drunk with their    
blood4 ,the nations must drink of the   
wine of the wrath of ,god1 which shall  
be poured out without mixture1 into the 
cup of his indignation2 and they will be

 trodden in the great wine press of the 
wrath of ,god ,almighty4 ,and the great 
whore which has drunk the blood of the  
saints and the blood of the martyrs of  
,jesus will have blood to drink2 for she
 is worthy4  ,the sword of the ,lord has
 two edges2 it will cut off the         
offending limbs of the church and       
destroy her enemies4 ,the fire of the   
,lord will purify his saints but utterly
 burn up the wicked4 ,he whose fan is in
 his hand will thoroughly purge his     
floor1 and gather his wheat into the    
garner2 but he will burn up the chaff   
with unquenchable fire4 ,although the   
earth is thus to be desolated1 and the  
nations destroyed1 yet the saints of the
 ,most ,high shall possess the kingdom  
for ever and ever4 ,and the kingdom and 
dominion1 and the greatness of the      
kingdom under the whole heaven1 shall be
 given to the people of the saints of   
the ,most ,high1 whose kingdom is an    
everlasting kingdom1 and all dominions  
shall serve and obey him4  ,dear        

brethren1 these events are rapidly      
rolling in the fiery wheels down the    
descent of time2 and although the       
nations must first drink the vials of   
divine wrath and the battle of ,god     
,almighty must first be fought1 yet the 
time is at hand when we shall no more   
hear the sound of war1 and of garments  
rolled in blood1 for man will cease to  
be the enemy of man1 and every one will 
sit quietly under his own vine and under
 his own fig tree2 and there will be    
nothing to hurt or destroy in all ,god's
 holy mountain1 and the knowledge of the
 ,lord shall cover the earth as the     
waters cover the channels of the mighty 
deep4  ,dear brethren1 is it not high   
time to awake out of sleep3 for now is  
our salvation nearer than when we       
believed4 ,the night is far spent1 the  
day is at hand3 let us therefore cast   
off the works of darkness1 and let us   
put on the armour of light4 ,and let us 
pray with all prayer and supplication in
 the ,spirit for all men1 not only for  

ourselves1 our families1 and our        
friends1 and the church of ,god1 but for
 a dying world1 that ,god would in      
infinite compassion cut short these days
 of dreadful calamity for his elect's   
sake2 and in the midst of deserved wrath
 remember mercy4  ,he that hath ears to 
hear1 let him hear what the ,spirit     
saith unto the churches2 ,to him that   
overcometh will ,i give to eat of the   
tree of life1 which is in the midst of  
the paradise of ,god4  ,,footnotes3  #d 
,the earth1 in symbolical language1 is  
supposed by the writer to denote        
civilized nations1 in distinction from  
uncivilized1 which are symbolized by the
 agitated sea4 ,civilized nations will  
no longer cover the blood of the slain1 
under the specious idea of defending    
their rights and liberties4  #e ,if the 
kingdoms of this world do not belong to 
,satan1 then it was no temptation to our
 ,lord when he offered them to him4 ,it 
is expressly said that he was tempted of
 ,satan4  #f ,the writer has for a      

length of time been of opinion that no  
event has ever yet happened to the      
church which answers to slaying the     
witnesses4 ,it has been given as a      
reason by some that the witnesses have  
been slain1 that so much light has been 
diffused since the art of printing was  
discovered1 and since the ,reformation1 
that no reason can ever again be found  
sufficiently plausible to satisfy the   
consciences of mankind in again taking  
the lives of their fellow-men in matters
 of conscience4 ,if our country was     
invaded and a law should be passed that 
every man capable of bearing arms should
 equip himself for its defense1 on      
penalty of being considered as an enemy 
and to be publicly executed accordingly 
in case of refusal for conscience' sake1
 there would not probably be wanting    
patriots sufficient to execute the laws2
 if they could not be found in our land 
of liberty1 they might be found amongst 
the tyrants of the ,old ,world4  #g ,if 
the permission given to the church under

 the ,mosaic dispensation to engage in  
war has not been disannulled by the     
gospel dispensation 7which is by no     
means granted71 it is thought that it   
does not admit of the consequences which
 are generally drawn4 ,the ,israelites  
were ,god's covenant people and were    
utterly prohibited from making any      
covenant with the nations around them1  
or engaging with them in their wars4 ,it
 must therefore be totally improper for 
,god's covenant people now to unite with
 those who are strangers to the covenant
 of promise1 and engage with them in    
their tumult and fightings4 ,it is      
presumed that no one who has ever read  
our ,constitution will pretend that the 
,american nation has1 in the ,scriptural
 sense1 made a covenant with ,god4 ,if  
the analogy holds good in one point1 it 
must in another2 and in that case there 
is no alternative left for ,god's       
covenant people but either to withdraw  
from those who are not in covenant with 
,god1 or adopt a national religion which

 must be defended by the weapons of the 
nation4 ,it is believed that those who  
will not admit that the permission      
granted to the ,israelites to engage in 
war was abrogated by the gospel         
dispensation can never fully answer the 
arguments in favor of a national        
religion4  #h ,four things are          
noticeable from this history4 ,first1   
,that the subjects of the ,mediator's   
kingdom have no right to use carnal     
weapons for defense1 in the most trying 
situation possible4 ,secondly1 ,the     
promulgation of a decree of heaven2 that
 all they 7whether states1 churches1 or 
kingdoms7 who take the sword shall      
perish with the sword4 ,every political 
or ecclesiastical body which is defended
 with the sword will by the sword be    
destroyed4 ,in confirmation of this     
sentiment1 we see while the great       
destroying powers were represented to   
,st4 ,john in the symbols of ferocious  
beasts1 it was added1 ,if any man have  
an ear to hear1 let him hear4 ,he that  

leadeth into captivity shall go into    
captivity3 he that killeth with the     
sword must be killed with the sword2 but
 in opposition to this it is said1 ,here
 is the faith and the patience of the   
saints4 ,we would inquire how the faith 
and the patience of the saints appear1  
if they1 like the nations of the earth1 
lead into captivity and kill with the   
sword8 ,thirdly1 ,the weapon which the  
subjects of the ,redeemer are to use for
 defense is here brought into view1     
viz41 ,prayer4 ,nothing which appears   
prevented our ,lord from using this     
weapon when he was betrayed1 but the    
necessity of the ,scriptures being      
fulfilled4 ,had he prayed to his        
,father1 more than twelve legions of    
ministering spirits would have appeared 
swift as lightning to discharge his     
will4 ,at the time he shall come in all 
the glory of his ,father the holy angels
 will be with him4 ,he will break       
through the heavens in flaming fire and 
descend with the shout of the ,archangel

 and the trump of ,god1 and cleave      
asunder the earth beneath2 and send     
forth his angels who will awake the     
sleeping millions from their tombs and  
gather together his elect and take them 
up into the air to be ever with their   
,lord4 ,fourthly1 ,we may expect that   
angels will be sent to deliver the      
saints in the times of trouble4 ,angels 
are ministering spirits and are sent    
forth to minister to those who shall be 
the heirs of salvation4 ,what a         
consolation it is that the subjects of  
the ,mediator can apply for help in     
times of trouble to him who has the     
hosts of heaven at his command2 and who 
has said he will never leave nor forsake
 them6 ,the angel of the ,lord encampeth
 round about them who fear him1 to      
deliver them out of all their trouble4  
,if ,god be for them1 who can be against
 them8  #i ,although it is not expected 
that any intelligent and candid         
,christian will attempt to say that the 
arguments which have been advanced may  

fairly apply to offensive but not to    
defensive war1 yet some weak and        
unenlightened ,christians may make the  
assertion4 ,in answer to such we would  
observe that this would be begging the  
question and taking for granted the very
 subject in dispute4 ,we cannot be      
satisfied with anything short of a      
candid answer1 drawn directly from the  
spirit and precepts of the gospel4 ,when
 it is fairly proved that under the     
gospel dispensation our ,lord did draw a
 clear line of distinction between      
offensive and defensive war1 and that he
 intended all such precepts as have been
 adduced to apply to the former and not 
to the latter1 then we will acknowledge 
the weight of the argument4 ,until this 
is done we shall not consider our       
arguments as answered4  #aj ,the writer 
perceives that he has made too unlimited
 a statement respecting the disciples   
who inhabited the valleys of ,piedmont4 
,historians have generally considered   
those who dissented from the church of  

,rome during the dark ages as possessing
 similar sentiments4 ,it is true they   
did agree in renouncing the authority of
 the ,pope1 but in other things they did
 not all agree4 ,some courted the       
protection of earthly powers and united 
with them in defending their rights by  
the point of the sword1 and were finally
 destroyed by the sword4 ,others1       
instead of defending themselves with    
carnal weapons1 fled from the face of   
the serpent and were1 under divine      
providence1 the seed of the church in   
the wilderness4 ,it is the latter class 
to which the writer would be understood 
as referring4  #aa ,as the writer has   
been for some time studying the         
symbolical language of the ,scriptures1 
and intends 7if the ,lord will1 unless  
some person more able should attempt an 
explanation7 to give his views to the   
public1 he will not be so particular at 
present in explaining the symbol of the 
great whore which sitteth upon many     
waters1 as he otherwise should4 ,he     

early perceived that the heavens and the
 earth1 with all their furniture1 were  
used as an alphabet1 in the language of 
things1 to represent moral subjects4    
,his object has been to learn the true  
meaning of each symbol by comparing     
,scripture with ,scripture4 ,no language
 can be read until the alphabet is first
 learned4 ,symbolical language does not1
 like other languages1 change with time 
and place1 but represents the same idea 
to all nations and at all times4 ,he is 
of opinion that one symbol does not     
represent two events1 unless it first   
have a reference to some less event     
which is typical of some more important 
event2 in that case1 all together may be
 figurative of some great ultimate end4 
,although one symbol is supposed never  
to represent two different things1 yet  
two or more symbols generally represent 
one thing4 ,he has found by tracing back
 a symbol to its first use1 that its    
true meaning is generally manifest4     
,since examining the ,scriptures with   

this view he has been irresistibly drawn
 into the conclusions now exhibited4    
#ab ,the writer is fully of opinion that
 a ferocious beast is never used as a   
symbol of a corrupt church1 but of a    
tyrannical warlike power4 ,he has been  
for some time of opinion that the second
 ,apocalyptic beast is rising1 and that 
he will possess all the power of the    
first beast before him1 and that under  
him the false prophet will appear2 and  
the witnesses will be slain2 and upon   
his kingdom the six first vials of his  
divine wrath will be principally poured 
out2 and the seventh will be poured upon
 ,satan's kingdom universally1 as he is 
the prince of the power of the air4     
,transcriber's ,notes    ,the section in
 the table of contents entitled1        
,because1 instead of     preventing1 it 
provokes insult and mischief1 does not  
exactly match     the title of the      
corresponding section found within the  
text4 ,this     has been retained4   ,pg
 #aaf4 ,the word ',antipolemos' was     

changed to ',antipolemus4'   ,pg #abj4  
,the word 'righteousnesss' was changed  
to 'righteousness4'   ,pg #adb4 ,a      
question mark was changed to a period in
 the following     sentence1 ,the       
question to be decided is whether these 
regulations     are still in force1 or  
whether they were disannulled by the    
gospel     dispensation4