God's world? As Adin Ballou remarked in the Universalist Quarterly of July last, "war has caused the destruction, according to Edmund Burke, of 35,000,000,000, and according to Dr. Dick, of 14,000,000,000 of human beings: the lowest estimate being enough to people eighteen planets like the earth with its present numbers; and their blood would fill a harbor of sufficient capacity to contain the combined navies of the world." What a commentary upon man's love for his fellow man. And most of those thus slain have been on account of religious disputes, and supposed heresy. Indeed christian men, although forbidden by the Savior, have deemed it "doing God service" to inflict injury upon those who would not bow the knee to Baal; and the consequence has been, that millions have fallen by the hand of God's vicegerents. Look at those mad expeditions called Crusades, for the recovery of the Holy Land, got up and carried on by Prelates and Popes, assisted by the combined forces of the christian Princes' of Europe, for the purpose of extirpating the moslem Infidel, who had got possession of the passes to the city of Jerusalem. For near two hundred years, these unholy wars deluged the earth with blood, and millions of people were sacrificed at the shrine of priestly ambition and Papal vengeance! Look again at the wonderful workings of that diaboli cal engine of cruelty, the Inquisition. This court was established by the order of Pope Innocent 3d, in the 12th century, for the purpose of making war in secret upon heretics. By the secret trial and sentence of this infernal tribunal, it is computed that no less than between 3 and 400,000 victims have perished since its establishment. In the space of only a few years, no less than 80,000 persons were brought into the Inquisition, of whom, 6,000 were doomed to the faggot and the flame. 900 females were burnt at the stake for being witches, in the Duchy of Lorraine, by one Inquisition aloneand all for the glory of God. As if the High and Holy being, whose nature is Love, and whose benevolence is Universal, could be pleased with the sacrifice of blood-even that of his own rational intelligences! The massacre at St. Bartholomew, when the horid cry of "kill the Huguenots," "kill the Huguenots," was the rallying word for the slaughter of thousands is another example of the devastating effects of ecclesiastical ambition. The civil wars in France in the 17th century, on account of religious wars, when more than a million souls were sacrificed, shows what enemies the human race have been. Pride and a desire of domina tion, have usurped the place of meekness and humility; and "" wars and rumors of wars," have followed every period of our world's history from the Redeemer's advent. The following lines, describing WAR and its consequences, are very expressive:→→ "I hate that DRUM's discordant sound, To march, and fight, and fall, in foreign lands! I hate the DRUM's discordant sound, And burning towns, and ruin'd swains, But to bring home to our bosoms the accursed effects of WAR, survey for a moment the field of battle, where you will find concentrated all the evils of suffering humanity: Says Robert Hall, "We cannot see an individual expire, though a stranger, or an enemy, without being sensibly moved and prompted by compassion, to lend him every assistance in our power. Every trace of resentment vanishes in a moment-every emotion gives way to pity and terror. In these last extremities we remember nothing but the respect and tenderness due to our human nature. What a field then must a field of battle present, where thousands are left without assistance and without pity, with their wounds exposed to the piercing air; while the blood, freezing as it flows, binds them to the earth, amidst the trampling of horses, and the insult of an outraged foe! If they are spared by the humanity of the enemy and carried from the field, it is but a prolongation of torment.— Conveyed in many vehicles, often to a remote distance, through roads almost impassable; they are lodged in ill prepared receptacles for the wounded and the sick; where the variety of distress, baffles all the efforts of humanity and skill, and renders it impossible to give to each the attention he demands. Far from their native home, no tender assiduities of FRIENDSHIP, no well known voice, no Wife, or Mother, or Sister, is near to sooth their sorrows, relieve their thirst, or close their eyes in death. Unhappy man! and must you be swept into the grave unnoticed and unremembered! and no friendly tear be shed for your sufferings, or mingled with your dust." The devastations of the CONQUEROR, like an earthquake, spread around an indescribable con sternation: "Ah! whence that glare That fires the arch of Heaven-that dark, red smoke, The discord grows, till pale Death shuts the scene! I might refer you to many bloody and cruel wars both of ancient and modern times, but I must not occupy too much attention in showing you how men, and especially Christian men, have loved their enemies. I will mention two instances fresh in our memories, that ought to disgrace the nations thus guilty. It is known that the English for some time past have been contending with the Sikhs. The Sikhs are represented as being weak, and but indifferent soldiers: but, like christians, they have learned the art of overcoming evil with murderous weapons. The steam ship, Hibernia, in March last, brought the following news of an engagement between the English and na |