The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-05-17
WAR;!

| By E. P. Marion, In Christian Arbitrator ant
Messenger of Peace.
II. What are the teachings o
Christianity and Of the wise and good
concerning war?
Old Testament wars were under an.
other and very different dispensation
They were judicial executions under
the Immediate supervision of God.
The peaceful and amiable spirit oi
the New Testament is apparent.
The gospel forbids vengeance. IT
says "Kill them" One says :"Bless,"
the other says : Curse" One says
"Forgive INJURIES" the other says
'.Avenge them" One says: "Pray
for them that despitefully use you,'
the other says: pray against them .
Between the two there is the. distance
of infirmity. Love pervades the gos.
pei; hate pervades war. "Love is
God" and hate is of Satan. Peace has
its birth in heaven; War has its birth
in hell!
Peter was told to put up his sword,
and for three hundred years Chris
tians would usually die rather than
fight. =
Lack of space forbids any adequate
presentation of the multitude of testi-
monies against war from clergymen,
statesmen, philanthropists, and re
formers. They are all of one accord
in condemnation of war.
Let ME give few strange testimo-
,,;oo frnv,, MN rrinro thamoal0nG
"War Is the business of barbarians.
MEN who have nice no
tions of religion have no business to
be soldiers."- Wellington. II hate
war."-Grant. "All the devil there Is
in q man comes out in battle. Hook
er. "War is barbarism and it can not
be refined; it is all he'll. fisherman.
off it were left to the soldiers there
would never be another war."-Lee.
Are not the following principles
clearly evident?
The pure and blessed principles Of
Christianity can rot be made to har-
monize with war. No war can be con-
Quoted on strictly Christian princi-
ciples. Liberty and justice can be
better secured without war than by 1t.
War outrages all ethical systems and
Civilization. The attempt to suppress
evil by evil Is a wrong and failure.
The decisions of war are brutal. They
only decide the relative strength OF the
right. No moral principle is ever set
tied by the sword. 49,
War begets war and suppresses the
liberties Of the people on the plea of
military necessity. The triumphs Of
peace are far more glorious than war.
The real triumphs of Puritans began
when Cromwell and his Ironsides laid
down their carnal weapons.
III. And what remedy have we for
these dreadful evils? We have the
Gospel as the sovereign remedy for all
moral evils. The American Peace
Society, organized in 1928, specifies
several means Of applying these prin-
ciples.
l. Let all nations disarm, except
for police purposes, and settle difficult
ties by arbitration.
"A1m. mi. yield Z to gowns and laurel' yield to
Q. Let there be a Standing Inter-
national Congress Of Nations. Let
which must finally settle
all difficulties, come before Instead OF
after fighting. In our treaty of peace
after the war Of 1872 no mention was
made of the cause of the war.
8. Let all Christians scatter gospel
light on this subject. as found in the
publication Of the Peace Society.
4. Do not glorify warriors like Ma
poleon, in song or eulogy. Let them
rather be characterized as mighty
Murderers."
5. Do not let children read Indian
Stories" and play at war In military
dress.
6. Frown on the war spirit in every
possible way. Have no war songs or
sermons in church. and let the "Grand
Armyn cherish and promote the ats
of peace. Break the spell of enchant-
ment that is connected with 1.-THE
pomp and circumstance of glorious
war"
6. And finally. let US pray and la
Dor most earnestly for the prophetic
day when "Nation shall not lift up
sword against natiou, neither shall
they learn war any more"