Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1817-07-08

1t is objected thar some passages in the
New Testament rather favor war When
The soldiers came TO John, pe. Mas
ter, what shall we do p H, erect
them 10 leave their employmt which.
says the objector, he taciclty foyei il.
But consider moment JOIN -
:" Do violence TO no man, an ~saten
with your wages Though John did moi
in SO many words require them TO qHil the
service, yet had they punc'ually obeyed the
injunction he gave, $ Do violence to no
man." they could no longer have followed
the profession Of arms But admitting tha'
John had permitted resistance by force, il
might be said that John being the last
Prophet under the law, belonged 10 the dis
pensa,ion which required eye for eye, and
tooth for tooth so that our Lord says, he
that is least in the kingdom OF Heaven, O.
IL the Gospel church, is Greater than John.
1t is further objected that Christ com
mendcd the faith OF the Roman Centurion,
without making any objection to his en-
ployment This my be answered at once
by remarking that our Lord always de
clined inlermedling with the affairs OF The
state in the least degree. for as bis kingdom
was not of this world it did cot become him.
sad he well knew :hat the spirit of The
Gospel when received would destroy thoss
usts and passions which generate strife
There is one Il xt hat has ever been bandi-
I'd abou; by hose who plead for war. tits
tie words OF our Saviour to his disciples
short time preylosis d us agony, in tic
GARDEN" / hen said h= URIC hem, bus
now he that bath patse let him take il,
and likowise his scrip and he that hath
no sword. let him sch his garment and bup
one. ;" Many exposi,ors have though, il
difficult to reconsile this with our Lords
detention to deliver himself up without re-
sistaace. But il seems only The vivid man
Of scripural prophecy, giving warning Of
the most imminent danger, by sn order to
make the customary preparations against
violence, and TO account q weapon more ne
cessary than garment. The Prophet Isa
ian speaks of,the destruction CT babylon in
the same manner Petpere slaughter for
his children" says he (Chap. i4:4I)
jeremiah (Chap. 9 !: IL, 10 49, predicts
matter of sorrow, by commanding the com
mon attendants On mourning and iamenta-
tons to be gotten in readiness These are
his words" Consider ye, and call for the
mourning women shatlhey may come &
let them take up waiiing for u.s. SC. In
the prophecy OF Eek. (ch 39:l7, 1917
and in the Revelation Chap. l9: IL, 10, J
so far is this sliegoric spssst carried, thai
We find orders given 10 the brute creation
TO do, what is only intended as prediction
that they would do. It's pretty evident
that our Lord in the passage we are con-
sdering spase in this manner, and il is also
evident that the disciples understood this
literally and not as ii was intended, for they
immediately said" Lord here are two
swords" Our Lord perceived their mis-
axe, and only added --tt' Il is enough
without explaining himself any farther TO
them: save that wren Peter in the pleni-
tude of bis zeal attempted TO defend his
Lord BY force, Jesus ioibad him saying
9 Put up gain thy sword into his place !:
FOR all they that take the sword, shall perish
with the sword" (See further on this
Campbell, Vol. q. p 500
a=z=s=sz,r==
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