New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-01-29

and commandments OF our Saviour are pacific In the
fullest degree strictly enoining the forgiveness Of
injuries making it the only condition upon which
men can hope To be forgiven--and if He as strictly
prohibited the indulgence Of spirit OF resentment
or retaliation -
II the early converts. under the teaching Of the
Apostles and their immediate successors, were so
solenDly impressed with the belief that war was
forbidden by their holy Redeemer. that they could
not be induced 10 bear arms for any earthly con
sideration," many Of them noby yielding up their
lives in confirmation Of the sincerity Of their faith -
If all this be ndisputabe, We ask If the PROPOSE
tlon is not fully and clearly estabished-thst war
Ia grevious violation Of the principles Of our holy
religionl
Ii remains now to account for the change that has
taken place in the practice Of the professors Of this
benign religion, in relation to The importance
Of the subject, and the magnitude OF the evils
sequent upon the change call for the clearest evil
dence Of ts propriety. and Of its consistency with
the precepts and spirit Of the Gospel
The Apostles foretod that siter their decesse.
departure from the purity Of the Christian faith
would take place-that men would arise speak
ing perverse things, 10 draw away disciples after
them, and that many would follow their PERM
cous ways by reason Of whom tee way Of truth
would be evil spoken Of
That this prediction was strictly fulfilled. will be
generally admitted. The falling away from the
meek and unresistipg spirit which so conspicuous
ING pace with the increase OF the general profga-
cy, and was doubtless accelerated by the corrupt
ing influence Of a union between the Church and
the State.
When princes adopted the Christian religion from
motives Of state policy IL is not Just cause OF sur
prise that courtiers should claim 10 be converts
nor that a modified and adulterated system OF re.
ligion should ensue, and Ultimately prevail among
subjects-nor that war should cease 10 be regarded
a violation Of the spirit and precepts OF the Cog
pei
1t will no. be denied. that the precepts and in
functions of our blessed Lord binding upon lndi'
ydual believers. II becomes then an inquiry OF the
utmost importance, and we commend II to the Ia
ture snd solemn reflection OF all BY what human
authority-by what human tribunal can 4 commu'
nifty be absoved from the observance OF those ID.
vine laws aud iniunctons which are acknowledged
10 be binding upon It's individual members
Ifit be said that Christianity exonerates nations
from those duties which she has imposed upon m
d,cidu0is, we ask for the ground upon which the
assumption is bnsed II the plea OF expedIency be
made does il not imply disuust OF Divine protec.
ton And ifexpediency be a Justification OF 'lo-
lation Of one Divine law 1t is not perceived WY It
may not. with equal prOprety be urged IN Justill.
cation OF a violation OF every other Divine Jaw II
human law may abrogate or suspend one Jaw o.
God. why may not the same authority exercise the
same poser in regard 10 every other la" OF the
Creatorl Again II the plea Of cxpedency inreia-
ton to Christian doctrine aud practice be adnissi
bic by il could not the multitude OF martyrs nave
escaped who offered up their lives rather than de-
ny the Lord that bought them or violate his hoiy
iniunctions
II NAV be said-indeed it is often said-thst war.
though great evil is an evil that cannot be avoid
ed in the present state Of the world and tbs con-
cusiOn may serve 10 quiet the c0nscences oi many
whose feelings revolt at the fearful realities OF war
Let us examine the correctness Of the conclusion,
that war is unavodable-hss the trial been MADE
and found TO be impracticabie
1t is indeed 70 be regretted that no instance OF a
strictly national character has yet occurred TO test
the practicabity of the principle for which we
plead-an unreasoniDg reliance upon the Omnipo'
tent Arm for protection and defence Ihere is
however a case 10 which may refer, oil a strong
character and sufficiently national for al the Pur-
poses OF our argument Pennsylvania, u is known,
was settled by men who believed that Christianity
forbade war under any and every pretext nhey
acted in strict accordance with this belief lhey
We re surrounded by men who knew nothing oil
written treaties, or the obligations OF revealed re-
ligion; bv men who were addicted 10 war In its
most sanguinary and revolving forms and yet
Z" for more than seventy years and up to the time
that the government OF the Colony passed into
other hands, they enjoyed uninterrupted peace.
"The Pennsylvanians says GARRISON became
armed. though without arms the became strong
though without rength they became sale, with
out the ordinary means OF safety. For the greater
part of a century, and never, during the adminisua
ton of William Penn, or that OF hs proper success
sors was there a quarrel or a war. " w hAteVer
the qarrels ofthe Pennsy lvania Indians were with
others they uniformly respected, and held sacred
as it were the territories Of William Penn
The settlers of Pennsy vania, relying upon Di-
vine protection, placed themselves IN the midst OF
sayaees without the ans OF resisting aggression
and even savage magnanimity felt the appeal
suppressed the war-cry-and permitted them 10
possess the land in undisturbed repOse. What
lesson, may We not ask, to Christian nations
How painfully, how instructiyely, does the STU.
alton of other American colonies contrast with this!
We will not attempt to portray II but refer 70 the
| blood stained pages of colonial history.
VIII IL be said that the same contflng spirlt and
peaceable department II practiced IN sincerity ana
truth toward nations protesting the benign religion
of the Gospel would be more dangerous, or less
successful We trust not; such conclusion
,ronla he n libel uuon mankind-a denial of the ELI
cscv of the Christian religion-and an inexcusable
dsirust of the Providence and moral government oi
God.
Ills not unusual to attempt a justification OF war
under the Gospel dispensatlon, by referring TO the
wars of the Jews. under the dlspensaton oil the
| Law Ii is conceded that many OF these wars were
authorized by the Supreme Ruler OF the universe
for purposes Of his own inscrutabe wisdom out
/ this high authority cannot be claimed by 'nrisusn
nations aud it has been shown that the Two DIS
pensations are essentially diiferent-that hoy men
during the continuance of the legal dispensatlon'
I
] time would come when nation should cease 10 lslt
90 sword against nation or to learn war any mere
We have seen thst the Divine Author and Founder
ofthe existing dispensation, called the attention Of
his followers to those violent and vindictVe pas
sions the indulgence OF which were allowed under
the Law, for the express purpose OF excluding them
from the code OF morals which II was his purpose
70 establish and that bis immediate followers
and their successors for nearlytwo centuries, ntiiy
believed that War was forbidden by their DIVINE
Master. We have shown that the conviction was
so solemnly sealed upon their conscienees tnal
when called by the rulers OF that day to serve a,
soldiers no earthly consideration or suffering could
induce them to swerve from this article OF p1niiSe
| Christian faith. -,
And the early writers lreneus Justin Marty
! and Tertnan. affirm as their belief TIA, the pioPn
/ ecy which declares that men should turn ueh
swords into plowshares aud their spears INTO pruh
! ing hooks was then fulfilled.
With the hope of enforcing our views upon tni'
subject and for the purpose OF showing tnst the)
are neither wild nor visionary, We here ouer 1h'
sentiments Of persons respecting Il, VINO lNei "
different periods OF time. and were eminent ioT theu
piety or learning.
War" says Erasmus. 'does more harm 70 the
morals of men than even TO their property and per
h.,l af.a a