but nations will fight, and how shall we prevent it?" I answer, Christians can set them an example of peace, and if they will not follow it, they at least cannot plead the example of Christians in vindication of violence and bloodshed. I am, Sir, yours, &c. SIR, LETTER XVI. War inconsistent with the Christian Character. SINCE the commencement of these Letters, (in 1815,) which have been interrupted by ill health, and by other avocations, successive numbers of "The friend of Peace" have appeared, together with other judicious and able productions, on the same subject; in which, the point now before us, has been treated in a far more copious and satisfactory manner, than would consist with the brevity 1 intended in these observations. My remarks, therefore, will be very limited. Yet a topic so radical to the system, cannot be passed over in silence. It is remarked by the celebrated Soame Jenyns in his "Internal Evidences of the Christian religion," that the single precept of love to enemies, so frequent, and vitally important, in the gospel scheme, was sufficient to give mankind new views of religion. So that Christianity, not only because in it life and immortality were brought to light, but because it commanded universal love, might be called, in a sense, a new religion. On this, more than any other account, it had to conflict with all the habits and prejudices of the human mind. Before I attempt to give a sketch of the Christian character, I think it necessary to premise, that the various grand traits of that character are required to be constant and uniform ; not to be assumed for an hour, and neglected for a month; not to be practised at home and dropped in an army; not to be mere show and tinsel, but to be radical and deep; springing from the heart, and forming the grounds and rudiments of character. Hence it was, that a conversion to Christianity was a change so deep and so important, affecting so essentially the heart, life, and conversation, that it was called a second birth ;-a new creation. But let us look at the Christian character, and see how it can be made to comport with war. I shall consider it by parts; selecting some of the most important. And, 1. Christ commands his followers to be meek. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls." Now, there is scarcely a trait in the character of Christ, more frequently mentioned, or manifested, than his meekness. What is meekness? Every body knows the meaning of the word. It is mildness, softness, gentleness of manners. It stands opposed to harshness, asperity, cruelty, and haughtiness. This does not look much like "The soldier, "Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, "Even in the cannon's mouth." How does the soldier's character, here drawn by the pen of a great master, resemble the Saviour's character? "As a lamb led to the slaughter, and as a sheep dumb before her shearers, so he opened not his mouth." And will it be denied, that the primitive Christians were like their great leader? How would two armies of meek and gentle Christians act, were they drawn up in order of battle? Would they act like Christ and like Abel, or like Cain and Judas? Would they render evil for evil, blow for blow, and death for death? Ah! Sir, I fancy the war would be bloodless: I fancy both would come off conquerors. Were they led by the Spirit of God, the thunder of artillery, the clash of armour, the groans of the dying, would not be heard. Angels from the regions of peace and love might hover over two such armies with delight. 2. Patience is the kindred virtue of meekness, and they are seldom far asunder. How does this comport with the character and feelings of a soldier? It is very easy to say that a soldier may be a patient man. I grant a soldier may have fortitude; but as for patience, it is little known in war or in armies. If I mistake not it is a very popular law in most armies, that a duel must follow an insult, and that a man who declines a challenge, given under certain prescriptive forms, is liable to be disgraced. These may indeed be among the leges non scriptæ, but they are laws founded in custom, so that "the memory of man runneth not to the contrary." There seldom, if ever, was a war, which Christian meekness and patience, uniting their mild influence, might K not have prevented; and which, if we take into the estimate, both parties would not certainly have prevented. Impatience of injury and insult is generally the sourse of protracted contentions and quarrels. "I cannot bear all this," is the common language. The influence of this demon through all ranks and orders of people, and through every human dwelling on earth, is extensive and dreadful. O! what a sweetener of the life of man would a small degree of Christian patience prove! What vexations and toils, what tempests of passion and fevers of anxiety do men endure through impatience! The ground of the Christian's patience, in one word, is his hope and prospects. The awful eye which is upon him, an impression of the grandeur of his own immortal powers and faculties, the thought of entering an eternal state, and the hope of enjoying everlasting felicity, enables him to bear the evils of life, makes him esteem all temporal afflictions light, and fortifies him against the sudden shocks of passion; so that he can bear to be insulted, abused, and injured, without rising up to seek revenge. But I must not enlarge. This is contrary to the spirit of war, and all the maxims of armies. 3. What shall we say, Sir, to Forgiveness, as relating to war and bloodshed! In this respect the Christian and the soldier are antipodes; nothing can be more opposite than war and Christianity, forgiveness and revenge. "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us:" and again, saith the Saviour, "If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you." But here the advocate of war presently finds a door of escape, by saying, there must be repentance in order to forgiveness. Did the Saviour regard this distinction when in his dying agonies he cried, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do?" Did the divine plan of mercy proceed on this principle, and do nothing for the sinner till he repented? How then could the Redeemer himself declare, "I was found of them that sought me not?" I appeal, Sir, to the man of honour, the man of exalted sentiments and generous feelings, and I ask him to say whether forgiveness does not spring from a nobler source than revenge; whether it does not indicate a greater soul and a purer heart? Are not the worst dispositions capable of revenge? the best only habitually forgive However sweet revenge may be in the moment of rage and fury, or to the soul poisoned by habitual hatred and malice, after those dire passions are passed away with the causes that gave them birth, who can look back on the gratifications of a revengeful spirit, with pleasure? Suppose of two men on a death-bed, the one had never failed to take revenge for insults and injuries given him; while the other had as habitually triumphed over his resentment, and had cordially forgiven the injuries he had suffered. Which of these men would look back on the various passages of his life with most pleasure? The revengeful man might say to himself, At such a time and place, I chastised an insult-I retaliated an injury; there I killed a man in a duel, I put a man to great expense who had slandered me. But, alas! these reflections of a dying man are like the dark images of troubled and feverish dreams. It is but the recollection of wretchedness endured and misery inflicted. At the moment a soul is to appear before God, conscious of its infinite need of forgiveness, how soothing to run back on a life spent in the exercise of that heavenly temper! That soul will often say, "What offences, what injuries could I not forgive? I, whose transgressions nothing but infinite mercy can pardon, whose guilt the sand of the sea shore could not outweigh. The miseries and calamities we have, by our revengeful passions, inflicted on the children of our common Father, can never be the subject of pleasing recol lection in eternity; can never be classed among our great and honourable actions. cross. Hu 4. Let us, Sir, in the next place inquire how humility would agree to the character of soldiers and of war. mility is one of the most distinguishing of all the Christian virtues; it shines with the brightest lustre in our Saviour's character, who descended from the throne of heaven to unite himself to our fallen and ruined nature. But his humility did not stop at a union so condescending, he sustained the humblest rank in life, and in the end, humbled himself still more deeply to become obedient unto death, even the death of the Therefore his followers are commanded to be humble. And surely the duty comports with their condition. There is not a creature in God's kingdom in which pride is less becoming than in man. Born to die, his nature is frail and crushed before the moth. Perpetually liable to disease and death, and condemned by the holy law of God, he has no hope but in sovereign mercy, Eternal truth regards him as a criminal bound over, not to trial, but to execution; for he is condemned already. Yet mercy is set before him, à propitiation is made for his sins, and he is invited to return to God, and fore-warned of the consequences of refusal. He expects soon to leave this world, and go before the eternal Judge to receive his unalterable sentence. How becoming would humility be in a creature of such a character, whether his guilt or his danger, his condition or his prospects, were considered. Accordingly no diposition of mind is inculcated more frequently or on stronger reasons than humility. And, Sir, the Christian possesses it. Wherefore nothing is more unsuitable to him than the habits of an army, and the very object and intention of war. Shall a Christian take up the trade of killing men? He had better fall down humbly before God, and beg for his own life. Shall a Christian shed his brother's blood? Far better had he apply to the blood of the atonement to obtain his own pardon. Shall a Christian attempt to seize the rod of vengeance and send the wicked to endless perdition? God forbid it: rather let him devote his time, and the remainder of his probationary state to deprecate the wrath of Him who hath said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Sir, nothing is more remote from the end and design, and all the measures and operations of war, than humility. Neither war nor warriors, as such, have any thing to do with humility. They are as remote from it, I might almost say, as heaven is from hell. The spirit of war is a spirit of pride, loftiness, and self-sufficiency. Of course it diffuses that spirit over nations. It seizes the versatile powers and vivid fancy of youth, and where the mind is corroborated by age, the vanity and pride of youth is settled into haughtiness, contempt, and all their kindred train. 5. Sir, I come to another eminent trait in the Christian character, with which I scarcely know what the soldier can do ; or what he can say about it. I mean self-denial. And this has much to do with meekness, patience, forgiveness, and humility, and goes into the very nature of them all. They are contrary to man's depraved nature, and at every step in them, he must "deny himself." What saith our blessed Lord? "He that denyeth not himself, taketh not up his cross and followeth me, is not worthy of me." If man is a selfish creature, and sets too high a value on his own interest and pleasures, then the whole of religion which labours to raise him above his narrow selfishness, and reform his passions and inclinations, is a self-denying religion. And this is the fact. The precepts by which the military man is formed, know nothing of this. They teach him to aim at little else but victory and vengeance. The submission which they inculcate to superiors may sometimes require a degree of self-denial in |