Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1848-04-20


Penn, or that of his proper successors, was
there a quarrel or war;" Whatever the
quarrels of the Pennsylvania Indians were with
others, they uniformly respected, and held sa-
cred, as il were, the territories OF William
Penn" a
The settlers of Pennsylvania, relying upon
Divine protection, placed themselves IN the
midst of savages, without the means OF resist
ing aggression; n;-and even savage magnanImiiy
telt the appea---su suppressed 'he war-cry---ano
permued them to possess The land In nnais-
tutbed repuse. What a lesson, may we moi
ask, TO Christian nations
How painfully, how inslructively, does The
situation of oher American colonies CONTRAST
with this We will not attempt to portray II
but refer 10 the blood stained pages OF colonial
history.
Will il be said that The same confding spirit.
and peaceable department, If practised IN sn'
cery aud truth, towards nations protesting the
benign religion of the Gospel, would be more
dangerous or less successful We trust not
---such conclusion would be libel upon man
kinda denial of the efficacy of The Christian
an lnexcusable disrusl of the
Providence and moral government of God.
Ii Is not unusual TO attempt justification OF
war under the Gospel dispensa'ion, by referring
to the wars of The Jews, under the dIspehsatlon
of The Law. |, is conceded hat many of these
wars were authorized by the Supreme Ruler
of the universe, for purposes of his own IN
scrutabe wisdom bu. this high authority can
not be claimed by Christian nations and it
has been shown that The Two dispensatons are
essentially differen,---hat holy men during the
continuance of the legal dispensa,on, predicted,
under The influence Of the spirit of prophecy,
that the time would come when nation should
cease 10 lift up sword against nation, or to learn
war any more. We have seen that the Divine
Author and Founder of the existing dispensa-
tion, called The attention of his followers TO
those violent and vlndiclve passions, the in
diligence of which were allowed under the
Law, for the express purpose of excluding
them from the code Of morals which il was
His purpose 10 establish and tha, His imme-
dla,e followers and their successors for nearly
two centuries. firmly believed that war was for
biIden by their Divine Master. We have
shown that the conviction so sOemny
sealed upon their consciences, that W hen called
by The rulers of that day To serve soldiers,
no earthly consideration or suffering could IN
duce them To sweIye from this article OF prlml-
tive Christian faith.
And the early writer's, Ireneus, Justin Mar
lyr, and Terlulllan, affirm as lhelr belief, that
the prophecy which declares that men should
torn their swords into poughshares, and their
spears into pruning hooks. was then fulfilled.
With the hope of enforcing our views upon
this subject, aud for the purpose of showing
lha, they are neither wild or visionary, we here
offer The sentiments of persons respecting II,
who lived at different periods Of time, and were
eminen, for their pleIy or learning.
War" says Erasmus, F." does more harm TO
The morals u men than even To their property
and persons land again. g They who defend
war; must defend the disposition, which lead
TO war and ,hese dispositions are absolutely
forbidden by The Gospel"
Richard Watson, Bishop Of Llandaff, asserts
1h.t War has practices and principles, pecu-
liar to itself, which bat i'll quadrale with the
rules of moral rectiiude. and quite abhor-
rent TO the benigni,y of Christianity"
Edward Hyde. Earl of Clarendon and Lord
high Chancellor of England, says, 'ha, " War
introduces and propaga'es opinions and Prac'l-
ces as much against Heaven as against earth ;
it lays nur nature and our manners as waste as
our gardens and habiiaons and We can as
easily preserve the beauty of the one as the in
tegri,v of the other under The cursed jurisdiction
of drums and trumpets."
William Law. pous minister of The church
of England, aud well known as the author OF
/" A Practical Trea'lse on Christianity" AYERS
that "There is not virtue of Gospel goodness,
but has It's death blow from war"
The eminent Dr. " Knox, after remarking
that almost all the professions have some char
acfers'ic manner. observes, 1t happens, un-
fortunately, that pfoHIgacy, llberlnism, and IN
fidelity. are thought bv weaker minds, almost
as necessary part OF soldiers uniform. as
his shnulderknor To hesitate at an oath. to
decline in,oxica,ion, to profess regard for re-
ligion would be almost as ignomlnoas as TO
refuse challenge"
The British poet. Sou.hey, lwiihs'anding
he had euIogized ,he heroes of his native land,
was constrained 10 speak in term, OF high CON-
meuda,,on of those who refuse to fight; and he
declares thai 1.-The Prohibition Of war by our
Divine Master, is plain, literal. aud undenia-
BILE"
The Bishop Of LANDAU, already quoted,
SAYS. :" am persuaded thai when the spirl OF
Christianity shall exert, its proper influence over