Nor is he under any obligation to obey the magistrate in any thing which would imply a departure from the laws of love, meekness and peace, which are enjoined in the gospel. As love is the fulfilling of the law, and the sum of all Christian duties, he who indulges a spirit of malignity or revenge, is a transgressor; and so is he who attempts to excite such a spirit in others.

The doctrine of "non resistance and passive obedience" to the magistrate, when he requires what God forbids, is not to be found in the gospel. Christians are not indeed to resist the magistrate by rendering evil for evil. But if they are required by him to do what God forbids, or to forbear doing what God requires of them, they may justly reply in the language of the Apostles to the Sanhedrim" Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye ;” and, like the Apostles they should still pursue their course of obedience to God, at the risk of their lives,

If the foregoing remarks are as just as they are believed to be, the case is clear, that Christians can never lawfully engage in war, except when it can be done in the exercise of supreme love to God, and by doing unto others as they would that others should do unto them. If in any case God expressly requires them to engage in war, let God be obeyed; or if a case should occur in which they can fight in self defence, in the exercise of that temper which Jesus exemplified in dying, the just for the unjust, then let them "fight the good fight of faith." But let it no longer be imagined that Christians may safely indulge the spirit of the devil in compliance with the mandate of an earthly sovereign. Nor let rulers any longer imagine, that they can can innocently indulge or excite any passions but what are lawful to men as the followers of the Prince of peace. "It is not, however, to be inferred from these remarks, that good men have never been engaged in war. Good men have been misled by the influence of education, on this subject as well as on others; and in time of war they have often thought themselves justified in the indulgence of revengeful passions. But perhaps a delusion more fatal was never embraced by a Christian; if not absolutely fatal to him, it may have been to

yothers--not only to such as he regarded as enemies, but to his own children, who might think it safe to follow his example.

In concluding this article, we desire to impress on the mind of every reader the following truths:

First. That the laws of God should be ever regarded as suRREME, and of as much higher authority than human laws as God is greater than man ;-that the laws of God extend to every duty and to every thing, which a ruler has a right either to do, or require, and that neither a ruler nor a subject has the least right, on any occasion or pretence, to indulge, excite or display a spirit of hatred or revenge, nor to do any thing which cannot be done on Christian principles-with a Christian temper, and from Christian motives.

Second. That the war-making ruler acts on the presumption, that the precepts of the gospel are subordinate to his own will; that he has an undoubted right to suspend their operation, and to substitute martial laws in their stead, whenever he wishes to make war; that he has a right to dissolve the friendly relations which exist between different nations, declare them enemies to one another, and to do all he can to excite malignant and murderous passions in his own people requir ing them to hate those whom they are required by God to dove, -and instead of doing good to them, to do evil, and; destroy them. Thus the war-maker, like "the Man of Sines dxalts : himself above all that is called God treating the laws of the Supreme Being as he would the laws of a vanquished prince— setting all aside, during the war, excepting those which may - be made subservient to his military projectsaroda vdW 94.

After such a contempt of the laws of Jehovah with what face or consistency can the war maker look to Heaven for protection, or hope in Divine mercy or how can be blame his - own subjects, if they treat his laws, as he has taught them to baile in to somej Murder treat the laws of their Maker!

But are the war-makers of Christendom aware that they thus treat the laws of God? No ; the way) in which they march is paved by education, custom and ɔ popularity, and they seem to go on with as little reflection, and as much self complacency, Had God issued as the war-horse "rusheth into the battle."

proclamation, submitting his laws entirely to the discretion or inclination of rulers, to be sanctioned, suspended or annulled, as should best comport with their military purposes; it is doubted whether they would have taken greater liberty, or have felt less concerned for the consequences of their conduct.

To sanction the common practice of Christians, in relation to war, the commands of God should have been issued in the following form: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself, at all times.—excepting when thy Cesar shall call for a display of those passions which fill the world with violence and misery: on such occasions the authority of the Lord thy God is snspended, to give place to those energies of character, those exploits and enterprizes, to which deluded mortals attach the highest glory.

OBSERVATIONS ON WAR BY AN AMERICAN PHILOSOPHER.

By the original law of nations, war and extirpation were the punishment of injury. Humanizing by degrees, it admitted slavery instead of death soÀ farther step was the exchange · of prisoners instead of slavery: Another, to respect more the property of private person's under conquest, and be content a with acquired dominion** sal

od to Why should not this clawb of nations go on improving ? -Ages have intervened between its several steps; but as knowlvedge of fate increases, why should not these steps be quickened? Why should it not be agreed to as the future law of naJotions, that in any war hereafter, the following descriptions of omen should be undisturbedy have the protection of both sides, 'and be permitted to follow their employments in security? viz : o Cultivators of the earth, because they labour for the subsistence of mankind. int to ea

24 Fishermen, for the same reason, in-tow out

Merchants and i traders in unarmed ships, who accomomodate different nations by communicating and exchanging the necessaries and conveniences of life, or stiles duw b

- treat hou bыll ained ad omni divi” actor in 1

"4. Artists and mechanics, inhabiting and working in open

towns.

"It is hardly necessary to add, that hospitals of enemies should be unmolested--they ought to be assisted.

"It is for the interest of humanity in general that occasions of war and the inducements to it, should be diminished. If rapine be abolished, one of the encouragements to war is tak en away; and peace therefore more likely to be lasting."

"The practice of robbing merchants on the high seas-a remnant of the ancient piracy-though it may be accidentally beneficial to particular persons, is far from being profitable to all engaged in it, or to the nation which authorises it."

The foregoing "Observations on war" were written by Dr. Franklin. In the same article he subjoined some judicious remarks to discourage the practice of privateering. But on that subject we shall find something from the same author in the following articles.

The improvements in the law of nations, which the Doctor has mentioned, as having already been made, are very considerable. Those which he has proposed would be of vast im, portance. They would not only diminish the evils and horrors of war, but the motives to engage in the bloody business. Of course wars would become less frequent, as well as less hor rible. It is presumed that no good reason can be given why the several classes of men which he has mentioned should not be suffered to live unmolested, during the quarrels of rulers.

There are however several classes of people, besides those mentioned by the Doctor, who ought not to be interrupted by such contests:

First Females of every age and every rank. They were not made to fight, and they ought not to be injured by the wars of bloody-minded men. Their rights and their happiness should always be respected.

Second. Male children under twenty-one years of age, These are minors; and they ought not to be considered as accountable for the sins of their rulers, nor exposed to the vices and perils of camps.

Third. Men above sixty years of age; they are too old for war, and their grey hairs should be too much respected to be called on by their own rulers, or insulted by the rulers of aanother nation.

Fourth. All males between 21 and 60 years of age, who either love peace better than war, or are unfit to die. It is abominable cruelty to compel peaceable men to fight, or to kill them to revenge the wrongs of those who delight in blood. It is also cruel to kill those who are unprepared for death, or to expose their lives to imminent dangers.

Fifth. Slaves of every description, white or black, including those who have been made slaves for military purposes, whether soldiers or seamen. As they have been deprived of their own rights, they ought not to be made to fight for the rights of others, nor killed in the quarrels of freemen.

Sixth. All who are innocent of the crimes for which a war is made, should be exempted from its evils; their persons and their property should be regarded as inviolable.

Such improvements in the law of nations are demanded by the concurring claims of reason, justice, humanity and religion. Nor are these all which they demand. They require compassion for the dumb beasts, and forbid that the lives of horses and oxen should be sacrificed in the worse than brutal contests of ambitious and ungodly men.

Suppose that wars among men had been unknown-What should we think of an order of beings as much above us as wo are above the brutes, if they were to abuse and sacrifice men in their contests with each other? Or what should we think of these superior beings if we should know that the higher classes among them, sacrifice the lower by thousands in their foolish or malicious quarrels ? Nay, what shouid we think on knowing that they make a trade or profession of the business of war and murder and attach to it the highest praises and honors! Should we not without hesitation pronounce them a race of devils, rather than good beings!

Let Christians then exert all their influence to improve the law of nations, till the motives to war shall be excluded, and the disgraceful custom completely abolished.