Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-02-27

OF Darkness Z" Do you not enter your pulpltt
every Sunday morning as Marius entered Rome
burning with revengeful memories of the
marches OF Minturna Instead of opening the
gates of the kingdom of Heaven, to make men
OF Zone heart and one mind,n one would think
your mission was to open the temple of Janus.
Instead of pointing out to mortals "the path Of
peace," you are striving to drive them down
, "lhe broad road of destruction" Instead OF
preaching and praying to make our country,
what Christ meant ell nations should be, ga
Kingdom of peace" you seem to make 1t O
province of hell. Your prayers 20 out like
poisoned arrows, only to wound and kill. Like
the heather lsw-giver, you have never seen
God only In the midst of flames and swords
You are living back these thousands of years
10 the brute ages of the world, not followers of
the "Lamb, but the savage and bloody disci-
Piles Of Thor and Odin. The meek voice that
once breathed peace among the hills of CALI
lee you have never heard. Not In Gallilee,
but in Golgotha were your altars built
The great Erasmus said, "All the conditions
of war are absolutely forbidden by the Gospel {"
You, gentlemen, know that the precepts Of
Christ forbid them. You know that the early
christians, those who lived Immediately after
oL..issy "L~ u~t1 iuots ~NsSd ~ his Anontloa
believed that christian could not fight =
Maximiliau, Roman convert to Christianity,
on being brought before the tribunal, to be
enrolled ss q soldier, declared to the Procon-
sul, III am a christian, and cannot fight" When
told that he must bear arms or suffer death, he
replied, ~ cannot fight, if I de-" and hravely
suffered death rather than violate the principles
of his religion. A Roman Centurian, by the
name of Marcellus, on being converted to
Christianity resigned his commission, declaring,
"It is not lawful for christian to bear arms
for any consideration" He, too, suffered death
| for refusing to fight. So Casaia, Roman No
| tsry, was put to death for the same cause. "I
em," said he, "a christian, and therefore can
not fight" Great numbers of the early con.
verts to the religion Of Christ suffered death
for the same reason. Clement, of Alexandria,
defined the christians followers of psace."-
Lactantus, ON early christian of note, said, "It
can never be lawful for righteous men to 60 to
wer." Teriulian informs us that when Chris.
tianity had spread over the Roman Empire,
"not christian could be found in the Roman
armies" From the writings of Justin Martyr
and Freneus, we have positive proof that the
christians Of their day believed that they we're
forbidden by the gospel to bear arms.
1t was one of the objections which the enc
mics of Christ brought against His Gospel,
that his followers would not fight. Celus, who
llVeU Hb bub tuu VI tuG bcCOuu C6ubuIyB hUubCu
the christians for "refuslDg to bear arms, even
in cases of necessity" Origin, 10 his defense
Of Christianity, admitted the fact, and justif.
ed the christians on the ground that war was
unlawful. refer to these matters, gentlemen,
to remind you of the principles aud practices of
Christ aud his early followers. How would
ST. John or st. Paul have figured at a war
| meeting? Imagine Jesus stirring up the hell.
| ieh fires of civil war. No; no man can imagine
such thing. A mans own heart would come
up and smite him 10 the face were he to ct
| tempt it. Then imagine o preacher OF the
Gospel Christ thanking God for rebellion
| aud war. No, he need not imagine it; let him
open his eyes and behold the abhorrent sight.
Let him open his ears, and hear the revenge,
the profanity, the cruelty, the savage devilish-
mesa of war, belching, like fame, out OF
| thousand pulpits. These ministers Of blood
are summoned into the presence OF the divine
"fnnoe OF Peace." Harh! hsSv tho d.a~dfai
sentence, "depart, ye acoursed," "for kno"
you not" Who should hear the awful words,
il not those who profane the divine altars they
profess to serve? Look at the Crose-.he EN-.
blem of peace and hope, pressed eVermore to
the lips OF ages-see how you have thrown 1t
down 10 blood!
Ah, gentlemen, hear you complain that in-
fidelity is spreading. Can you wonder? Be
ebtreated to save your profession and religion
from tho fate which overlook them In France
in the Revolution and from which they have
not recovered to this day. Be reminded that
Christianity is gospel Of peace-was sent, not
to show men how to fight, but how to pray, and
80 ''forgive their enemies" II war must come,
it is the Office of the Minister of Christ to as
suage its horrors, 80 preach humanity, and pray
for peace. II is because am a friend to hu-
msnity, to religion and to my country, that |
have ventured to call your attention to this sub
jecs. Perhaps you will not heed. But the
words have written will not be lost-they will
be remembered by thousands who hear you
preach, and will enable them to cit 10 righteous
Judgment upon you when you wander out of the
gospel paths Of peace into the bye and forbidden
ways of violence and wrong
Your obedlent servant,
G. CHAUNCEY BURR.