FRIENDS' REVIEW. VOL. I. A RELIGIOUS, LITERARY AND MISCELLANEOUS JOURNAL. PHILADELPHIA, SECOND MONTH 19, 1848. EDITED BY ENOCH LEWIS. Published Weekly by Josiah Tatum, Price two dollars per annum, payable in advance, or six copies for ten dollars. No. 22. with their blood. Can it be that this is in accordance with the precepts and the spirit of our holy religion? The Prophets, in foretelling the coming of the Messiah, and describing the nature of his mission, present him in the character of the Prince of Peace, of the increase of whose government and peace there shall be no end. It is declared that He shall judge among the nations, and shall CONSIDERATIONS ON THE LAWFULNESS OF rebuke many people; and they shall beat their This paper is subject to newspaper postage only. WAR UNDER THE GOSPEL DISPENSATION. "Shall the sword devour forever?"-2 SAM. ii. 26. Solemnly impressed, as we are, with the belief that war is irreconcilable with the precepts and the spirit of the Gospel, and prohibited by it, we cannot but feel that a fearful weight of responsibility is assumed by Christian nations in its prosecution; and under this conviction we are constrained to invite the professors of the Christian religion, and especially those who are looked to as its expounders, to a very serious and unbiassed consideration of this subject. 66 swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." This strong and unequivocal language clearly indicates, that it was the will and purpose of the Most High that war should eventually be abolished. And in the fulness of time, when an angel was commissioned to announce the advent of the promised Saviour, the annunciation was accompanied with a rapturous song from "a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men.' If we advert to the consequences resulting from war-its tendency to lower the standard of public morals-the slaughter and misery it pro- In harmonious agreement with the language of duces the domestic bereavements, anguish, and prophecy, and the ecstatic song of the angelic mourning inseparable from it—a subject is pre-host, were the life and ministry of our Lord and sented to our view, possessing the strongest claim to the serious reflection of the professors of the benign religion of Jesus Christ. Saviour. The law of the preceding dispensation, admitted the principle of retaliation-"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." He adverts to this for the express purpose of placing a prohibition upon it. "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." While those under the Law were allowed to hate an enemy, His command is "I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse It has been highly gratifying to observe of latter years, that the most enlightened nations have manifested an increasing reluctance to appeal to the sword-that cruel and uncertain arbiter in the settlement of national controversies; and that the efforts to adjust those controversies by peaceful negotiation, have in numerous instances, been crowned with the most satis-you, do good to them that hate you, and pray factory results. The hope, indeed, had been cherished, that in the present enlightened age of the world, and particularly in this enlightened country, the influence of pure, elevated moral principles and feelings, had obtained such an ascendency in the minds of the people, as to prevent an appeal to arms; but this pleasing anticipation has not been realized. Our country, for a considerable time, has been engaged in war-exerting its powerful energies in the work of human slaughter. The fields of a neighbouring nation have been strewn with the bodies of the slain, and its soil drenched for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you-that ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven." Now if the followers of Christ are forbidden to resist evil, and to hate an enemy, it is evident that the spirit which engenders war cannot be entertained by them; and this conclusion is rendered, if possible, still stronger, by the high standard and holy inducement to which he immediately directs their attention,-"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven." Many other similar precepts from the same high authority could be adduced, but they are familiar to the class of readers whom we address. They are plain and positive; and they receive additional force from the accompanying reference to the Law of the preceding dispensation. They are the precepts and injunctions of Him whom we call our Lord and Master--and whom we profess to love and serve. We ask for no new or strained meaning to these precepts; we accept the words in their plain, literal import; and so they were evidently accepted by the Apostles and the primitive believers. Of this there can be no doubt. If we recur to Apostolic language as it is presented in the Epistles to the Churches, we shall there meet with injunctions, and exhortations, and entreaties in strict accordance with the precepts of their Divine Master. "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." "See that none render evil for evil, to any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men." "Love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous, not rendering railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing." "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves; but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Now, let us ask, if language could be framed, more strongly prohibiting the indulgence of the spirit which produces war, than that in the preceding passages. If it be said that war is not directly and specifically interdicted, we reply, neither was suicide nor many other universally acknowledged crimes. It was seen fit to forbid them by enforcing those virtues that must effectually exclude them. If Christianity forbids those passions which engender war-which are fed by it, and without which, indeed, it cannot exist, it follows inevitably that Christianity forbids war. It will be admitted, that the views and the practice of the earliest converts to Christianity living as they did, near the time of its Founder, and under the teaching of the Apostles, or their immediate successors are entitled to great influence in deciding this momentous question; and ecclesiastical history of the highest authority establishes the fact, that the early Christians not only insisted that they were forbidden to fight-but that they manifested their sincerity by offering up their lives, rather than violate, what they deemed an injunction of their Divine Master. A few cases may here be cited: Maximilian, a Roman youth, on being brought before the tribunal, to be enrolled as a soldier, refused-saying to the Proconsul, "I am a Christian, and cannot fight." On being told that there was no alternative between bearing arms and being put to death, he promptly and firmly replied "I cannot fight, if I die." He continued firm to his principles, and was led to execution. The primitive Christians not only refused to enlist as soldiers, but those in the army who embraced Christianity, immediately abandoned the profession, without regard to consequences. Marcellus, a Roman Centurion, on becoming a convert to Christianity, promptly resigned his commission, declaring, that having become a Christian, he could serve no longer. "It is not lawful," said he, "for a Christian to bear arms for any earthly consideration." He continued firm in his refusal, and suffered death on that account. Cassian, who was a Notary in the same legion, on embracing Christianity, resigned his commission, and firmly adhering to the sentiments avowed by Marcellus-like him was led to execution. Martin, another Roman, who was bred to the profession of arms, on being converted to Christianity, abandoned the army, saying, "I am a Christian, and therefore I cannot fight.' These are not isolated cases-many more night be adduced if it were necessary- but the fact we aim to establish will not be denied. Tertullian, in speaking of a large portion of the Roman armies, after Christianity had been widely spread over the world, expressly assures us, that "not a Christian could be found among them." Ireneus, Justin Martyr, and others, furnish conclusive evidence that the Christians of their day bore the most ample testimony to the incompatibility of war with the religion of the Gospeland that many of them sealed their testimony with their blood. Clemens of Alexandria, speaks of Christians as the "followers of peace," and says expressly, that they "used none of the implements of war." Lactantius, another early Christian, alleges that, "it can never be lawful for a righteous man to go to war." The evidence upon this point is fully sustained by the early opponents of Christianity: Celsus, who lived towards the close of the second century, accuses the Christians of his day, "of refusing to bear arms, even in cases of necessity." Origen, the defender of Christianity, does not deny, but admits the fact, and justifies it, on the ground that war was unlawful. If, then, the language of prophecy is clear and positive that the time will come, when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor the people learn war any more: If, in accordance with this prophecy, the precepts and commandments of our Saviour are pacific in the fullest degree; strictly enjoining the forgiveness of injuries; making it the only condition upon which men can hope to be forgiven--and if he as strictly prohibited the indulgence of a spirit of resentment, or retaliation : If the early converts, under the teaching of the Apostles and their immediate successors, were so solemnly impressed with the belief that war was forbidden by their holy Redeemer, that they could not be induced to "bear arms for any | tion to Christian doctrine and practice be admisearthly consideration," many of them nobly sible, by it could not the multitude of martyrs yielding up their lives in confirmation of the sin- have escaped, who offered up their lives rather cerity of their faith :--than deny the Lord that bought them, or violate his holy injunctions? If all this be indisputable, we ask, if the proposition is not fully and clearly establishedthat war is a grievous violation of the principles of our holy religion? It remains now to account for the change that has taken place in the practice of the professors of this benign religion, in relation to war. The importance of the subject, and the magnitude of the evils consequent upon the change, call for the clearest evidence of its propriety, and of its consistency with the precepts and spirit of the Gospel. The Apostles foretold that after their decease, a departure from the purity of the Christian faith would take place that "men would arise speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them," and that "many would follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth would be evil spoken of." That this prediction was strictly fulfilled, will be generally admitted. The falling away from the meek and unresisting spirit which so conspicuously marked the primitive Church, was gradual, keeping pace with the increase of the general profligacy, and was doubtless accelerated by the corrupting influence of a union between the Church and the State. When princes adopted the Christian religion from motives of state policy, it is not just cause of surprise, that courtiers should claim to be converts-nor that a modified and adulterated system of religion should ensue, and ultimately prevail amongst subjects,--nor that war should cease to be regarded as a violation of the spirit and precepts of the Gospel. It will not be denied, that the precepts and injunctions of our blessed Lord are binding upon individual believers. It becomes then an inquiry of the utmost importance, and we commend it to the mature and solemn reflection of all, By what human authority-by what human tribunal, can a community be absolved from the observance of those Divine laws and injunctions which are acknowledged to be binding upon its individual members? (To be continued.) A NIGHT ON LAKE SIMCOE. The rigour of a Canadian winter is such as to enchain in icy bonds, for several consecutive months, the second-rate lakes of the continent. In the higher latitudes of the province, the ice acquires an almost incredible thickness, defying for a long time the influences of spring; and when it yields at length, about the month of May, choking up the rivers, by which it attempts to descend in crowded and fantastic masses, and causing inundations, at all times inconvenient, and sometimes fatal both to life and property. As soon as these great bodies of fresh water are frozen, an active intercourse immediately strikes up between the different points on the shores of such of them as have become either wholly or partially encircled with an industrious population. Districts of country which, in the summer season, are only accessible to each other by toilsome and circuitous journeys, thus experience, when winter sets in, all the advantages of a direct intercommunication. It is during the winter season that the traffic and intercourse between the rural districts and the towns, reach their greatest height, the majority, particularly of the more distant farmers, reserving their visits to the different markets of the province, until the smoother and more direct roads of winter can enable them to perform their journeys with greater speed and less toil. Fearlessly as it is generally undertaken, a journey across one of the great frozen masses of the North American continent is not always unaccompanied with danger. The following incident will exhibit, to some extent, the nature and amount of the peril which is thus occasionally encountered. Amongst the American lakes of the second class, Lake Simcoe ranks as one of the largest. Its extreme length is about forty miles; its width, at some points, being nearly thirty. It is situIf it be said, that Christianity exonerates ated in the midst of a beautiful and fertile district nations from those duties which she has imposed lying between Lakes Huron and Ontario; its upon individuals, we ask for the ground upon distance from the latter, due north from the city which the assumption is based. If the plea of of Toronto, being forty miles; whilst its northexpediency be made, does it not imply a distrust ern extremity approaches within five-and-twenty of Divine protection? And if expediency be a miles of the former, into which its superfluous justification of a violation of one Divine law, it waters are discharged by the river Severn, whose is not perceived why it may not, with equal pro- short course is frequently interrupted by sucpriety, be urged in justification of a violation of cessive cascades and brawling rapids. every other Divine law. If human authority shores of the lake are such as to strike every may abrogate, or suspend one law of God, why beholder with their beauty, being indented with may not the same authority exercise the same numerous bays, some of which run far up into power in regard to every other law of the Cre- the land, and retreating at many points, in graceator? Again, if the plea of expediency in rela-ful undulations from the water, crowned with The the beech and the maple, the birch, the hickory, frequently extend from one end of the lake to and the live oak of Canada. It is approached the other. The water, with which they are from the capital of Canada West, by a fine immediately filled up, seldom freezes; and when macadamized road, on either side of which the the ice is covered with a thin sprinkling of snow, forest has been cleared away, the whole route the eye can trace them for miles, like the blue being lined with elegant mansions, and comfort- veins which underlie a clear and brilliant comable and commodious farmhouses. In the social plexion. Although they are not always of suforganization of Canada, wealth has not as yet ficient width to offer any serious impediment to marked out a very numerous class for its own; a journey, it is nevertheless a matter of prudence but the shores of Lake Simcoe are destined to in the traveller to possess himself of adequate be the future retreat of the wealthy and refined means of crossing them. This is generally done class to which the progress of the colony will by attaching to the bottom of the sleigh two or give rise. In less than fifty years it will be en- three planks, which can be thrown over the circled with the villas and country mansions of chasm, should there be need, in the form of a those whom circumstances will enable to retire temporary bridge, over which the vehicle can be from the bustle and activities of life. Already easily pulled or pushed, the horse being in the have many English families with limited means meantime detached from it, and having to trust settled in its neighbourhood, and the axe of the for his gaining the opposite side to the powers husbandman is rapidly transforming the whole of leaping with which nature may have enaspect of the circumjacent country. Like other dowed him. The propriety of providing ourlakes of its class in these latitudes, Lake Simcoe selves with the necessary materials for putting yields to the rigours of winter, and becomes such a device into execution, was made manifest perfectly ice-bound for several months in the to us by this our first interruption, the rent which year. we encountered being sufficiently formidable to call into exercise all our pontoon accompaniments. We got safely across, without further cost than that of a little delay, and proceeded on our journey, satisfied that we could have but little to complain of, if all our obstacles should be as easily overcome. In the month of December, in company with two friends, I undertook the passage of the lake upon the ice, which had then been formed for several weeks. We started without dreaming of danger, inasmuch as the roads, which had been marked off in various directions across its surface, had been traversed for some time with The shadows of evening had scarcely closed perfect safety. For two or three days previous-around us, ere the moon rose in her full-orbed ly, the thermometer had ranged from ten to fifteen degrees below zero; but a marked change had suddenly taken place in the temperature, the mercury having risen several degrees. Our object was to cross from the Holland Landing, the nearest point of the lake to Toronto, to the town of Bonie, on Kempenfelt Bay, on the opposite side, and lying in a northwesterly direction from us. Night was fast setting in when we started; but as the moon was then about full, and the sky clear, we set out with every anticipation of a pleasant sleigh-ride over the broad and glistening expanse of the fettered lake. With a good horse, a couple of buffalo robes, and with ample provision for man and beast-for we had a journey of about thirty miles before us, and there were no inns on the road-we wanted nothing that could minister to our comfort. No road of life, however, is smooth, even though it should be over ice; and we had scarcely emerged from the low and sedgy banks of the Holland river, which was quietly emptying itself into the lake under our feet, when we encountered one of those rents or chasms which so frequently permeate large masses of ice, and which sometimes serve effectually to interrupt the road, unless the traveller is provided with the means of overcoming them. These rents are formed by the inability of the ice to sustain its own weight; and when they occur in the winter covering of large masses of water like Lake Simcoe, they splendour. Adequately to describe the scene which her silvery light displayed to us is next to impossible. The sky was without a cloud. As night advanced, the eastern horizon was bathed in that glorious flood of pearly lustre, which the moon, in the clear atmosphere of America, pours over earth and heaven. To the westward, the sky gradually darkened into the deepest blue; imbedded in which, the far-off stars twinkled with a brilliancy unknown in our murky climate. The loneliness and stillness of the scene were absolutely oppressive. Had I been alone, the conviction would almost have settled upon me that I was that unhappy wretch, the " last man." Not a sound stirred in the air, except that of our own voices, which we sometimes strained to the uttermost, to catch, if possible, an echo; but in vain-our appeals met with no response, and all around us was as still as death. As far as the eye could reach, a belt of spectral pines lined the shore, whose sombre and dusky forms contrasted strongly with the glistening ice. Their branches were heavily laden with snow, and gleamed in the moonlight with myriads of pendent icicles. The more distant shores of the lake looked ghastly and shadowy; whilst towards the north, in the direction of its greatest length, the vast plain of ice which we were traversing appeared merging into the horizon. It was, indeed, a lovely night, and altogether a most beautiful and impressive scene. As we were in no hurry, we proceeded at a leisurely pace, guided in our course by a wide breach which was observable in the broad shadow that lay under the high bank forming the eastern shore of the lake, and which we knew indicated the entrance to Kempenfelt Bay. It was but natural that our conversation, as we proceeded, should turn upon the prospects, social, political, and economical, of the magnificent country which spread around us, and which, with few exceptions, still rioted undisturbed in all the wild luxuriance of nature. Engaged in this manner, we were insensible to the indications which were accumulating around us, that the repose of the elements was soon likely to be disturbed. The first that we observed was the momentary obscuration of the moon, caused by the passage across its disk of a small cloud, dark and watery-looking in the centre, but fringed with lighter and fleecy vapours. It passed swiftly by, and its shadow spread over the frozen lake, as if it marked the flight of an eagle. In its lower strata, the air was motionless as before; but the winds were madly careering aloft, as was plainly indicated by the rapid and fitful motions of the clouds which now mottled the eastern half of the sky, whilst the horizon beyond was shrouded in an impervious screen of dark stormy vapour. We were sufficiently acquainted with the climate to know what this sudden change in the aspect of things portended; and as we had still many miles before us, we became anxious for the termination of our journey. The road was but here and there slightly traced; and should the night become dark, our position would be very uncomfortable, to say the least of it. It is usual for those who traverse the lake, to stop about half way and bait their horses on the ice; but we had no longer time to spare for such a detention, and proceeded at an accelerated pace. We had already encountered several chasms, similar to that which had first obstructed our course; but owing to their no great width, and aided by the light of the moon, we easily passed them. To overcome them in the dark, however, would be quite another matter; and darkness was now fast stealing around ness which had so suddenly succeeded to the brilliant moonlight, was now nearly complete, and, to add to our discomfiture, the wind was almost directly in our faces. Nothing was wanting to impart a climax to our perplexity but a blinding fall of snow, nor was this wanting long. A few large and ominous flakes spotting the buffalo robes in which we now wrapped ourselves, gave token of its approach; after which the storm rapidly progressed in its fury, when the gloom cast upon our spirits was only exceeded by the still deeper gloom which reigned around us. Faster and faster fell the drifting snow, and more dismally howled the wintry wind, as we crawled along, feeling our steps, in momentary expectation of encountering another rent in the ice, which our present position would have rendered dangerous in the extreme. It seemed as if the elements had conspired to torment us; for the snow, which now beat against us in masses, when it fell, refused to lie, but mounted again on the wings of the tempest, to mingle with the falling flakes; and it was not until it had been whirled about for some time in furious eddies, that it was at length deposited in fantastic drifts upon the ice. Every trace of the road was now blotted out; and as no distant landmarks were discernible for our guidance, we proceeded for some time in an uncertain course, with nothing to guide us but the direction of the wind, which we knew to be easterly. We had every now and then to encounter heavy snow drifts, that had rapidly accumulated in our path, through which we penetrated with some difficulty; but consoling ourselves with the reflection that, if they were toilsome, they were not dangerous, like the yawning chasms, of which we stood in constant dread. We exerted ourselves to the utmost to proceed; but at length, weary and benumbed with cold, and unable any longer to face the pitiless storm, we came to a halt, without a tree or bush to shelter us from the tempest. Our first care was to protect both our horse and ourselves from its fury, which we did by turning our vehicle in the contrary direction to that of the wind. had but two buffalo robes along with us, one of which we threw over the horse, huddling under The angry horizon rapidly unfolded its va- the other in the sleigh for warmth and shelter. pours, and the moon was at length completely There we remained for some time, in the hope obscured. No sooner had the last gleam of light that the storm would ere long abate somewhat forsaken the sky, than the wind began to beat in its fury. Nor were we disappointed in this around us in fitful and eddying gusts. The respect. After waiting for about twenty minutes, snow, which lay lightly upon the ice, was lifted it sensibly relaxed. It was still almost pitchy up and thrown rudely against our faces. Our dark, but the wind had fallen considerably, and position was every moment becoming more and the snow fell more sparingly than before. We more discouraging, and we at length began to resumed our journey-if crawling along, one give way to apprehensions for our safety. Land leading the horse, the other moving cautiously was, in every direction, many miles distant, and a little in advance, to ascertain that the ice was we were hemmed in by treacherous chasms on safe, can be called a resumption. Thus we proevery side. This was no pleasant predicament ceeded for some time, in utter uncertainty as to in which to be overtaken by the howling tem- the point to which our weary footsteps were pests of a boisterous winter night. The dark-leading us; and almost sickened at the thought, us. We |