Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-01-07
: AsOLEMMgAPpEAL, !

fetL gI0B. ~ sz 81 Il u e :,
s Man is placed in this world In a statesof
trial to prepare him for another. Every
hing which is favorable to that preparas
ton should be sedulorsly cherished by
him, and eFefyth hing which is unfayoras
bic ought 10 be carefully aYoided Now,
it seviident thatnothing can be more I'M.
favorable to Self arhination, 6 the study
.of the holy scriptures; than q state Of war.
Allowing The war TO be ever so iustifable-
ever SO consistent with the pure. Deaceful,
hsi.nble precepts of the gospel, the very
excitement, the al l-aBsorb interest,
which engresses the whole ssoul in time
of war, and chains it down to things Of
time and sense, initiate against REVEALS
q The Spirit, like some peaeefu ID dove,
Flees from the realms Of noise and strife,
Suppose; that, BY a miracle Of divine
grace. solder should bee converted. He
loves God He loves all God s creatures,
and his whole soaF goes out Id benevolent
feeling towards the whole human race.
How can he,@ IN sue b. d state of feeling
plunge bis bayonet into the heart of a SIM
tiSl duueeClIe 1ttltitl[ eRBIl pSth4lIOu E
However others may eonceIre the abstract
idea of loving an enemy and pFay ing for
HIM, and at the same time sending his.
soul TO hell, flo my mind !, il is perfectly
inconceiFabie1 The very objeet:o war
'iste distress the enemy, to cutoff his sup
plies, and its tender mercy isSto starpe
him into Submission. =. :. IL thing enemy
hunger feed @.hrnS If he thirst give HIM
drink, ~ These arethe express Commands
of Christ; which thesoldier must v7iolate..--
To obey them would sEe to subject; him,
self 70 the charge Of. treason and the pun-s
ishinent ofdeah If he then lives ia the;
habituat violation of the comm lands Of
Christ, how can he grow and Increase In
grace. A young conyeart loves the sanetu-
and the deli ghts of the sabbath, but,
he IS commented to fight, xii and destroy
onthat holy day How can he sbe in in the
spirit on the Lord day r.. Pr 2 -, =,
:. Can we suppose that q general would
ever pray, fora revival IN has army g.
What would he dowiith a revival on the:
eve of a battfeE II would destroy all his
hopes Of victory Accordingly We find,
that the most able generals have. depreca-
ted religion. Bonaparte, the greatest gen.
eral that the world ever saw, allowed no
priests in his army, He said he did not
ikea religious soldier-thatz the worse
the man, the better the soldier; and that if
soldiers were. not corrupt they should be
made so, and his great success showed.
that he understood human nature but too
we'll. {. = -. =. :, -. @ 5:E , ~ =
But it is useless to proceed farther, to
show that there isno hopes Of a revival IN
time of War, and though, in times of peace,
when the eommon practices. of war are
suspended, there may be- some show Of
religion in a barrack, fear there. is but
little oftheTeality. We heard, some years
ago, ola revival of reiigion at W est Point.
My curiosity was much excited by such.
an anomaly, and Itook some pains to in
.quire of the chaplain. concerning IT, He;
informed me that there was some serious
ness, butthat, in almost if not quite every
instance, when the subject oft did not
leave the institution, his religion left him,
and the chaplain himself left also. This.
was in time Of pea e and under. The most
favorable circumstances. The Young.
gentlemen there had: not yet become con.
Illuminated with. scenes of bloodsbed and.
murder, yet religion could not live there. i
But who ever heard of revival of zreli-
.gion In acamp or barraek IN time Of war |!
=, War has not only this deplorable effect
Eonthose Immediately engaged in il, but,
THE very nature of war is eaca lated to de.
.stroy ell religious feeling in ias. fae nation.
that wages it: In the excitement of war
Eeaused by military dis the noise of
Ecann6nI drums and flies, the zelanger of
3ffunpets and The. din ofafns, what time time:
Eis there for religions meditation All
the conversation turns on the news ofthe.
war. T he stiffness of the sabbath is dis
Eturbed by the march of armies, the arrival
of prizes, the rejoicing for victories, the
rageof defeat and the eonfusii ndecasioned
by prebaration against attaek.siEA A. revival
of religion cannot be expected at such "a
time and facts, i believe, via warrant me
I'm saying that they seldomo never occur.
A great revival Of religion coma menced
in NeE=Esn gland. a D. l7E3333 ,t which COM
tihted, at intervals unit 1 the, troubles Of
the revolution commenced Fherezwere
Ia few partial reyiEals at the commence
lfnent of the war, bun the war extingui
themsall. aad general dissolution Of man-
liners prevailed This. ] befieEe,sis unde-
ttniable Efhsre MIG 81 haFe=beenl some re-
fyiyals Of religion during the last smarsbdt
LIDO hotreeolIeet of ever hearing OF any
/ But i appears to me- as thoii9h was
attempting TO. prove a self evident propo-
sitioa. appeal the 1nmon sense Of
my readers 10 .saysiif war be not calcula-
tied to pptan end4o REVEALS Of religgion =
/ But whether OF no. IN the general result;
that war and feViiyals do not flourish To-