Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-01-11
PEACE DEPARTMENT.
Layfulness of War for Christians, Exam-
ined.


Is, that the Christians of the first two
centuries refused taking any part in the .
war, on account ofits Inconsistency with
the spirit ofchristianity to confirm that .
statement, subjoin the following extracts
from the writings of the primitive chlis- .
tiaHs, as quoted by Thomas CIarkson. /
Justin the Martyr, one Of the earliest
writers of the second century, says, the
devil is the author of all war" A Sc
we're sentence, and made even at time
when wars were considered the most
honourAble profession, and leading to
glory.
Iatan, and Clemens of Alexandria,
men of high Standing, speak decidedly
against the lawfulness Of war.
Tertulian strong Y condemned the
practice Of bearing aims, as it related to
Christians, saying, in his dissertation on
the worship Of idols,'' Though the SOL
Giers came 10 John, and received certain
form to be observed and the centurion
believed yet Christ by disarming Peter,
disarmed every soldier afterwards: for
custom never sanctions an illicit act"
And in his "soldier's garland" he says,
- can a soldiers life lie lawful, when
Christ has pronounced, that he who lives
by the sword shall perish by the sword ?
And shall he, who is not to avenge his
own wrongs, be instrume ntal in bringing
others into chains, imprisonment, tor
ments, death 2"
Cyprian, in his epistIe to Donatus, af-
ter observing on the dismal prospect OF
seas beset with pirates, highways with
robbers, encampmen,s, marches, and all
the terrible forms OF war and bIoodsht d,
says, "when a single murdtr is commit
ted, it shall be dee med a crime but that
crime shall commence virtue when COM
mitt.d under the shelter of public author,
| ity so that punishment is not rated by
the measure Of guilt but the more enor-
nous the size Of the wickedness, so much
| greater the chance for impunty"
Lactantius, who lived some time after
Cyprian, in his treatise concerning the
true worship of God says, " it can never
be lawful for righteous man TO so to
war, whose warfare is unrighteousness
itself" And again, =" it can never be
lawful to kill man, whose person the
Divine Being designed to be sacred, as to
violence"
Oriyen, Archilaus, Ambrose, Chrvsos-
tom Jerome, Cyril and indeed, every chris
tan writer ofthe second century, who no.
tces the subject of war, makes it awful
for christians.
These were the sentiments Of the early
christians; what was their practice? Ter
| tuIlan, In his discourse to ScapuIa, tells
US, that in the wars between the Emperor
Terus, and Avidius Drassus, and those Of
the Emperor Severus, with Clodius Abb
nus, between the years, 100 andl98, no
! christians were to be found in these ar
niles, though they were largely extended,
and christianity had reached to all the pla-
ces in which these armies were
Clemens ofAlexandria, gives the chris
tIans OF his day, the appeIIation of"peace-
able, or the followers Of peace" Thus
distinguishing them from the soldiers of
his age; and says expressly, that those
who were the followers of peace, used
none Of the instruments of war.
Advantageous and other early writers,
remark, that the christians in their time
abStained when they were struck, from
striking again, and even refused to 20 to
law with those who injured them. They
also kept away from the shows ofthe gla-
dIators, giving it as reason, lest we
should become partakers of the murders
committed there.'
A case of refusal to fight, as recorded
by Ruinart, is to the Eoint. Macmillan.
young man, being brought before the
trlbunaI IN order to be enrolled as a SOL
der, Dion the proconsul, asked him his
Nance: MaxlmIllan replied, "whv wouldst
thou know my name, | ain a christian,
and cannot fight" On his refusal to com.
ply, still asserting he was christian.
don replied, bear arms or thou shalt
die to which the youth replied, Il cam
not hight IT die, | am not soldier ofthis
world, but soldier of God.' Dion said
"who has persuaded thee to behave thus q"
Macmillan answered, my own mind
and he who called me-" Dlon comman'
ded, take thy arms, and receive the
mark. s. L can receive no such mari ,,
says Macmillan, Il have already the
mark Of ChrIst.' Upon which Dion 70.
pIIed' Z" will send thee quickly to thv
Christ "Thon mayest do So" answere}
Macmillan, but the glory will BE- mine"
Dion then babe the officer mark him
but Macmillan still persisted in refusino
and spoke thus: &" am christian, and Il
is not lawful to wear such a mark. when |
| have received the mark of the Lord 10.
sus Christ, the son of the living God who
died to give US Lie Him ali we chris.
tans obey him wefolow as the restorer
of our life, and the author of our saliva.
ton" Dion said, L" consider thy youth
and bear arms: the profession of arms be-
comes a young man. He replied, INV
arms are with the Lord cannot fight
for any earthly consideration | am now