PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE

OF WAR,

COMPARED

With the Precepts and Example

OF

CHRIST,

MOSTLY EXTRACTED FROM VARIOUS AUTHORS.

NO. 6.

SECOND EDITION.

NEW-YORK:

PRINTED BY MAHLON DAY,

No. 372, PEARL-STREET.

"From whence come Wars and Fightings among they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your This was the language of the apostle James; and i be the truth to the present day. The attendant ev diretul effects of WAR are too numerous to be po small compass. Pregnant as it is, with all that is s the happiness of man, it is deeply to be deplored that be the depravity of human nature, as to induce a prac dently repugnant to the principles of Christianity, v glorious anthem sung at the birth of Christ, breathes t of "glory to God in the highest, on earth Peace, an to men." The holy Scriptures emphatically speak Being, as wholly complete in himself, and in his attrib is light, and in him is no darkness at all." "God is lo that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in hi tianity is calculated to enlighten the understanding, a the principles of love to God and man. It softens th disposes it to acts of beneficence and good will-it for ner of revenge, animosity and resentment; and enjo tivation of that charity, which thinketh no evil---co is opposed to those tempers and dispositions which en and cause so much desolation in the earth. To lo for enemies, and to "do good for evil," are permaner the Christian character; from all which it may be Wars and Fightings, under whatever pretext they m are repugnant to the doctrines of the gospel-contra and the dictates of humanity, and productive of inca ery to the human family,

THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF

WAR PRINCIPLES.

WAR, &c.

CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES.

THE principle on which "AND Jesus seeing the ar is generally founded, 'multitudes, went up into - to revenge some wrong a mountain, and taught, ready received, to prevent saying, Blessed are the tended injury, to enlarge poor in spirit; for theirs ominions, or to aggrandize is ths kingdom of heaven. nose in authority. Blessed are they that

The rules for conduct-mourn; for they shall be ng war, may be summed comforted.--Blessed are p as follows:-When ru- the meek; for they shall

ers

are about to make inherit the earth.--Blessvar, they may employed are they which do hunevery artifice to rouse the ger and thirst after rightepassions of their subjects, ousness; for they shall be and excite enmity against filled.--Blessed are are the their brethren of another merciful; for they shall nation. They may, by se- obtain mercy.- --Blessed duction, or conscription, col-are the pure in heart; for lect armies. They may they shall see God.-Blessestablish martial laws, and ed are the peace-makers; military discipline, by for they shall be called the which the soldiers, many children of God.-Blessed of them deluded into the are they which are perseservice, shall be deprived cuted for righteousness' of the rights of men, de-sake; for theirs is the graded to the condition of kingdom of heaven.-Ye slaves, and exposed to the have heard that it hath most inhuman punish-been said, an eye for an eye, ments. They may also and a tooth for a tooth: inspire these soldiers with but I say unto you, that ye a thirst for conquest and resist not evil but whomilitary glory, for plunder soever shall smite thee on and for blood. thy right cheek, turn to They may send forth him the other also.--You their armies to invade ajhave heard that it hath

bless th

property, and load them them

with intolerable contribu-pray for them tions, only because they spitefully use you are under the government secute you; tha of the nation they are at be the children war with, even tho' thou-Father which i sands of miles distant from ven; for he m it. sun to rise on th

They may grant com-on the good, an missions to private citizens, rain on the just a to fit out privateers to cap-unjust.-Be y ture property from inno-perfect, even as cent, peaceable men, who ther which is in have had no hand in the perfect. If war, and perhaps are igno-men their trespa rant of it. They may not heavenly Father only take their property, forgive you. Bu but lives if they think it give not

passes, neither They may burn towns, Father forgive villages or cities, even in passes.-All thi their own territories, if soever ye would deemed necessary to their should do to y own security, or to the ac-even so to the complishment of their pur-every one that poses; and thus reduce me, Lord, Lord thousands of families to in-ter into the k digence and sufferings, and heaven; but he

Egemen

upon a

under, dissipation and And the rain descended, ebauchery. On their en-and the floods came, and ering a stormed city, the the winds blew, and beat istressed inhabitants are upon that house; and it xposed to the unbridled fell not: for it was founded age, rapacity and lust of upon a rock.

ferocious army; the And every one that

a

ouses and the streets may heareth these sayings of be filled with massacre, mine, and doeth them not, blood, violation and death, shall be likened unto and every species of dis-foolish man, which built ress, crime and horror. his house upon the sand; and the rain descended,

They may constantly and the winds blew, and employ spies, and yet beat upon that house, and hang every spy taken in it fell, and great was the their own camps. If one fall of it."

of their own countrymen Now behold his example proves a traitor, or one of set for us to follow.-His their soldiers a deserter, life was spent in doing good if taken, death is his fate. to all classes of people.-He But yet they may seduce died praying for his persethe inhabitants of the in-cutors: "Father forgive vaded territory to violate them; for they know not their oath of allegiance, what they do.--Learn of me, and to take up arms against for I am meek and lowly in their own government.- -heart," was the emphatic They may bribe officers to language to his then followbetray their trust, to vio-ers; and which has lost late their most sacred obli-none of its force by the gations, and expose men lapse of time.

under their care, to be Apostolic language isslaughtered or taken cap-" Recompense to no man tive. They may retaliate evil for evil.”

injuries, by inflicting the "Dearly beloved, avenge greatest evils on persons not yourselves, but give who are perfectly inno-place unto wrath.” cent in regard to the of- "The weapons of our fences for which they suf-warfare are not carnal, but