culation; that this supposed catholicon had destroyed thousands in past ages; and that by a popular recommendation, people of all ranks in this country had been seduced to purchase the fatal poison; what would be my duty? Might I feel easy and hold my peace, because the error was so common, that people of every class were exposed to be destroyed? Common sense and humanity unite in saying, The more there are exposed, the more thorough and vigorous should be the efforts to save the lives of men.

It may indeed be less reproachful to be in a popular error, than in one which is unpopular; but it is not less dangerous. The more popular a malignant custom is, the more likely people are to be deluded by it to their own destruction. If duelling were as popular as war, it would probably destroy as many lives.

Therefore, as I feel the most perfect conviction, that war is as murderous as duelling, or even as assassination-that millions of men have already been wantonly sacrificed by itand that millions more are in danger of losing both their lives and their souls; it must be my duty to do what I can, to convince others of their danger, "whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear." As in the case of discovering a popular poison, I should be chargeable with inhumanity, and with the blood of my fellow men, if I should refuse to give information and warning; so it must be in the present case. I must lose my character and my life by any voluntary effort, let it be in an attempt to save my fellow men, and not in an attempt to destroy them. "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." But"whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”

If

If by any means there might be produced in our country as much zeal and exertion to preserve the blessing of peace, as we have seen in favor of war, how happy would be our prospects! If a tenth part of as much property, as has been expended and destroyed in the late war, should be judiciously appropriated in Great Britain and the United States, in cultivating the spirit of peace, and exciting an abhorrence of war,

the present tranquillity between the two nations would probably be as durable as their existence. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" but how horrid to see them inflamed with hatred, and murdering one another, under the delusive idea that such is the road to glory, and to heaven!

I cannot but feel tenderly for my former military companions. I know very well their love of glory; and should war become disreputable, they will be ready to exclaim," Ye have taken away my gods, and what have I more!" They will, however, probably derive some support from this melancholy fact, that if the past popularity of war has been a delusion, it is one in which statesmen and clergymen were as deeply concerned as themselves; and that had it not been for the influence of others, they never would have adopted this sanguinary road to fame.-As the error has been common to people of all ranks, there is ample ground for mutual candor, mutual sympathy, and mutual efforts for a general reformation.

O that the time may be hastened, when christianity shall be exemplified in the lives of its professors. Then will be realized that blessedness, the prospect of which animated "a multitude of the heavenly host," while they sung " Glory to God in the highest; on earth peace; and good will towards men.".

THE NOBLEST TREATY OF PEACE.*

THE celebrated Montesquieu gives it as his opinion that "the noblest treaty of peace, ever mentioned in history, is that which Gelon," king of Syracuse "made with the Carthaginians. He insisted upon their abolishing the custom of Sacrificing their children. Glorious, says he, indeed! after having defeated 300,000 Carthaginians, he required a condition that was advantageous to themselves, or rather he stipulated in favor of human nature." Spirit of Laws, vol. i. p. 151. Mr. Rollin quotes the article of the treaty-"that no

• Not in the first edition.

more human sacrifices should be offered to Saturn." Ancient History, vol. i. p. 222.

This was indeed a noble treaty, which put an end to one inhuman custom among the Carthaginians. But how much more noble would it have been had Gelon " stipulated" for the abolition of his own custom of offering human sacrifices by war, and persuaded the Carthaginians to do the same. While he beheld with horror the "human sacrifices offered to Saturn," he was probably unmoved to see thousands after thousands sacrificed to his own ambition.

So Christians can see, as well as Gelon did, the inhumanity of those sacrifices which he abolished; yet they can, without remorse sacrifice themselves or their children in compliance with another custom, which is as inhuman, as unnecessary and as savage, as that of the Carthaginians. It must indeed be admitted that Christians have viewed their own human sacrifices as acceptable to God; but so it was with the Carthaginians, and with reasons equally good.

Mr. Rollin quotes from Plutarch, a heathen moralist, some questions respecting the Carthaginian sacrifices, which deserve the consideration of fighting Christians :

"Can this, says Plutarch, be called worshipping the gods? Can we be said to entertain an honorable opinion of the gods, if we suppose that they are pleased with slaughter, thirsty of human blood, and capable of requiring or accepting such offerings? Had it not been better for the Carthaginians to have had a Critias, a Diagoras, and such like open atheists for their lawgivers, than to have established so frantic and wicked a religion? Could the Typhons and the Giants, the open enemies of the gods, had they gained a victory over them, have established more abominable sacrifices ?"

Will not Plutarch rise up in judgment against the sanguinary Christians of this age?

END.

FRIEND OF PEACE,

No. II.

CONTAINING

A REVIEW OF THE ARGUMENTS OF LORD KAMES IN FAVOR OF WAR.

BY PHILO PACIFICUS,

AUTHOR OF

A SOLEMN REVIEW OF THE CUSTOM OF WAR."

"Glory to God in the highest-on earth PEACE-good will toward men."

Song of Angels.

CAMBRIDGE:

PRINTED AND SOLD BY HILLIARD AND METCALF.

Sold also by Cummings and Hilliard, No. 1, Cornhill, Boston,

1815.