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against “the Lord’s anointed.” And now, that which was contrary to the mind and will of God receives his protection and approbation.
Take another example. When John the Baptist commenced his public ministrations, among the many that came to him for advice and counsel, were some soldiers of the Roman army then quartered in Judea, saying unto him “And what shall we do?” Now, when we consider that war is one of the greatest evils of our world—that it is in direct opposition to the letter and spirit of the gospel of peace, life and love; and that John came to prepare the way for that gospel by removing the obstructions out of the way—the greatest of which is war; when we consider all these things, it would have been expected that John would have commanded these soldiers to throw down their arms, desert their colors, return to their homes, and “learn war no more.” Such would have been the answer from a member of a “Non-resistence society,” had the world been wise enough then to have had one. But what was John’s answer—“Do violence to no man—neither accuse any falsely—and be content with your wages.” Here observe that the latter clause in these instructions to the soldiers is equivalent to a command to remain in the army and pursue the trade of war: and the former part was a rule for their observance while not engaged in active warfare. Had John commanded these soldiers to desert their ranks, he would have been arrested for treason and rebellion; and the Roman tribunes would have spared Herod the crime of murdering the forerunner of Christ. They would have put him to death for other and better reasons than to gratify a wicked mother and a silly daughter.
That war is an evil of the highest magnitude, is true—that it is contrary to the letter and spirit of the gospel, is equally true—and that the spirit of the gospel will eventually exterminate war by exterminating the evil passions of men, that generate war, is no less true. But until the spirit of the gospel becomes the spirit of the nations, and the principles of the gospel the laws of nations, wars, sometimes, will be unavoidable, and armies will be necessary: I mean defensive wars, for aggressive wars are always wrong, and never justifiable. And, therefore, to require men and nations to lay down their arms, and disband their armies, while the spirit of war is still in their hearts, is attempting to heal a great and sore disease by attacking the effect instead of the cause.
