Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-06-20
PE.RCE
. NJ -" w For We freeman.
ONE WORD MORE TO CHRISTIANS
ABOUT WAR.


ONE WORD MORE TO CHRISTIANS
ABOUT WAR.
MEssRs. EDIToRs:-I again ask admission to
some corner of your paper, whence may adj
dress few more words to those of your readers
who profess to be the disciples of Christ!
Christians, let me press the question home
upon the reasoning conscience within you. Why
have you no more power with God and mani
AT this age of intellectual development, when
mere scientific, mercenary mind has made its
power felt throughout the material world, ami
hilating time and space, and tanning the light
nings to its will, why have you not secured to
the mind that was in Jesus Christ the mind of
the gospel sublime ascendency over all prin-
cipalities and powers, and brought every knee
to bow and every tongue to confess to the only
name given under heaven by which men, socie-
ties and nations may be saved and human gov
eminent be made perfect, in its spirit and func-
tons, as that of the great Lawgiver of the world
is perfect! Why has not the fitness of the Gen
tiles already come! why has not the fitness of
science come and all the rulers and domnons
Of the earth become, tributaries and obedent sub
jects to that King and kindom to which they
rightfully belong? Why is there to-day one SOL
itary being, made in Gods image, still bowling
down to gods which his own hands have made?
Why have you not deIuged, as it were, the whole
world with the light of the gospel putting BIZ
bic into the hands of every human being on the
globe? Why has not the christian religion that
selt-diffusing power which, under its primitive
apostles, carried its principles almost upon the
wings of the wind selfpreaching to the con-
sciences of men, as the power and wisdom of
God unto salvationl Are the pagans of to-day
more incorrlgibly incredulous than those who
bowed to the sceptre of Emanuel in Pauls dav?
Christians, the Prince of Peace to whom YOU
have sworn allegiance, will hold you responsible
for tie present condition Of mankind You have
given your power to the Beast, which has so
long desolated this world with sin, suffering. vo-
Ience and misery You have cut away from the
religion of Jesus Christ its Sampson locks, its
sublimest principles, and despoiled it of almost
the only attributes that distinguish it from the
religions of the heather world Every religion
invented by man patronized the lusts, the in
stncts, the "Ratur0l LoarS," of human nature.
The religion of Jesus Christ was given to extir-
pate those Iusts, to subugate those instincts, to
displace those natural laws with new laws writ
ten BY the spirit Of God on the human heart
But, in your love and leniency to human nature,
you have pleaded and prevailed with religion to-
spare those instincts and lusts, and let them
stand above all that is called God, above all the
teachings Of the Saviour, paramount to all d.
vine revelation. These enthroned, dehed lusts
and instincts usurping the place of the highest
attributes of the christian religion, have rcigned
for nearly fifteen hundred years, and filled the
earth with violence and blood. The christian
era would seem to distinguish period when
the battle-breeding usts Of human nature have
invested new forms Of lerocty and new facilities
Of destruction, under the stimulus of more Wig
orous religion than the old dull, sodden ethics of
pagansm.
Let us open our eyes to the light, however
painful it may be, and confess to the world our
folly in crowning our lusts and instincts, and
natural laws with the diadem which should sit
upon the brow of the Son ofGod And in the
docility of honest penitence, let us review the
process by which we have been cheated out of
our moral strength by which we have bLd out
of our religion the great element of its moral
power. Christian brc her, is there any ambigu-
ity about the mind that was in Jesus Christi Is
there anything that he said or did, from the
manger to the cross, which will permit you tc
pit sin against SIM evil against evil, reyiling a
gainst reviIing, and injury against injury, let YOU
natural instincts and spontaneous laws of actiot
dictate what they may' No,syou cannot chargl
the Saviour Humankind with the omission of
single precept or example whichswas nesessarj
to prohibit his followers from engaging IN wal
of any kind When he sard at Pilates bar TIM
his kingdom was not of this world he did no
say it was not in and OUer this world He dic
not renounce his tasuiis.scepue as king o
nations and king Of kings But he said Il Va
not of this WORLD that a. was not founded on it
policy, nor inspired with its spirit nor sustaine
by its brute and brutaIizing force; that his king
dom was his religion, and that was not of thi
world nor Of the human heart, nor the creature
nor the subject of its natural instincts, lusts an
laws and therefore the subjects of his kingdol
and the disciples Of his religion could not fight.
Messrs Editors, feel deeply indebted
your kindness and courtesy for the access yc
have given me to your columns. shou
be very grateful if you could make room for
few more articles which I propose to send yc
upon this important subject of Information
Peace, and the duties of Christian citizens wi
regard to it. ELlHU BURRTT.
Worcester, Mass June Sd, 1945.
ADDRESS,