Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-02-21
,st.Ixas about the Cause OF Peace.

|. The strict snrsoIa6itaty of haman
life Is no part Of the peace cause. Some
Of its advocates do hold this doctrine; but
the cause itself is no more responsible for
it than the cause Of temperance is for the
political or religious errors of its friends.
Even the Quakers.do not make. the in
volatility of human life one of their es-
sential principles; for William Penn him
self introduced capital punishment into
the laws which he framed fo- his prov
ince. Whelpfey, one of the earliest and
STRONGEST writers in modern times on the
subject of peace, insisted in bis Letters to
Gov Strong on the abolition of capital
punishment, as incompatible with the Cos
pei, and fatal to the cause of peace; but
it is a mistake to suppose, that Professor
Upham, "in maintaining that capital pun
ishments for any crime are contrary both
70 Scripture and the public good" agrees
"with all those who hold to the unlaw-
fitness of public defence against violence"
The very reverse is true; for the advo-
Gates of non-resistance by force against
foreign aggression, generally regard gov
ernment as entrusted with discretionary
power to use the sword in restraining IT'S
oaon Subjects This admission involves
the main difficulty; for if government
may employ force to put down mob, or
a gang of robbers, Why may it not resist
a foreign invader in the same way 3
Here's the rub; and in due time will
endeavor to show the difference aohicb God
himself has made betooeen the tscO cases.
This is the key; and hope it will be
found sufficient for its purpose.
2. TIE cause Of peace IS regarded By
not q teao as distinct from Christianity.
There never was a more entire mistake.
We take peace to be as trul y part Of
the gospel as repentance or faith; and
efforts for the spread of pacific principles
we view in the same light with the means
employed by missionary and other socie-
ties to enforce upon mankind the duties of
repentance towards God, anc faith in our
Lord Jesus Christ. The work in each
case belongs properly to the church as
part of her religion; but, since she has
neglected it for ages, Christians have en-
deavored to supply the deficiency by vol
untary organizations, the necessity OF
which, arising solely from her own fault,
will be superseded whenever she shall
come to do her whole duty on all the
points embraced by the various enterprises
of Christian benevolence and REFORM
The cause of peace is pecularly Chris
tian. It's objects, its principles, and its
| means are strictly, pre-eminently evangel-
ical. 1t seeks to regulate the intercourse
of nations, as we'll as individuals oy the
principles of the gospel; aud, however
much incidental aid may yet come from
patriots and phiIanthropists, the entire re-
sponsibility, aud nearly all the prelimina,
ry labor must dcvolve upon the followers
of the Prince of peace.
5. We have never dreamed of pushing
oar efforts In this cause beyond the limits
of Christeudom. We regard the gospe!
as the only effectual antdote to war; we
aim at nothing more than right appIica,
ton OF this divinely appointed remedy for
the ar-gangrene of our race; we seek
to spread the principles of peace only
where Christianity prevails; and, though
the example Of all Christendom basking
in the constant sunshine of peace, would
probably put an end to the trade OF human
butchery through the world, yet our I'M
mediate object will be accomplished when
wars shall cease from every land best
with the light of revelation and peace, as
a part Of our religion, shall 60 hand in
hand with the gospel over the whole
earth We insist only upon the pacifca-
ton Of our qcorId as fast as 1T shall b.
concerted to Coda point overlooked by
Christians for fifteen centuries, yet indis.
pensable to the fulflment of prophecies
respecting the universal spread and trl.
umph Of the gospel.
4. We propose no specific substitute fo9
acar. We are not such quacks as to pre-
scribe catholicon for a moral leprosy
like this which has overspread the whole
earth for more than five thousand years
There is no patent remedy, no local ap.
! pHcation that will cure disease which
has been so long infusing its virus into
the life-blood Of humanity; but there is
balm in Gilead of power sufficient tic
eradicate this deep-seated maIady, and
3 bring the general system into such state
as will efectually and spontaneously re-
, sist it. This is the change we seek tc
produce in individuals, communities anc
nations; and such change would, as &
matter of course, put an end to war ii
some way. In aohat way, a generation O
peace-makers would be at no loss to de-
ternine; and if Christendom were filled
with the spirit and principles of peace, we
; might safely leave this point with it:
rulers.
, S. Some complain that the principles O.
f peace are not settled and uniform; bu
they are quite as much so as in most rel