points of the first importance. Under the fancied protection of these principles, both rulers and subjects, with the name of Christians, have indulged all the hateful passions of ambition, avarice, malignity and revenge, and perpetrated deeds of atrocity, in view of which infernal spirits might "blush and hang their heads It is however a solemn truth, that Christianity embraces all the duties of men, and forbids every thing which cannot be done in the exercise of Christian love. The Gospel precepts extend to all that a ruler has a right to do either in his private or his official capacity, and clearly enjoins the temper to be exercised in all his acts. In no case has he a right to do any thing but in the exercise of a Christian spirit-or supreme love to God, and impartial benevolence towards all mankind. It is also a Gospel precept which binds the Christian to render unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's. All the submission which is due to the higher powers, all the obedience to magistrates, which becomes a Christian, is required of him by the precepts of the Gospel; and the whole is to be performed by him as a Christian. 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 San VOL. III. hedrim- 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 Jesu's 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 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 embraced by a Christian: if not absolutely fatal to him, it may have been to others, not only to such as he regarded as enemies, but to his own children, who might think it safe to follow his example. never 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 supreme, and of as much higher authority than human laws as God is greater than man; that the laws of God extend to every 2 M duty and to every ruler has a right require; and that thing, which a either to do or 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. Secondly, 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, requiring them to hate those whom they are required by God to love; and instead of doing good to them, to do evil, and destroy them. Thus the war-maker, like the Man of Sin, exalts 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 projects. 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 he blame his own subjects, if they treat his laws as he has taught them to 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 popularity; and they seem to go on with as little reflection, and as much self-complacency, as the war-horse "rusheth into the battle." Had God issued a 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 Cæsar 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 suspended, to give place to those energies of character, those exploits and enterprises, to which deluded mortals attach the highest glory. PEACE SOCIETY IN PARIS. To the Editor of the Herald. IN transmitting the Prospectus of a Society about to be established in Paris, I wish to remark that the letter which enclosed it to me from a member of the Provisional Committee, under date 28 May 1820, states, that the Prospectus is now before the Minister; and as soon as the sanction of government is received, which it is hoped will be obtained by the middle of the present month, (June) they will proceed to its organization and to active exertion. To this information permit me to add, that according to the laws of France, no society wherein the members exceed the number of twenty can exist, without the express sanction of the Government. This circumstance has retarded the establishment of the proposed society; the title of which is such as to admit of its fully advocating the views of Peace Societies, and of many of the Philanthropic Institutions. In the present state of its progress I will only add, that as it proposes to embrace professors of the Christian religion, of whatever name, Catholic or Protestant; as it excludes subjects, whether of a political or theological nature, on which there can be divisions in opinion; it embraces in itself the very essence of Peace, and has no reason to fear receiving not merely the sanction, but even the approbation of the present government of France. PROSPECTUS Of the Society for the application of the Precepts of Christianity to Social Institutions. ALTHOUGH in the present day Political Science seems exclusively to occupy the attention of those who are devising means for improving the condition of their fellow-mortals,although there is in the minds of such persons a disposition to believe that the study and application of political morality is sufficient for all the wants of human nature; yet it is nevertheless indisputable that all the friends of truth do not agree in this implicit reliance upon the benefits arising from the regulations of society. Many feel the necessity of directing their attention, and that of their contemporaries, to succour more effectual, and to sources of improvement of far greater extent, and of easier attainment. With such sentiments and such desires, efforts are daily made; efforts full of zeal, the success of which silences the calumniators of the age, who cannot, without injustice, deny that the present time is more fruitful than any of those which preceded it, in useful discoveries, generous purposes, and cha ritable institutions. To this age belongs the formation of numerous societies, which, in different Christian countries, zealously and disinterestedly labour to promote the progressive civilization of mankind, and the melioration of their moral and physical condition. France has not remained a stranger to these laudable endeavours. Both in the capital and in the departments, some of these useful institutions have been founded; and it is highly gratifying to observe, that wherever these benevolent purposes have been carried into effect, persons, who in other respects have entertained different opinions, laying aside their ancient prejudices, have been eager to join such associations, rightly judging that their differences upon other topics ought not to constitute an obstacle to the accomplishment of a benefit in which Providence calls us to co-operate. Encouraged by these observations, and persuaded also that the greater part of those evils under which men groan are the sad fruit of that illusion which prevails relative to the real source of their happiness, many friends of humanity have thought that the proper time was arrived for establishing, with success, a Society which should direct all its efforts to recall men to the only true source of hap-. piness-to the precepts of Christianity; precepts essentially the same as those which the Creator has engraven in the hearts of all mankind, and which Jesus Christ has only illustrated and exhibited in a clear, attractive manner, and founded upon motives the most powerful, but which are, unhappily, less known, less respected, and above all, less followed than they ought to be. To rally around the sacred code which contains these divine precepts ; to inspire men with a desire to search into them, and to penetrate farther than is usually done, and thus to excite those feelings of benevolence which ought to lead us to abandon all bitterness, hatred, and dissension; to love one another, and to treat each other as brethren; in a word, to seek after, and to obtain Peace! What more lovely aim can we propose to ourselves? To what more useful end can we devote our property? To what more noble object can we direct our efforts? These are the subjects of our rising association, which will take for its title, The Society for applying the Precepts of Christianity to Social Institutions. Those who are occupied in its formation are aware that the title which they have adopted may not obtain universal approbation. Many who would be disposed to favour the design, may object either that it is too vague, that it embraces too many objects, or that the end proposed is not clearly separated from those which all other religious and philanthropic institutions throughout civilized Europe have in view. To reply to these objections would oblige us to enter upon explanations which the limits of a Prospectus forbid ; and we must here confine ourselves to the declaration, that we are convinced all these apprehensions will be removed in a satisfactory manner, by historical notices, and reflections, altogether practical in their tendency, inserted in the pages of the Journal which will constitute a part of the works of the Society. It is sufficient at present to apprize those who are animated with generous sentiments, and with the noble desire of uniting to relieve the evils and to lessen the vices that afflict humanity, that the germ of the Society already exists-that it is in a progressive state-and that it will be composed of members of different communions, as one of the fundamental articles of those laws, which will precede its efforts, is, that its only subjects of discussion will be those truths upon which different societies agree, and especially those principles of that holy morality, from which the most bitter calumniators of Christianity have not been able to withhold their admiration. The Society will also abstain from alluding to those topics which have for a long time divided the Christian world, and the discussion of which does not come within the circle of its efforts. The following is an extract from the regulations according to which the Society will be governed, and act : "Many of the friends of humanity, convinced that the greater part of the errors and vices which retard the reign of justice and peace among men, spring from ignorance or forgetfulness of the principles of Christianity-and being desirous of cooperating, in order to render the application of these principles more general, through the different relations which subsist between nations and individuals-have formed themselves into a Society under the authority of Government, to endeavour by one common consent to direct the attention of their fellow-men to such important concerns. With the hope of realizing this useful design, they have established among themselves the following regulations: Article 1. The design of the Society is to explain and recall continually to the human mind the principles of Christianity in all their purity-to point out the happy influence which these principles possess over the felicity of mankind, and thus to suggest or revive more and more those sentiments of love and universal benevolence, which are so well calculated to establish the reign of Peace upon the earth. Article II. The business of the Society will consist 1st. In collecting all the communications it can procure relative to the establishments, the works, and the productions of every kind, which exist under different forms, in other countries, and which have for their object the improvement of the moral and physical condition of man. 2d. To publish a periodical work, particularly intended to display the salutary influence of the principles of Christianity upon the institutions, the civilization, and the prosperity of nations; and to make known whatever may appear useful and worthy of imitation in the documents compiled by the Society. 3d. The Society will also publish, according to the ability it may pos sess, other works calculated to con It appears then, as already observed, that every thing that may occasion unprofitable discussions, and which is actually contrary to the design of the Society, ought to be banished from its publications, and from all its labours. A committee nominated from its members will watch over this regulation; but in rejecting what an Apostle calls "foolish and unlearned questions, knowing that they do gender strifes," 2 Tim. ii. 23, they will insist so much the more on the sublime precepts of Christian morality, and on those essential truths which constitute the foundation of their union, and respecting which there can be no difference of opinion. Persuaded that such a design cannot fail to find supporters, and full of confidence in Divine Providence, J. E. STOCK, M. D. in the Chair; the following Resolutions were unanimously adopted : I. That the Report of the Committee, and audited Account, which have been now read, be printed and distributed under the direction of the Committee. II. That this Meeting congratulates the Parent Society on the information it has received, from the European Continent and the American States, of the spread of the principle of Peace; and earnestly hopes that the Divine blessing will attend the efforts now making to promote "Peace on earth and good-will toward men." III. That the Thanks of this Meeting be given to the Treasurer and Secretary for the past year; that the Treasurer be requested to continue his services for the ensuing year; and that Mr. E. T. P. Gurney be appointed in the place of Mr. John Lewis, who resigns. IV. That the Thanks of this Meeting be given to the Committee, for their exertions in promoting the objects of the Society, and for the Report now read; and that the following Gentlemen be the Committee |