cious hands of statesmen and soldiers maintained for the protection of these national institutions. Wisdom may contrive, and benevolence may execute plans for the amelioration of the human character, but a solid foundation is required to secure permanent good: "Paul may plant, and Apollos may water, but it is God that giveth the increase." Whatever benefits may be looked for by philanthropists from literary or scientific institutions, they must necessarily be transient in every belligerent nation; in every nation where the moral laws of God are not regarded as the rule of human actions. The writer of these pages, however, rejoices in the increase of knowledge, considering it as the certain means of exposing the folly, the irreligion, the cruelty of war. What the longestablished institutions of education have done towards the establishment of " peace on earth," may be answered in one word,-NOTHING. The sun of their glory may, indeed, be about to set to al the great European nations, and deprived of wealth and independence by war, the greatest of them may, at no very distant period, be reduced to the degraded state of modern Greece and Rome. Science, learning, religion, may (as they have hitherto done) travel westward; and nations only lately come into political existence, or perhaps yet in embryo, may be selected as the honoured instruments of establishing 66 peace on earth, and glory to God in the highest." Not only statesmen but the clergy, protestant and catholic, have generally held out to mankind, that the object in going to war, is to establish true religion and universal peace. Nothing can be more visionary than such an expectation; and from this happy epoch we seem, alas, far removed. But, though the Almighty, in his wise system of governing the world, causes good to arise from evil; and though war, from the intensity of suffering it may inflict, should dispose the minds of men to abandon it, yet Christianity is an uncompromising religion: it does not permit men to do evil that good may come; and its divine Author has plainly declared, that a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit. To expect, therefore, that peace will be (directly) established by the sword, seems to be about as reasonable as to expect that men in future ages will derive health and nourishment from what now constitutes poison. At a crisis like the present, when light is breaking in upon mankind, and when the ties by which society has been imperfectly kept together, during ages of darkness, seem to be dissolving, it appears to be the duty of all men, but more especially of statesmen and Christian ministers, to establish better ties of social union; and for this purpose seriously to examine the records of the Gospel of Peace, and to ascertain from thence the lawfulness or unlawfulness of war. Should the following pages tend, in any degree, to produce this examination, and thus dispel the prejudices and delusions which have so long prevailed concerning war, the author will be consoled for the obloquy he has had to encounter, and he will have the satisfaction of thinking that he has not lived in vain. Belle Vue, Harrowgate, Aug. 1828. CONTENTS. Observations on the Causes, &c. of War, in a series of Letters. XIII. The Profession of Arms, and all War, inaccordant with Published by the same Author, 1. A LETTER to ARCHDEACON WRANGHAM, on the subject of his PRIMARY VISITATION CHARGE; to which is added A LETTER to the INHABITANTS of FELISKIRK, explaining the Author's reasons for withdrawing from communion with the Church of England.-Price 38. 2. LETTERS to the REV. JAMES RICHARDSON, M.A. on his VINDICATION of the ATHANASIAN CREED; with a SUPPLEMENTARY LETTER to the REV. G. S. FABER, M.A. on his Sermon preached before the London Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews.-Price 3s. 3. LETTERS to the JEWS.-Price 2s. 6d. 4. A PETITION to PARLIAMENT on the subject of Religious Reform, particularly as connected with the CORONATION OATH; and A LETTER addressed to LORD MORPETH, and Members of Parliament generally, on the same subject.-Price 1s. 6d. 5. LETTERS to JOHN HOWARD, Esq., on his pamphlet entitled, The Necessity of the Trinity. Price 1s.;-but to be had of the Author gratis. A LETTER ADDRESSED TO THE KING, BY THOMAS THRUSH, ON RESIGNING HIS COMMISSION AS A CAPTAIN IN THE ROYAL NAVY, ON THE GROUND OF THE UNLAWFULNESS OF WAR. THE FOURTH EDITION. “I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness." SIRE, WHEN a subject presumes publicly to address his sovereign, on a matter which he deems of the very highest importance to the welfare and happiness of mankind, he cannot, if his motives are pure, help feeling much anxiety to acquit himself in a way that may best promote his views; that may give no offence to the sovereign he addresses; and that may, as much as possible, disarm public censure. This, Sire, is my case: and when I inform Your Majesty that the purport of this letter is to announce my resignation of the commission and rank I hold B |