Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-11-04

L
the superintendence of members Of the socie.
| ty of Friends. II would seem almost mpos
sible, that any honest minded person, shoule
arise from its careful peiusal, without being
convinced Of the utter inconsistency of al
wars with the precePts of Christianity
II The gifted author seems to have conclu
sively demonstrated, that so far from war be-
ing consistent with the doctrines taught by
Jesus Christ, II is dreadful combination OF
every evil which they bear testimony against
lie clearly shows by the Scriptures them.
selves, that whilst every argument of an ayf.
frmatire nature, to be drawn from the Gospel
is opposed TO tcor, all those passages by which
Casuists have sought to justify it, are without
exceptions of negatire character, which if
admitted SIS evidence of the lawfulness of war,
would equally establish the consistency with
Christianity, of many other monstrous crimes.
And if the silence of Jesus with regard to the
profession of the centurion whose faith he so
highly commended, was to be construed as
evidence in farOr Of ,ear, it might with equal
propriety be taken as an approval Of the Ro-
man $ Dorshjp as an dolater.
The author shows by unquestionablc evil
dencc, that for the t,cO first centuries Of the
Christian era, the followers of our Savior, in
all countries, and under all circumstances,
positively refused TO bear arms, and in many
cases laid down their lives in support of their
testimony against war.
He shows that it was not until after many
gross corruptions had gradually crept into the
church, to such an extent that professors Of
Christianity were even found officiating as
priests in the temples Of Hoiatry, that others,
making a similar profession, We're found serr-
ing an he ranks Of Heathen armies engaged IN
Dar This corruption in common with many
others, continued to increase during the third
century, and appears to have become very
generally established in the fourth after
union Of church and state (in other mords Of
prctcssed Christianity and PaganiSm,) had
been effected under Constantine, the first Ro-
man Emperor, that made profession of the
Christian religion since which period as is
well known to all readers of History, the
world has been made one great human slaught-
cr house by professors of Christianity.
With great strength and clearness, Dymond
most triumphanty overthrows the doctrines
of cxpcdiency so elaborately and ably advoca.
ted by Palcy, and overwhelmingly exposes
the fallacy of the latter writer's maxims, with
regard to what constitute sufficient grounds for
war; especially that in which Paley contends,
that The .tear Of injury is just cause for
,cdr.
Whilst mankind have ever been made
butchers of each other, under the delusivc
dea that the shedding of each others blood,
nations The author of the essay proves by |
well established facts that in ercry instance,
where communities have rclgiously abstained
rom resisting violence by arms, and have in
full, unwavcrrng and submissive faith, placed
heir whole reliance for protection Oh God
llone, His guardian care has ever been eX-
ended for their preservation, even in the
greatest extremtles Of seeming darger. AS
he instances some of the early set
lcrs of America, whilst engaged in sangui-
nary war with the Indians The colonists
who were armed, were constantly being kill
ID from ambushes, whilst passing about or
whilst at work in thclr fields, and were at
cngth compelled to abandon their homes and
seek safety in forts. The members Of the re-
igious society of Friends, who constituted
very considerable proportion of the settlers,
llone escaped uninurcd. Unarmed they at
ended to their labors in the field as usual by
lay, and lodged in their unprotected houses
It night, unmolestcd by the hostile savagcs.
The faith of three Friends at length failed
Two Of them took arms to their field Of labor,
md were kHied by the Hndians, who had pre-
;iously spared them as harmless unarmed men
The third, n woman, had resided for some
ime in her house with her children, in safety !
Ter faith too, at length gave way, she sought
afcty by fleeing for fort and was shot on
he way.
The author shows by official records, that
Turing the rebellion in Ireland, when all the
les Of society seemed sundered, and outrage
ind murder were the chief occupation of the
,opulace, that the houses Of Friends and Mo-
avians, were uninjured, and lett standing en-
ire amidst ruins, while not member of the
society of Friends, (who were numerous)
suffered from any party, excepting one young
nan who, assuming regimentais dndd arms, was
lain. II
Whilst it was the ordinary practice of the
people of the different colonies in America,
o establish and defend themselves by the
word, Dymond shows that whilst this course
rer faiied in securing safety, Pennsylvania
ettled and governed under the auspices of
Nm. Penn and the society of Friends, mih-
MT a neapon Of defence in the colony, but de-
,ending solely upon the experimenting care
# Divine Providence for protection, subssted
or more than seventy years amidst six Indian
lations, and surrounded by other tribes hos
lie to the whites in general, and not man,
woman or child of the colonists nere injured
y them. II