of Him who sitteth upon the throne, in such a posture, and with such a preparation.

Shepherd.-When will a sufficient number of instances have been recorded by the pen of history, of nations harassing each other by the outrages of war, and after years of -havoc and bloodshed, when exhausted by exertions beyond their natural strength, agreeing to forget the original subject of dispute, and mutually to resume the station which they occupied at the commencement of the contest! Were subjects wise, what would be their reflections, when their rulers, after the most lavish waste of blood, coolly sit down and propose to each other the status quo ante bellum? Happy would it be, could the status quo be extended to the widow and the orphan, to the thousands and tens of thousands, who, in consequence of the hardships and accidents of war, are doomed to languish out the remnant of their lives in torment and decrepitude!

Dr. Macleod, of America.-War is an evil. It is a school of vice; it is a nursery of debauchery. By it cities are sacked, and countries laid waste. The dearest ties of kindred are unloosed; fathers made childless, children fatherless, and wives converted into widows. You see, brethren, some of its pernicious effects in this city; and you feel and lament the evil. You hear of greater evils in other parts of our land, during the short period since war has upon our part existed. You deprecate the calamity. You regret the policy which -led to such a state of things. You are tempted to call in question entirely, the legitimacy of war. It is not surprising you should. What more cruel, and less congenial with the spirit of the Gospel? But England is scarcely ever at peace.

[The author does not wish to insinuate, by the production of these, and other extracts from the writings of eminent men, whether living or deceased, -that they were, without exception, ad

vocates for a system of peace, and enemies to war in all its forms: He wishes he could have said so; but most of them, if not all, have written enough to show, whatever their intentions have been, that war is harbarous, unchristian, impolitic; and that to endeavour to accelerate its total abrogation, is, in this enlightened age, become the imperious duty of every disciple of the Saviour of men, our crucified Redeemer and Lord.]

The Substance of Three Letters addressed to Christian Ladies.

[From the Friend of Peace.] Worthy Friends,

THE interviews which I have had with several of your number, have occasioned reflections of a pleasing and animating nature. I have not only been delighted to find in them able advocates for the principles of Peace, and a just abhorrence of War, but have been led to consider what would be the consequences, if all Ladies of distinction should imbibe such sentiments, and unite their influence to render War disreputable.

It has often been said that "women rule the world;" and there is much better foundation for this remark than for many of the maxims which have long been regarded as incontrovertible. You are too well acquainted with men to need to be informed that nothing can long be popular with them which is generally viewed as direputable by the fair sex.

I was much gratified with some remarks which recently appeared in a Newspaper, on duelling. "The fair sex (says the writer) have it in their power to do much in affairs of this kind. Their frown would tend greatly to put duelling out of fashion. In truth we do not perceive how a lady of delicacy or sensibility can reconcile it to herself to take to her arms a duellist, who has by a successful shot probably blasted the hopes of a family, or.covered a widow and children with mourning, and consigned them to wretchedness and despair."

In these remarks many worthy females will cordially acquiesce; and what shall be said of the woman who can exult in such conquests on the part of her husband, or her son? Is she not at best a semi-savage, whatever may be her pretensions to rank or refinement? What but the pernicious influence of a barbarous custom could so steel the heart of a female?

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It may however be justly asked, What are duellists but petty murderers, when compared with men who employ their influence to bring_on nations the tempest of war? The duellist is, perhaps, satisfied with having murdered one brother, and reduced one family to wretchedness and despair," while the war maker murders his thousands and his tens of thousands! Can then a woman of delicacy and christian tenderness, esteem it an honour to be caressed by a man who has made hundreds of her fair sisters disconsolate widows-bereaved hundreds of parents of their beloved sons, and hundreds of help less children of their fathers! Shall females, who were formed for tenderness and sympathy, to sooth the passions and abate the ferocity of their brethren, encourage by their smiles such fell destroyers, and countenance deeds at which angels might weep and demons blush!

What can ladies of delicacy think of the worse than savage brutality and violation which have been practised by officers and soldiers of christian nations on taking a city by storm? Reflect, I beseech you, on the horrible scenes described by Labaume on the taking of Moscow-the perfidions conduct of a General on whom a nobleman's daughter relied for protection, and who engaged to preserve her from insult and dishonour. Thus says the historian—“There wanted nothing to complete the horrors of this day, when he resolved to outrage virtue and seduce innocence; and we were afterwards informed, that neither noVOLL ITES 13

ble blood, nor the candour of youth, nor even the tears of beauty, were respected.' He also observes-" Nothing could equal the anguish which absorbed every feeling heart, and which increased in the dead of the night, by the cries of the miserable victims who were savagely murdered, and the screams of young females who fled for protection to their weeping mothers, and whose ineffectual struggles tended only to inflame the passions of their violaters."

I need not request you to ask yourselves, what must be the feelings of a mother, tender and virtuous, on hearing the screams and beholding the ineffectual struggles' of her daughters, while pursued by such bloody and ferocious barbarians. But I may ask, how is it possible for rational beings to regard such men as the glory of a nation, or as the protectors of the fair sex? And how can Christian mothers consent to have their sons trained up in a manner which exposes them to become such monsters of depravity; and which exposes females of other states to be thus insulted and abused?

But it is against war, and not its misguided agents, that I wish to excite hatred. Both men and women have been bewildered by the popularity which fanaticism and delusion have given to the trade of manslaughter.

Pity should be mingled with the blame we attach to their conduct. They would have done better, had they been properly instructed in early life. Still, so many horrible things are associated with war, that it may be justly esteemed wonderful, that any virtuous woman can give even an implicit approbation to a custom so perfectly detestable and inhuman; a custom which licenses the vilest passions which are to be found on this side of the infernal regions, and which tolerates the worst crimes which it is in the power of man to commit! (To be continued.)

R

The Doctrine and Precepts of the Scriptures on the subject of War.

[From Pictures of War.]

DOCTRINE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

It is a divine sentence of very great antiquity, Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made he Gen. ix. 6. Whether this is to be understood as interfering with the right of the civil magistrate to punish criminals capitally, belongs to another subject; * but it certainly appears to prohibit every other mode of infringing upon the lives of our fellowcreatures, and consequently forbids the practice of war.

The expedition of Abraham against the five kings, Gen. xiv. 14. &c. has been adduced as a justification of war; and it is said, that on his return from that expedition it was, that Melchisedec met him and blessed him.' That Melchisedec did so, is true, but that his blessing Abraham had any connection with the expedition, re'mains to be proved.

Besides, Christians are not called the children of Abraham, because they imitate his example in war, but because they exercise like precious faith with him. If Christians are warranted to imitate the example of Abraham in all things which met the approbation of God, then they may sacrifice cattle, practise polygamy, and buy and hold slaves.

may

The words of Jacob, Gen. xlviii. 22, be adduced by some as evidence that the patriarchs engaged in hostilities; but the reading of the Septuagint, which Michaelis proposes to insert in the Hebrew text, refers the passage to Shechem or Sichem, which Jacob's sons destroyed on account of the violation of their sister Dinah; and which might be denominated a conquest with respect to Jacob. And we read of no other territorial ac

* See on this subject Basil Montague's publication of the sentiments of authors on the punishment of death.'

But as a complete answer to every thing that might be urged from the example of the patriarchs in behalf of war, let it be observed, that they lived prior to the promulgation of the law on Sinai, and that it is plain from many parts of their conduct, that they are not held up to posterity as perfect models in every transaction.

In after times, when the moral law was published to the Jewish people from Mount Sinai, this precept was incorporated with the others: Thou shalt not kill.'No command can be conceived more positive, clear, and unconditional-it gives no authority to kings or rulers-it says nothing of expediency, of national honour, or of unprovoked aggression, but, without comment, leaves its mandate to the common sense and common charities of mankind.

That exceptions made by divine authority, and consequently not of a sinful nature, are to be found intermingled with the ceremonial institutes given to the Jews, is undeniable; but they evidently belonged to the covenant of peculiarity, and to particularise them here, would lead us too far from our main purpose. It is Decalogue, simply taken, no exception still true, that in the language of the appears; and it is also true, that when our Saviour repeats the precept in his sermon on the Mount, instead of making exceptions to it, he shews more than had been done before, its extensive and spiritual application.

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Which of the Ten Commandments is not supposed to be, at least partially, suspended during war? Do not men acknowledge other gods before Jehovah, while they serve and obey men in defiance of God's.commands?-Do not war-makers impi ously take God's name in vain, and make him a party or an associate in their guilty and murderous enter

prises? Is not the fourth commandment uniformly and wantonly violated during war?Are not children so far authorized by war to dishonour father and mother, as even to take their lives, if they happen to be opposed to each other in the contest?

As to the following commands, the maxims and usages of war run thus: Thou shalt kill,—Thou mayest commit adultery and fornication.-Thou mayest steal, rob, and plunder. Thou mayest bear false witness, slander, deceive, and lie-Thou mayest covet thy neighbour's house, his wife, his ox, his ass, and every thing that is his.

vengeance.

*

Those wars of the Jews which were sanctioned by Jehovah, were undertaken at his express command, not upon their enemies, as such, but upon wicked nations, considered as the enemies of God-not to gratify their passions, or to avenge themselves, but to execute the divine They were wars of extermination, in which the vengeance of God was displayed; and they can be referred to with no more propriety, in justification of other wars, than Abraham's slaying his son at the Divine command, as his obedience was virtually perfect, can be alleged in justification of murder.

The command utterly to exterminate the inhabitants of Canaan, justified killing them at any time, and under any circumstances, so long as any of them remained, (those with whom a covenant was made, excepted) and made it a great sin to suffer any of them to live. But it would be hard to shew, that the Jews were permitted to exercise any feelings of malice towards them. For aught that appears, they were bound to exercise the same temper, and practise the same kindness towards their personal or other enemies, considered as such, which are more largely insisted on in the Gospel. Hence we find in the Pentateuch, precepts like the follow

* In Numb. xxi. 14. they are called the wars of the Lord.'

ing:

Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. If thou shalt meet thine enemy's ox, or his ass, going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back again.' At a later period this precept is recorded: If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; if he be thirsty, give him water to drink.' Lev. xix. 18. Exod. xxiii. 4. Prov. xxv. 21.

In farther remark upon the Jewish wars, let it be observed, that many things were, by the Mosaic law, enjoined on the Jews, that were not on the Gentile nations; and many things are now enjoined on Christians, that were not on the Jews. The object of the Gospel dispensation was, among other things, a greater perfection of the human character than the law of Moses contemplated; therefore, for Christians to descend to a practice of the Jews, in any thing prohibited by the Gospel, is as unjustifiable as for the Jews to have adopted heathen customs forbidden by their law,

Have professing Christians received a command to destroy nations, similar to that given to the Jews? If so, let them produce it. Do they not rather fight at the command of their own passions? And is it not by a thirst for riches and glory, some disputed claim, or causes more trifling, that the flames of war are often kindled, and thousands of lives sacrificed? But why do Christians pitch upon the Jews' warlike actions, as the only model for imitation? Why not practise circumcision? Why not sacrifice cattle? Why not admit plurality of wives? If we disapprove these practices, as not comporting with the dispensation of the Gospel, let us, for the same reasons, disapprove following their examples relative to war, that destroyer of life, religion, and morals, and entailer of misery and distress on millions that are left to deplore its consequences.

It is worthy of notice, that David, endeared as he was by his virtues,

yet, because he had shed much blood, and made great wars,' 1 Chron. xxii. 8, was forbidden to build the temple. Although the wars he carried on were at the command of the Lord, and against the wicked; and though neither he nor the rest of mankind, had been taught, in the clear and comprehensive manner which we now are, that they ought to love enemies, the building of a house to the Lord was reserved for Solomon, whose name signifies pacific.

There is a sentence in the book of Proverbs, xx. 18, which might seem to give some countenance to national hostilities, viz. Every purpose is established by counsel, and with good advice make war. ,米 The inspired Proverbs are maxims of wisdom, illustrated for the most part by some familiar subject, that existed at the time they were delivered. The object here is, not to inculcate the lawfulness of war, but the necessity of sound wisdom in relation to the actions of men; and the subject of war appears to be introduced, merely to illustrate this idea. Similar to this, in the New Testament is the apostolic language, Know ye not that they who run in a race, all run, but (only) one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.' 1 Cor. ix. 24. Not, surely, recommending the Olympic games to their imitation, but enjoining on them activity in their Christian

course.

In Judges v. 8, it is said, ' They chose new gods; then was their war in the gates;' which plainly means, that idolatry was the fatal source of all the calamities of Israel. When they forsook God, God forsook them, and gave them into the hands of the heathen, their enemies, who oppressed them, and shut them up in their cities. Psalm lxviii. 30. Scatter thou the people that delight in war,' that is, as Dr. Hammond paraphrases it, "Punish and destroy those that hold out, and trust in their military strength,

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* See a similar passage in Prov. xxiv. 6.

tyrannizing, and oppressing, and subduing all their neighbour nations, and out of an insatiate desire of wealth, though they have ever so much, will have more, and use all violence and war to that purpose,' &c.

In Jer. xvii. 5, a curse is pronounced on him that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm. Yet this is notoriously the case in regard to national hostilities; great dependence being placed on the skill of the men in military tactics, on the bravery of the soldiers, and the experience of their general, to the exclusion of reliance on the Divine power, and the aid of him who alone giveth strength and success in any understaking.

When we read in the writings of the prophets, those striking predictions of the coming of Messiah, the character in which he is described, and the offices he is represented as performing, are all opposed to the destructive practice of war.

Isaiah ii. 2-4. It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow into it.

And many people shall come and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plough-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.'

The same passage occurs in Micah, iv. 1-4, with this addition: 'But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.'

Isaiah, ix. 6, the prophet thus speaks: To us a child is born, to us