The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-02-11

StructiOn, But after tins new government
t shall support the physical world-it shall
blend and harmonize physical and spiritual
/ glory then shall they grow together. One
man with forgiveness shall conquer more than
a thousand men with force. Ten thousand
men in the battlefield are now less powerful
to influence and move the pulsations of the
world than shall be the generous gift of for
giveness and sympathy of one man. A stand
ing army of one h indred thousand men. in
the panoply of war; for the protection of our
country, shall be less powerful to guard its
safety, than ten manly men who would do as
they would be done by, and use no weapons
! OF death. And the latter shall cause no
/ blood, no tears to flow, no sacrifice of treas
ure, sacrifice of physical life, no agony,
no crime, no sorrow while it is the work of
( the former to produce all these.
| 1t is nOn-forgiveness and hatred that makes
/ Il nation trust its safety m the uncertain pow
/ cr of murderouS men and murderous arms.
! All war springs from and continues III the
! element Of hatred and continues IN the un-
conscious selfrighteOusness. Prisons are
virtually instruments used for the re-enact-
ment OF deeds for which men are punished
therein.
Recrimination is of earth and hell, and adds
nothing to fill the measure of goodness in the
ity and kindness that we treat Uur nearest
and dearest frieEds-treat him as we treat
ourSelves-and he will return such treatment
with heart 0verhowing with gratitude and
thanksgiving.
1t Is Il severe course of selt-disciplnc t at
man has yet to pass, to learn to be kind and
generous to an enemy: but the reward shall
be magnificent. All enmity is yanquisLed by
IL. and our enemies have become our most
faithful and valiant friends. Such Is human
nature everywhere. And it 5 more 50 in
the world Of crime than III the world of Just
ice.
Ii the generous precepts of peace are sub
stItutcd Tor the laws ot force. resistance. and
hatred. there will be no incentive for enmitv.
no need for cruel prisons, no call for human
bloodsEed: the sorrow. and the bondage.
and the suffering that nov l.. viii be averted,
an. the 5r,cEed. as men call them. instead Of
being educated III the school OF resistance.
cruelty. and hatred, viii be made proficient
scholars in the school Of manhooG-w.u be
come worthy citizens III r-e empire oi love
where Christ i yet the emperor.
The IuharmOny ana iii-ieeing that exist be-
tween all >ects and societies. comes only tor
the want Of generous charity, Tor the want Of
expansion and liberal mauline-s that perceiv-s
the lawful cause Of all beliefs. 1t all rules.
and OF all acr<.
All wars. Il; home and abroad. are caus-
cd and continued Dy the government Of force
-- by the want ot forgiveness in the rulers
ul Latipus and the desires OF the nations
people.
All crimes and Illegal acts arc tie iuey..a-
bic consequence" OF the laws Of force that
men make-iaws that resist evil with the
superficial, childish expectation o: abolish
iug it.
Plant the seeds Of Charity in the gardens
OF Humaul,y-cu ,h-n, or let them
grow spontaneously. and tAey viii spring up
and bear tr..It that men love better than they
love the bitter iruiJ ot Human Law. Charity
Is void OF the Tcs.stau oi evil. The >cp"r:.
non OF husbands and wives, family discord>.
auI gUa.rel>. come only from the want Oi
kindness, forgiveness, and charity. They
come from a government OF force, instead oi
q. government OF generosity and kindness.
Quarrc.s between individuals are ct the head.
hot OF the heart. They come OF force, NOT oi
lurLIyeue,s: OF condemnation. not of charity.
There Is s.uIDDas enough IN human lie 10
avoid all the rocks OF contention on Which
men split. Charity Is IbeIaIIty-it IS the
wide world above collision. All the resist
ancc Of evil Is bound up in the bundle %.
scit-ri- -Lt-,a,Ae>s. And take al, the sell
righteousness from the earth and end Il ~
the flames OF hell 10 be burnt up, and ,.ru
look abroad in the earth for the resistance ot
evil, and yOu wi! find none. Men resist " hat
they call evil III others, not IN themselves.
Man holds himself superior to what he var
with as evil.
That life has thorns as well as flowers. and
that the thOrns are as useful as the flowers.
man may not deny. The flower are ready
Z. l.. rtf,.L-1I tho D, hon I.F
not pick the flowers. and leave the thc-ns
The warrins hand of man strikes Al the
tHurues aHG leaves the flowers. The torgiy-
M hand picks the flowers, and leaves the
III rms. Strike the tHOrus, and mans blood
runs out: pick the NOwers, and the air Is per
iumed all around. Every thorn Of earth, It
may be. has the germ OF swceter flower
yet 10 bloom III heaven; and if It's 50, why
swear yengcnce OH the thorn ? Let it grow
and bloom Tor heaven.
10 resist not evil l. 10 gather tLc fU~c-s u! !
Iiie-to resist not evil Is to war wi-h the /
thorus that grow Oh the same tree where the 7.
i'Dwcrs grow.
In ;hc laws Of force there are no flowers to /
make III, IOyely-we are ali wounded bv the I
thOrus. There Is not i single flower of Iutu. /,
ltye truth III the whole dominion Of human I
resistance. From Christ We yet the garden /
seed OF nom-resIstance. OF rassIvcness, OF ann |
ablemess and kindness, which, when planted, /
shall bear the beautiful flower Of love. No /
body has planted it. or thinks il worthy TO be /,
plan cd III the garden vi the soul.
The ideal Christ IS to be magnificent .
spiritual rea.ty--a reality which all III the /
progress OF the soul must come unto.
/ care not whether the material being Of /
Christ he i fiction Or Il realty, while the spir .
II OF the precepts and the unseliish practices /
ot his lne stand before me, living, spiritual .
realities o! eternal beauty. AM Il disciple .
OF this picture of Christ, in spirit. | kneel /
before II III wOrshpiu! admiration, and iii the |
uuc!Ouded atmosphere OF real affection | love !
it. His flesh and blood are material emblems |
that | care not for. His GOdship may be the !
Godship OF all who come to his development. |
| do not see why the claims recorded OF
his spiritual conception may not be real.
The Christian Church earthly, and the
whole world of sinners are equally at war. |
and ever have been, with the fundamental
precepts OF the Christian religion. And all |
rciUrmcrS hitherto have padded, and are pad !
ding III the same muddy waters OF Material |
ism, viz, resistance Of evil But the Christ |
ian Church. and the whole world Of Christ's /
sinners, all live in Christ, and they live asleep
to the real use and grandeur of his spiritual
teachings. All men i'll the Church, IN the |
State, ana in the prison, alike are actively !
alive to the gospel OF force, which is not the
gospel Of Christ, but Of evil; and this gospel |
Of evil has been virtually promulgated IN all
the regions of civilization and i'll all the |
legislailons of men. Churches, legislations,
and conventions have never vet AuJt evil, but |
each one has been dcmett and support TO it.
The Church has ever thus tar, unwlttinglv, |
acted IN direct opposition to Christ, because |
it could not do otherwise. The whole Chris |
tan world has done the best it could in its /
time.