Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-08-09
ouRIsTIANs AND THE WAR.

CEtIEISVLAN6 AND 'AA1AaA ~ <AAes
Cannot a good ChristIan be n good
Patriot and fight Tor his Country
just other people do
From Communication in the American Christian
ReTiew.l
depiore war. Iregard it monstrous
evil, but in this wicked world 1t sometimes
becomes n necessary evil. Sometimes it IS
the only path way to peace. Military
STRENGTH is almost the sole guarantee OF
exemption from war, anarchy, and violence
in this unjust world. Let me present
briefly few reasons for believing that the
Christian, though never to seek 1t, can en-
gage sometimes in war.
Is government right? Paul says it is
ordained of God. All would be anarchy
without it. yet in this wicked world, gos-
ernHent could not crist for an hour irithoW
.,sr-io15 The masses may peacefully obey,
but force is requisite for the wicked' the
dishonest. the rebellious. Ii government
il Tight. the means which must be resorted
10. to sustain it, cannot necessarily be sin
Tni. If so, God, who Ordains governments,
does evil that good may come. Ii my
horse is stolen, who will say that it IS sin
fnI for me to call upon the proper officers
tn arrest the culprit and to return my pro-
nerty? Force arrests him; il he resists
She puts forth her arm. If the band OF
thieves number hundred and Al posse of
five hundred are called on to arrest them,
the principle is the same. Is the Christian
n mart of the government, or is he n civil
droue in society? Joseph of Artmathen
was n senator, as far as we know Zaccheus
remained 4 publican, Dionysius an Areop1-
pite ami the converted oiicers OF CAESARS
househould retained their positions
Since the Christian votes aud enjoys the
full fruition of the laws, he it part of the
government and cannot refuse to sustain
it in just cause. Either he can sat!uia q,
or he is an incubus TO his country; Il state Is
real IN The proportion of is Christian eis-
rIenI and he coarerSo8 of a majority Of The
pcoDis trouid result IN Hmiona! ruin. Are
Won prepaced for the legitimate results OF
your premises?
.. Let ms see how facts correspond with
this theory When soldiers came to John
seeking the baptism of repentance, instead
of commanding them to abandon their
calling, he told them to use lawiess vio-
lcnce to no man and 10 be content lCth tier
,raqes. These were the merceuaries of a
tvrant, not patriots in arms for their coun-
try. But passing beyond John, beyond
the examples that might be adduced from
the ministry of Christ, beyond the iuaugu-
ration OF the kingdom, we pause with Cor
nelius, II deyout man, but Roman cei'tW-
rioa, the captain of II hundred soldiers-he
is converted aud there is not the slightest
intimation in the record that he threw up
! his commission. the Christian can never
be soldier, Cornelius left the army imme-
diately and inspiration by emitting the fact
has failed to settle this vital question i
I The fact is, the first Gentle Christian rus
a soldier aud T.RiGiuei solder. Other eX-
amples might be presented, but it must
suffice to say that there is no evidence in
/ the sacred record that single soldier de-
serted or was dismissed from the ranks on
conversion.
I ,. The Christian is a citizen of two king.
I doms, Christ's end Cesar's. For the one,
/ since not OF the world, he can never resort
/ to carnal weapons, but as the other is of
+ this world, its servants must fight TO up
hold it. Here must we seek the true ex-
7 PLANTATION of many texts that seem to teach
nou-resistauce. Let it ever he understood
/ that the nature OF ChristS kingdom, pre-
Guides all but spiritual weapons, but If we
are good citizens ofan earthly kingdom,we
must heed the rulers mandate, and use the
/ requisite means to sustain its government.
a single passage appears, when properly
understood, to set the matter at rest. My
I kingdom is not OF this world ''ifit irsrc,"
pure as would be its ruler, just as would be
/ the government, "tdeH you'd my servants
fight for me- Earthly governments are
/ right, the Christian is a subject of, and
must, by our Savior's own language fight
| for them.