The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-28
CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH.

SERMON BY REV. WILLIAM r. ALaER ON ''TBE
CAUSES AND THE ABOLITION OF WAR;"
There was small congregation In the Church OF the
Messiah, corner OF Park avenue and Thirty fourth
street, yesterday morning, TO listen 10 the Rev. William
r. Ayers discourse .rho Causes and the Abolition
OF War" The text was tho passage of Scripture
'Tbey shall beat their swords into ploughshares and
their spears into pruning hooks"
DR.. Alger, IN substance, said: Those who Justify
and claim that 1t cannot DO abolished argue from
false premises. Not history but philosophy should DO
the arb.cr and right Is the only standard Must
be accordance with tho will OF God because no
nat ever existed forty years without Dong engaged
In striep Not So Thefts, murders, crimes of every
character, are committed daily yet will have
the hardhood to claim that they arc consequently
right There aud were certain Inevitable at.
PENDANTS wild nomadc life, which done away
with IN the polished lite of cities and by our higher
civilization and when reach tho highest plane OF
civilization will not only to Impossible but In
credible.
Throughout the epochs of tho animal kingdom all
the anterior species OF beings were equipped With
wcapona Their whole existence was full OF battling
When man was created in tho image OF his Maker Il
might DO thought that, possessing superior cndow-
mcnts, now order OF things would ensue. But man,
TOO, ireighted with scli-love, and supplied with
cunning, pride and envy. ON this brute side Of
human nature rested the possibility of war. Man Was
morally imperfect and strifes began among the va
tribes and peoples Each generation strobe the
globe alresh, seeking new conqucsts Armies have
lined the centuries and left their horrid marks all
adown the scroll Of time When we think OF the
conseq uences OF deadly strife wc must BIO filed
with establishment and sadness Tho thoughtful man
stop and ask himself, What delusion has stuffed
tho minds OF human kind Had people from the Irst
been wso and studied each others Interests the whole
bloom
Unnamed with sei.prlde aud luminosity, they have do
slroyed their own happiness. War has actually bocn
the Chief business OF mankind, and the inventive
genius Of man has actually reached a higher pitch In
tho invocation Of engines Of murder than in other
science When the TACT Ii shown that the cultivation
OF martial pursuits has actually cost two hundred
thousands OF millions Of human lives, It will be shown
that its wickodncss Is only equaled ny It's folly The
shocking crminality OF human slaughter ought 70
abnor every mind. The occasions Of war have been
very numerous, while the real causes have been
comparatively few.
THE cAusEs OF WAR.
First among the avaTicous desire and
probably the nrst armed ing but maraud-
Ing incursionsts. In savage nations repugnancc TO
LABOR has always been very great; hence we're
wsged oil the globe slaves The spirit Of
revenge provoked wars OF retaliation, while another
cause was the maddcning hunger Tor tho prize OF glory
A mistaken sense of honor has been n fruitful
OF the ntitng out OF military expeditions whiIo
tho boodest OF all wars have sprung IRON sectaran
zeal The latest war springs primarily from this
and thus Is We have tho old story OF tho Cross and
tho Crescent, the Mohammedan and the Christian.
Nothing is so fierce and Malignant as the D,gotcd nd
herencc TO false religion let hope that ono OF
tho results OF lhis strife will be the wping OF both
Pope and Turk sun another OF the causes OF war Is
found In political policy. Nations are possessed with
spirit Of selfish INDIVIDUALITY. II one people see
another advancing war IS Immediately declared. he
balance OF power must be preserved II will never
TO let one nation become too strong Monarchs capped
their hands with slce al the rebellion land
because they thought We were getting too strong The
wars oil Napoleon, leaving roai Of human bones from
Boradena 10 the Pyrenees, the result OF League
Of kings against the people. National envy and seIIsn
diplomacy are the causes Of most Of wars
Wars OF vindcaton are tho result OF the idea Of
hereditary honors, and alter perhaps two hundred
thousand or three hundred thousand people been
blown 10 pieces council rs held aud tho national
honor declared indicated But why could not the
council have been held IN tho first place If love OF
fame Jusues national war then individual strife
Innocent II religious wars are allowable Catho.
Tor consistency is jewel II envy OF the greatness or
u nation Is sufficient cause then differences Of
properly riches should BIO permitted. Ii a war Of
conquest Is right then highway robbery defensibe
Naous 20 tc war on Insult then the c,izen
has The same right The pretended Qualifications OF
wiliul wars are empty. Every statesman king who
brings on war Is guilty oil murder before God The
real motives alien 10 moral law that becomes
n necessity to disguise them. Wars arc waqcd now
simply because custom has handed them down, and
n sufficient one.
JusTIFIABLE WAR.
DR.. Ager, In concluding, said that tho subject
different aspect when its secondary were con-
sldercd. Man WIS intrustea by God Win sacred
rights, sucn home, liberty and property and who
Is evil when must never he sought unucr
some circumstances VIC may nnd arc bounu accept
II with sturdy 'front.' Non. rcsistance, as a WORKING
theory, Is romantic ana premature as Tor practical
There Two species Of wars winch de eusi-