The simple grandeur of the character to which she would rise, under a change so astonishing and so novel, would excite the attention of all nations, and some would, no doubt, follow her example. She would never be invaded from fear, jealousy, or resentment, and being harmless, would not be likely to suffer injury. On the whole, I feel the highest confidence, that Almighty Providence would extend to her efficient protection, in those cases where she was exposed to the fury of nations and conquerors, whom no sense of justice or humanity could restrain. And they might read in the fate of Pharaoh or Sennacherib, an example of their own temerity, and destruction.

Sir, views of truth, duty and divine Providence, such as the foregoing, have brought me to a firm and unshaken belief, that any nation fully espousing the cause of peace, would prove to be flourishing, happy, and secure, beyond parallel.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." And shall we distrust a promise in which eternal veracity is pledged? Will it not do, Sir, for a nation humbly to repose confidence in the protection of the Almighty? Does not such a pledge as this, import more security to him, who holds it, than the united powers of all creatures could give? I shall waste no time in considering what Britain, as a pacific nation, might do with her fleets and armies. Suffice it to say, that the incalculable treasures before expended on the schemes of war, might with ease be turned to promote the arts and enterprises of peace.

Perhaps one might wish his own country to be the first, honoured, and happy subject of conversion to peace. But in this, as in every thing which concerns his great kingdom, the blessed God will overrule and direct. We ought to wish the glorious prospect to open first, where it will shine with the greatest lustre, and progress with most extended influence. While with agonies of desire, every Christian should direct his eye to the Redeemer's throne, and his prayer to the great Intercessor, that he would hasten the day, let every one say, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done." Sir, let us rejoice, in full assurance, that He will in his own times declare who is that blessed and only Potentate, THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD Of Lords.

I am, Sir, yours, &c.

LETTER XV.

War incompatible with the highest good of all nations. SIR, IT will doubtless be seen, that, if the preceding grounds I have taken have been maintained, the proposition now to be considered, is already substantiated. Yet, while the topics on which this proposition depends, are not brought fully into view, and as public utility is generally admitted as a good rule to try public measures by, I consider it due, and even essentially important to the cause of truth, to show in what respects war is inconsistent with the best interests of nations, whether considered as bodies politic, or subjects. of God's moral government.

At the same time candour and fairness require that we give full weight to the arguments drawn from several important advantages supposed to result from war, both to nations and individuals. My object is to show, that nations, even as the world now is, and depraved as human nature is, would better consult their own interest and happiness by renouncing war. Whereas the popular sentiment is, that, although war is a very great evil, yet the condition of nations is such, that they must of necessity fight, at least in their own defence. And it is this sentiment which keeps the door of war as wide open as any warrior on earth can desire. Indeed, if the line of what may be called lawful war, drawn by the author of the five sermons already alluded to, be correct, no nation that wishes to be at war, can long want a pretext. For, although he admits none but defensive war, yet, to fight for money, for honour, for any right or privilege, at home or abroad, on land or on sea, is, in his sense, defensive war. Of course, David's invasion of Moab, because his servants had the skirts of their garments cut off there, was defensive war. And the Roman war on Corinth, because the Roman Ambassadors had a filthy vessel emptied on their heads in the street, was defensive war, and in it, that splendid capitol of Greece, was razed to the ground. And, what is still more wonderful, the author of the five sermons expressly declares, as I have before noticed, that, "as to the equity of the war, little depends upon the magnitude of the injury." "If the evil inflicted be small, there is less excuse upon the part of the aggressor, for persisting in it, at the risk of an appeal to arms." Of course, I presume if our ambassador should chance to have his dog killed, or even kicked in the streets.

of London, it would be thought a sufficient cause of war, "if persisted in."

Ah, Sir, the men that breathe the spirit of war, never are at a loss for a sufficient cause; and so long as defensive war is admitted, all wars can easily be proved to be defensive, by a system of martial logic.

But the author of the five sermons goes even much further than all this, and swells the boundaries of defensive war so as to take in what may be called "precautionary wars." Sir, I presume there has not been a war in Europe since Europa fled to that continent on the tergum Tauri*, but what could, at this rate, easily be proved to be a defensive war.

All war is wrong, and while permitted, was permitted as a Scourge and judgment on a bloody race of creatures; and now, that it is persisted in by professing Christians, when forbidden, it is suffered to pour its plagues, mingled with divine wrath and indignation, upon their heads.

No pencil can draw in its true colours the portrait of war. It is all extreme, all horrible, all devilish. It is a sight sufficiently odious and repulsive, to see two men quarrel and fight, even without any real intention of killing ; but when a great many thousands on each side, and the late armies in Europe have consisted often of some hundreds of thousands, meet for the known purpose of killing each other; to see them by thousands dashed in pieces by cannon balls and grape shot, pierced by musket bullets, cut down by swordstransfixed by bayonets, crushed by carriages, and trampled by horses; to hear their groans and cries, their curses and execrations; to see them rushing on with fury, or retreating with precipitation and despair; presents a scene, which neither tongue, pen, nor pencil, can reach.

The wounded, the dying, and dead, lie mingled and totally disregarded. Thousands, whose limbs and bodies are torn mangled and cut in pieces with disfiguring and ghastly wounds, in torments which none can conceive, lie neglected, writhing and bleeding to death, for hours, and often for days, till they perish in slow and lingering tortures. Think, Sir, of the great battles of Thymbræ, of Issus and Arbelæ ; where Cyrus and Alexander slaughtered incredible multitudes of men, and gained themselves immortal renown among wretched infatuated mortals, but I think eternal infamy even among devils. Think of the thousand battles of Julius Cæsar and Hannibal, those thunderbolts of war. Think of the millions slain

* Back of a Bull.

by the Goths, Saracens, and Turks; by Attila, Ghenghis, and Tamerlane; nay, by Charles, Lewis, and Bonaparte.

O my God! what an eternity does the history of our vile race seem to indicate to the greatest portion of men! O thou infinite Father of all worlds and creatures, hear the prayer of a helpless worm: how thy heavens in mercy and say it is enough; bid the tumult of battle cease; say to her billows, "hitherto shalt thou come, but no further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed."

1. Sir, the first and most prominent feature of war, is its destruction of human life. But whoever would attempt an estimate of this, must not limit his calculation merely to such as fall in battle; but must extend it to all whose ordinary term of life is cut short by means of war. In this view of the question, I should not hesitate a moment to say, that war has destroyed a third part of the human race. For, it often brings pestilence and famine in its train. Now the first object of society is to render life secure and happy; we see by what means this object has been frustrated.

But the objector will say, the blame of war must be charged to the original aggressor. Sir, the spirit of resistance is a spirit of violence; and in those cases where money, interest, honour, ambition, and intrigue, are at bottom, there is often scarce a shade of difference between the two sides of conten-tion in point of blame. There have been but few wars in which the blame lay chiefly on one side. Let us look for a moment, at some of the most destructive wars that history records. Who can settle the precedency of blame between the Assyrians and the Medes and Persians? between the Persians and Greeks? Even Alexander plead powerfully, and with some appearance of justice, his right to punish the Persians for their invasions of Greece. Who can adjust the question of blame between Rome and Carthage, or between Greece and Rome? Who, between Rome and Rome, in the horrible civil wars of the triumvirates? Who, between Rome and the Gauls and Germans, or Goths and Vandals? Who, between the Guelphs and Ghibbillenes, or between France and England, or Francis and Charles ?

Wars, instead of promoting security and happiness, impair both; neither can we criminate one side and exculpate the other. The blame of war is, on a large scale, as chargeable to resistance as aggression; and were the principle of resistance and retaliation to cease, war would cease. But they are kept up to preserve life and happiness. How do they do it? By the destruction of a third part of men. But,

2. Perhaps it will be said, "Though many are slain, and destroyed by war, yet it renders the remnant more comfortable and happy." What has been the comfort and happiness of Europe for the last twenty years? On the contrary, what mourning, lamentation, and misery, have pervaded nearly all that quarter of the globe! The single article of fear, attendant on the course and operations of two great armies, absorbs and annihilates more domestic happiness alone, than to countervail all the good which can arise during the same time, from those operations. Draw round each of those armies a circle whose diameter is one hundred miles, and you will encompass a region of perpetual alarms, ravages, pillage, consternation, sleepless nights, joyless anxious days. The people are fled into wretched exile; or perhaps, hardened into despair, they wait in their houses the wreck and ruin of their effects. They are paralyzed by continual, dreadful expectation; skirmishes near them, the thunder of cannon at a distance; parties driving by like a tornado every hour; whatever they have which can be turned to military service put in requisition; they have no rest, no comfort.

The decisive battle at length is fought. Does joy return to the nation whose army is victorious? Why then do we see whole cities in mourning? The flying colours and ringing bells, those external tokens of joy, do but ill express the feelings of thousands of families, when they read the mournful list of fathers, brothers, husbands, and children slain. Alas! the splendour of a triumph is dim, in the eyes of some noble family, whose only son is fallen in battle. They can indeed rejoice that their country was victorious, but O, at what a price, for them, was victory bought! And now, childless their grey hairs must descend with sorrow to the grave. Many a lovely family of children, whose only stay was their father, are, by this bloody day, left orphans, abandoned to poverty-to misery-perhaps to infamy.

Sir, one great battle, however victory may turn, plants stings of sorrow, in many a bosom, never more to be withdrawn-sorrows which can render those that feel them careless of victory or defeat-yea, careless of life or death. War to remedy evils, real or imaginary, brings, on those that enter the bloody list, sorrows and calamities, intense, intolerable and interminable. "O my soul, come thou not into their secret, unto their assembly; mine honour, be not thou united; for in their wrath they slew a man, and in their anger they digged down a wall. Cursed be their wrath for it was fierce, and their anger, for it was cruel." Such are the effects