Is it not more safe to bear the name of a Mahometan with a Christian temper, than to bear the name of a Christian with the bloody principles and spirit of Mahomet ?

"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.""Let us fear lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." As becometh the disciples of a pacific Prince, let us "follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord."

THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, AS TAUGHT BY THE APOSTLE OF CHRIST INCOMPATIBLE WITH WAR.

FROM the writings of the Apostles we may probably learn how they understood their Lord and Master in respect to the indulgence of warring passions and the nature of his religion. A few passages from their writings may help us to some correct views of the subject.

In the second chapter of the epistle to the Romans we have a contrast of characters, with corresponding retributions. These retributions are made by that "God who will render to every man according to his works."-" To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality," will be rendered "eternal life." But unto the contentious and disobedient, who do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness," will be rendered "indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish on every soul of man that doeth evil."

To which of these classes do warring Christians belong? Are they of the number of those "who by patient continuance in well doing, seek for honour and glory and immortality?" Or are they of the character of the "contentious who do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness?" If

their fate is to be decided by their deeds of war, what will be their final condition? Are they to be rewarded with eternal life for killing one another?

In 1 Cor. 13th chapter, we have a description of the nature of Christian love or charity, without which we are told we are nothing, and without which all we do will profit us nothing. This "Charity suffereth long and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own; is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth."

That we may feel the force of this passage, and its perfect agreement or perfect disagreement with war, let the phrase the war spirit be substituted for "charity," and read the passage over again-The war spirit "suffereth long and is kind"; the war spirit "envieth not;" the war spirit "vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth."

Now what a palpable contradiction have we before us to every thing that is known of the war spirit? Could more direct falsehoods be formed than are here expressed by merely substituting the war spirit for charity? And can any thing more be needful to prove to any rational being, that Christian love and the war spirit are perfectly opposed to each other?

There is however one characteristic of charity yet to be mentioned: "Charity never faileth." May we say the war spirit never faileth," and still expect to meet fighting men in heaven? What a figure would the war spirit make in the realms of peace and love!

Now if it be a fact that there is such a perfect contrast between Christian love and the war spirit, and also a solemn truth that without Christian love all we do will" profit

nothing," in the final account; must it not be at an infi

nite hazard that any one indulges the spirit of war, or attempts to excite it in others?

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In Gal. v. 19-23, we have a contrast between the "works of the flesh" and the "fruits of the Spirit.""Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

Let every reader review this list of vices, and ask himself two or three questions;-Does not the custom of war as it exists among Christians, either authorize or tolerate by far the greater part of these vices? Can the custom of war exist without these vices? And if "they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God," what will become of men who live and die in the vices of war? Are we to suppose that the "God of peace" has such a delight in blood, that he will dispense with all the prohibitions, requisitions and declarations of the gospel, to favour fighting men, and place them on a level with the peacemakers" and "the pure in heart?" If such be his character and such his intention, why did he send the Prince of peace as our guide to heaven?

Now remark the contrast: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Such are the fruits of the Christian religion, those fruits which our Lord requires, and which our God will approve. What a perfect contrast is here to the list of vices before mentioned! Are these lovely fruits the fruits of the spirit of war? Against these heavenly fruits the apostle says "there is no law"-that is, no law of God, and no law of Christ. But the laws of men, which require war, are against all these virtues, and require the opposite vices.

If the custom of war cannot exist but by the vices which the gospel forbids, and if the fruits which the gospel requires and approves are directly the reverse of those by which war is supported, how is it possible that war should be consistent with the Christian religion? Can a fountain send forth at the same place both sweet water and bitter, or salt water and fresh? Can the peaceful fig-tree of Christianity bear the almond berries of war? Or can the deleterious vine of war, bear the figs of gospel love, forgiveness, peace and kindness?

Let us now listen to another Apostle :

James i. 27. "Pure religion and undefiled before God even the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

Can that also be "pure religion and undefiled" which supports war and makes widows and fatherless children by hundreds and by thousands? and which often slaughters these bereaved objects after the husband and the father are slain? Do war makers and those who support them, keep themselves "unspotted from the world?-Can any thing be farther from the Apostle's description of " pure and undefiled religion" than what commonly appears in men devoted to arms?

Let us hear James farther on the subject of war. "From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not even from your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust and have not. Ye kill and desire to have, and cannot obtain." James iv. 1, 2. Do wars and fightings also come from the spirit which the gospel enjoins? If not, then these evils cannot be consistent with Christianity, and must be wholly attributed to those lusts which the gospel was designed to subdue.

The same Apostle says, "If ye have bitter envyings and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly,

sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom which is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." ch. iv. 14-17.

Here we have two very different kinds of wisdom. Does any Chistian need to be told which of these God approves ? or that he cannot approve both? Does he need to be told from which war results? Is it possible that war should be made under the influence of that wisdom which "is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full mercy and good fruits," &c.? If not, it is always made by that wisdom which is from beneath.

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We will next see what Peter has to say." For what glory is it if when ye are buffetted for your faults ye take it patiently? But if when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently, this is thankworthy and acceptable unto God. For even hereunto are ye called; for Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps; who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth; who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not, but committed himself to him who judgeth righteously." 1 Peter ii. 20-23. "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busy body in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but glorify God on this behalf-Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator." 2 Pet. iv. 15, 16-19.

These exhortations were given in an expectation of "fiery trials," or under a prospect of severe sufferings. The example of our Lord under his trials was particularly brought to view as worthy of imitation, and as intended for this very purpose. We may then ask, Is avenging the wrongs we receive, is rendering evil for evil, is breathing