Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1847-06-22
Far fHs Palladium
For the IGtLdCtuH
san Address to the Society Of Friends, On
the subject of WAR"

tho subject OF war"
Fa,ruD Ep,reas-A late number of the "Ea-
ton Register contains essay under the above
title, with the signature of A. NJ, which deserves
passing notice. must confess, however, that
feel some modcsty in replying to an sold man.
who has written loi., article in defence Of acdr
Elm tho spirit of charity and friendship,' but as
the web being of mankind, and the universal in
huoncs Of christianity, subjects Of deepest
import, perhaps he will allow me to arrest his
attention with few considerations, which he
seems not heretofore have thought upon.
shall hastily refer to a few of the sad fa!la-
cies into which his mind has been led, and en-
deavor to show, in brief way, their total incom-
patabiIity with the precepts and spirit Of the
Gospel Of Peace. In the first place he assures
that il 10 proper for "to submit to every ordi-
nance Of man in the defence Of his country"
This il the foundation Of his whole argument
and he follows with the conclusion that our
country must be governed by military lar.
In making this broad assumption he seems
to have forgotten the declaration Of Peter, ave
ought to obey God rather than man. The VII
ter ought TO have the absurdity of his doc
trine. He must ascribe much censure 10 Danlul
and his brethren when they refused to observe
the unalterablc Medo- Persian law which required
them to worship the Golden Image. Does he
not know that in every land the blood Of the
christian has been shed because his religion for
bids him to comply with the acquisitions of the
law This doctrine would compeia man 10 act
out the obligations imposed by every govern
ment in which hs might be found, let it be Ma
homedan Pagan or Jewish Such a doctrine
must take a christians conscience from his bo-
.,fL 80, fr.a and dor
him mere vassal Of his fellow man in power.
1t needs no further reply.
Again, the writer gays, "our Saviour reasoned
that a military band, armed with swords and
clubs, might be necessary and proper to aPpre-
bend thief or robber but not him who never
resisted or violated the laws" This is evidently
the suthOr's reasoning and not our Savor's
Jesus says, "are ye come ont against thief
with swords and slaves for to take me?'' and in
like manner is the statement made by all the
evangelists. Any candid reader will perceive
that the distinction here assumed is foreign to our
Savior's meaning. Again, the author totally
inisapprehend the object of this important occa-
sion. The order given to the disciples ''let
him that hath sword sell his GARNER Mt and buy
one" They reply, "Lori here are two swords, ;
He says, sit is enough" When met by the
wants of the High Priests, Savior avai's
himself of the occasion to show how utterly in
efficient is physical defence, and how opposed
arc his preceps to carnal weapons, Peter struck II
servant and cut off his The order TO him
was promptly made, 'put up thy sword into its
place: for they that take the sword shall perish
with the sword and by the breath of his spirit
"thcy went backward and fell TO the ground. =
lie tells them that twelve legions Of angels
would come al his bdding-a clear and convin-
cling evidence TO his disciples that his power TO
defend did not consist in carna weapons, but in
tho terrors which he could send into the enemy ;
mind.
A. M. next refers to the text If my kingdom
fight" and the "plaia' influence he makes is
that the governments Of this world "must have
q military force. Here is a latitude of induction
unsurpassed in tho history Of logic. Because
the kingdom Of Christ is not Of this world. men
ought to fight. Reader, what thinkest thou.
Again lac says, according TO the Gospel it is
the duty Of the christian to honor aud obey the
constituted authorities of the church and state.
lobby the constituted authorities of the church
and state..' What church and state? The Ro
man, Greek. any church 1t matters no:
whether christianity approve the measure
whether the will of God is in it, You must obey
the church and state. This doctrine would have
done well for the 10Th century when it was rig
orousIy enforced but in this day of reformation lis
serious advocates must be found amongst those
who would bring us under the Parai rule and
subject ChrIstenden, TO all the heart-scfl ming
tragedies Of a cruel age. It is too palpahly in
consistent with true christian liberty to need
further notice. "Obey them that have the rule
over you''-s'let every soul be subject to the
higher powers are texts brought IN support of
the above assumption The first, he says, refers
to the church. and the second TO the state. Why
did he not read farther to find what officers Of
church and state are to be obeyed. "Tor there
ordained of God. Who SO resisteth the power,
resisteth the ordinance of God sc. "tor he
is q minister of G Cd TO thee for good II all
our rulers were men OF this oracE then every
Quaker, should obey them. mot only for
wrath, but for conscience sake, but since our
men in power are often Of the contrary character
let him "render unto Cesar the things that are
Caesars, and 10 G cd the things that God's."
Next follows a long and labored argument to
prove to us that the early christians were fighting
characters. Alas, that the rulers of the 18Th
weapons of their warfare were not carnai but
mighty through God to the pnlling down of
strong holds of sin and iniquisy. They had the