Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-02-15
For the Tres Press and Times.
Christianity and War.

christianity and War.
find an article in the FREE Press of
February Isl, in answer to mine Of an ear
lier date.
am happy to know that my opponent
does not deny that the Church is respon-
sible for war but thinks it Is Gods method
of governing the world, and secs great good
coming from the results of var. lie seems
to think tina. all the progress of the human
race has been made through blood. and
does not seem to understand that war OF
itself has no lower but to stop the progress
of mankind, aud throw the world back
into a state of barbarism.
Now, my friend f., You must acknowl-
edge that this progress has been made IN a
time of peace. Now, will say that be-
lieve "a!l things are Of God. and that 1t
was His mode of governing the word
up TO the tin of our deer Saviour. The
uses Of evil the world do not see.
Evil wa. necessary to develop man. In
other word. it was our schoolmaster TO
bring US To Christ. The Mosaic admins
tra.ion is called an administration of death.
Christ, our Saviour, was given to save US
from this death.
Has the Church come u Christ You
ask, To what Church do ! belong AL
low me TO say that do not
belong to any church that nearly compares
to the church which was established in
Jerusalem at the time of the appearance OF
our Ssviour-the church which cruclfied
| our Saviour 1t was composed of selt-risht-
eous Scrbes and Pbarisees whom Christ
rebuke- 50 severely for their self righteous
ness. Take away sel!-righteousness from
| mankind and wars would cease, and all
moral evils. IL is the great sin OF the
world. True Chri>tianity will accomplish
| this work. My friend F. seems 10 think
that blood AMI carnage are to produce these
results.
Allow me to say, if be will study Paul,
the Apostle. more closely be may learn
that he would do away with all such
heather notions.
lie say. God was not pleased with those
sacrifices. They could not give life. lie
intormes us that it is by the life Of Christ
thar We are saved-nOt His death. To me.
it is very strange that this passage is quoted
so often in ignorance. that "without the
shedding of blood there is no remission OF
sin - Paul says. (lieb. <. ~, IL i
not possible that the blood of bulls and OF
goats should take away sins" but those
heather were made to beliese that remis-
sion of their sins was made once year.
| lt is very strange to me that such Ignorance
should remain in the nineteenth century.
| Why will not our theologians study the lite
and teachings of Christ and the Apostles
and learn what Christianity il, and what i,
requires.
Now, let US learn of Christ and the Apos-
| ties, il We are allowed to fight and destroy
each other or, in other words, allowed to
war and kill each other. Peace is no new
theme Ancient prophets foretold it as one
| o. the themes of the Messiah's reign The
angels at His birth sang Glory to tod IN
the highest, reaee on earth, good will To
men. Peace was the brth-song of Chris
,ianity. aud it's principles were fully en-
bodied by our Saviour in His sermon on the
Mount. and thickly scattered through the
New Testament, and were so strikingly put
in practice by the early Christians, that not
| a few of them went to the stake rather than
bear arms. The church. however, relapsed
into deep and protracted degeneracy on
| this subject, as on many Others, and Tor
more than a Thousand years after her fatal
union with the State under Constantine. in
the fourth century. did she lend her sane
tion to the custom of war with scarcely a
thought of its glazing Inconsistency to hel
religion of peace. Still she was not with
out witnesses on this point, for the Wal
denses bore testimony in the very midnight
of the dark ages. and Erasmus. the day
star of the Reformation, and of Modern Lit
eraturc, wrote in behalf of peace with AT
elOquence worthy of the first scholar OF the
world. We know too well how little hi.
voice was needed by the warriug Christians
of that age but the seed soun by his hand
has begun, in the present century, to spring
up more or less among Christians OF every
name. ard to promise in due time rich
and glorious harvest. Now let Us put wal
and Christianity side by side, and see how
they agree.
Christ says that lie came. not to destroy
mems lives, but TO save them; War says
Destroy mems lives Christianity elevate,
men; War debases and degrades men
Christianity ruriiies men, War corrupt.
and dotiles them. Christianity hlesses men
War curses them God says. Thou shalt moi
kill; War says, Thou shat kill. God says
Blessed are the peacemakers; War says
Blessed are the war-makers. God says
Love YOUR enemies; War says, Hate them
God says Forgive men their trespasses
War says, Forgive them not. God enjoln:
forgiveness and forbids revenge while Wal
scorns the former and commands the latter
God says. Resist not evil; War says, YOU
must resist evil. God says, Ii any mar
smite thee on the one check, turn to him
the other also; War says, Turn not the
other also, but knock the smiter down. Goo
says, Bless those that curse you, bless anC
curse not War say, Curse thos,
that curse YOU, curse and bless
not. God says. Pray for thos,
that despiteiully use you War says. Pray
against them. and seek their destruction
God saws. Render to no man evil for evil
War says, Be sure to render evil for evil
God saws, Overcome evil with good; Wal
saws overcome evil with evil. God says, II
thine enemy hunger. feed him, if he thirst
give hin drink; War says, II you do sup
ply him with food and clothing, you shall
be shot as traitor. God says, Do gOOC
unto all men; War says. Do a. much cyl
a. Won can to your enemies. God says L
all men, Love one another War says. Hat
and kill one another. God say. They tina
take the sword shall perish by the sword
War says, They that take the sword shall b,
saved by tho sword. God says Blessed i,
he that tru>teth in :he Lord War says
Cursed i such man, and blessed Is he whC
trusts in swords and guns. God say, Bea
your swords into ploughshares, and spears
into pruning. hooks. and learn war no more
War say, Make swords and spears still, ant
continue TO learn war.
The Gospel however, still more fully con-
A b,,, t,to IN hlt il Ipp tor
with il. Thou shalt love thy neighbor a,
thyself and the parable OF the Good 81
marian makes every human being oui
neishbor. Love worketh no i'll to his neig h
Dor therefore love Is the fulfilling OF the
law, CHARITY sutiereth long and Is kind
soeketh not her own. is not easily provoked
thinketh no evil, beareth all things, belev'
eth all things. hOpeth all things. endureth
all things. Whatsoever ye would that mer
should do unto You, do ye even 80 urt,
them. By this shall men know that 20 art
nv disciples, if ye have love one to another
Have peace ore with another. The fruit
OF the spirit are love. joy, peace, long suffer
ing. rcntlcness, meckncss. Put on bowels
of mercies kindness. peaceableness Of mind
mesknes-, long tferng. fOrsiying one an
other esen n Christ iorgave yoi. The WIS
der, which Is from above is first pure. ther
peaceable. gentle, easy to be entreated
Now. do not such passages convey the mos
uuequiyocal condemnation OF war IN all IT.
| forms?
Paul asks, D." From whence come wars anC
fightings2 Come they not from your Owl
lusts?" These passages teach us the beau
tiful spirit that breathed and dropped from
the lips of Christ and the Apostles. See
what a lite Paul lived after he was convert
ed To Christianity. lie WAS u warrior be
fore, but peace man after he was born %
God lie that loveth Is born OF God.
Paul had faith IN Gods goodness. lie says
by the grace OF God, revealed by Jesus
Christ. he was what he was. peace man
Now, is there any man who calls himsol
Il Christian. who will undertake to harmon
ize these passages with war? 1t there is
want to see him undertake the task.
have brought but little proof to what car
be brought, to prove that war Is anti-Chrlst
Now. in conclusion, allow me to say thai
if my friend F.. from llnesburgh. will DIS
ru.s the opcstinn and contiue himself to the