The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-04-22
To the WAN ClergY.

To the War Clergy.
GENTLEMEN Il address you because you
represent the great body of American clergy
whom a majority of the people are beginning
to hold responsible fer much of the terrible
spirit of revenge and slaughter which DESC
lates our land. One of you in a late Thanks
giving sermon said, fthe nation is possessed of
the DEVIL 1t is, alas! too true. Thu spirit
of war is of the devil. If the precepts of
Christ are true, all who encourage the revenge,
cruelty and inhuman reliance of war are chill
dren of the devil, because his works they do.
"Where, gentlemen, have these bad tenn
pers of the devil been more encouraged than
in the pulpits of the United States? While
the horrors of the battle field have been as
much as possible assuaged by a christian and
enlightened General like Mcclellan, a MAORI
of our pulpits have raved, and stormed, and
be1ched forth the smoke and fame of the bot
tomless pit. From the lips of the clergy the
satanic sneer has gone forth that nobody was
hurt
"One of your numbers declares that we
want Generals and soldiers who delight to
swim in blood. Have you forgotten that you
profess to be the followers of one who was the
Prince of Peace-who came into this world
to teach the nations to beat their swords into
ploughshares and their spears into pruning
hooks; SO that a nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war
any more? The great lesson of his life was in.
the language of his lips--sPut up thy sword
"You are teachers of a gospel which was
sent to spread peace on earth and good will
among men, One of you in a Thanksgiving
sermon said, Thank God for the rebellion and
the war; You whose preaching embowels hu
mainly. and fills the affairs of religion with
blood, followers of the Divine One who said
RESIST not evil" are you not rather followers
of the Prince of Darkncss?'
"Do you not enter your pulpits every Sun
day morning as Marius entered Rome, burn
ing with revengeful memories of the marches
of Minturna2 Instead of opening the gate of
the kingdom of heaven to make men of zone
heart and of one mind one would think your
mission was open to the temple of Janus
Instead of preaching and praying to make
our country what Christ meant all nations
should be. "a kinedom
make it a province of hell. Your prayers go
out like poisoned arrows, only to wound and
kill.
"Like the keathen law-giver, you have new
er seen God only in the midst of flames and
swords. You are living back those thousands
of years in the brute ages of the world, not
followers of the Lamb, but the savage and
bloody disciples of Thor and Odin. The meek
voice that once breathed peace AMIR tn
hills of Galilee, you have never heard. Nc
in Galilee bat in Golgotha were your affairs
built.
"The great Erasmus said, All tho condi-
tions of war are absolutely forbidden by the
gospel You, gentlemen, know that the pre-.
certs of Christ forbid them. You know that
the early christians, those who lived immedi-
ately after Christ, who were instructed by his
apostles, believed that a christian could not
fight.
"Maximilian, a Roman convert to christian
ity, on being brought before the tribunal to be
enrolled as a soldier, declared to the Pro-
consult am q christian and cannot fight
When told that he must bear arms or suffer
death, he replied, Il cannot fight, if 1 die
and brayely suffered death rather than violate
the principles of his religion.
GA Roman centurion, by the name of Mer-
%cellus, on being converted to christianity re-
signed his commission, declaring, 1T is not
lawful fer a christian to bear arms for any con-
sideration.' He too suffered death for refu-
sing to fight. So Cassia, a Roman Notary, was
put to death for the same cause. Il am said
he, "a christian, and therefore cannot fight
Great numbers of the carly converts to the
religion of Christ suffered death for tho same
reason. Clement, of Alexandria, defined the
christians followers of peace Lactantius, an
early christian of note, said, 1T can never be
lawful for a righteous man to go to war;
"Tertullian informs US that when chris
tianity had spread over the Roman Empire
not a christian could be found in the Roman
armies. From tho writing of Justin Martyr
and Iren@us we have positive proof that the
christians of that day believed that they, were
forbidden by the gospel to bear arms. 1t was
one of the objections which the enemies of
Christ brought against the gospel that his fcl-
lowers would not fight. CELSIUS, who lived at
the end of the second century, abused the
christians for refusing to bear arms even in
cases.of necessity. Origen, in his defense of
christianity admitted the fact, and justified
christians on the ground that war was unlaw-
full.
al refer to these matters, gentleman, to re-
mind you of the principles and practices of
Christ and his early followers. How would
st. John or ST. Paul have figured at a war
meeting ? Imagine Jesus stirring up The hell
ish fires of civil war. No; no man can imagine
such a thing. A mans own heart would come
up and smite him in the face were he to at
tempt 1t. Then imagine a preacher of the Cos