Christianity and War / 419

followers are also called lambs, because they have imbibed the Spirit, nature and disposition of Christ. Christ said to his disciples: "Behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves," Lu. 10:3.-Again. Christ said to Peter, "Feed my lambs." Jn. 21:15. What harmless and defenceless creatures are lambs! Like them, Christians ought also to be "harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. among whom they shine as lights in the world." They must be "harmless as doves." Matt. 10:16.Christ who left them such a bright example was harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. The nature of a lamb is well known to all, when it sees the wolf coming, it will flee,-Christians when persecuted in one city are commanded to flee to another, as it is not in their nature to bite and devour their wolfish persecutors. Paul says: "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay saith the Lord." Rom. 12:19. How then shall we give place unto wrath, enraged and embittered against you, give place, make room, resist not the evil he offers you with evil again; be like a lamb, as Christ has left us an example. He reviled not when he was reviled,-he threatened not when he suffered; "but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously; so Christians must commit themselves to him to whom vengeance belongs. He is "judge of all the earth." He will certainly do right. What a wonderful sight it would be to see a flock of harmless lambs, meeting a pack of ravenous wolves to tear and devour them! Could a man believe his own eyes, if he saw such a sight? Or if he should tell his neighbors that he had seen such a sieht would they not conclude that he was insane?

How then, I ask, can it be possible that a Christian, who is a partaker of Christ's Spirit and nature, and is become as a harmless and defenceless lamb, can go forth to war, and with sword and gun in hand, destroy the lives of his enemies (whom he loves) cutting them limb from limb into pieces; wasting their fields, waving with beautiful grain; burning their homes and barns; destroying all the property he possibly can; making widows and orphans, and bringing sorrow, and trouble and often starvation and death upon them? Me thinks the great inconsistency of a Christian engaging in such a work as this, must be plain-yea, self-evident, to every candid mind,-it is certainly selfcontradictory.

Paul declares that we "Do not war after the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal." 2 Cor. 10:3, 4. The meaning of this passage must be simply this;-We Christians who follow Christ's example do not engage in a carnal warfare, with carnal weapons; this would be ill-becoming Christ's peaceful followers, who are spiritual soldiers, "using the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God," and are fighting against their spiritual enemies, to maintain and support a spiritual-heavenly kingdom; and whereas, no man can serve two masters, therefore Christians cannot be engaged in fighting for a worldly kingdom and also for a heavenly one. And Oh! What a trifle is this worldly kingdom in comparison with the heavenly, and everlasting kingdom! Well might the apostle say: "That the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be revealed in us;" Rom. 8:18. and if we suffer for Christ we shall also reign with him.-If then Christians must suffer affliction here in this life, they know that their afflictions are but light and momentary,