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    Untitled Article

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    CRITICAL NOTICES.

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    Untitled Article

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    Untitled Article

    Art I . — Thrush o ? i the Unlawfulness of War : a Series of Letters to a Friend . Pp . 272 . Mr ., late Captain , Thrush has in the present volume added very considerably to his former observations on the causes and evils of War . Whatever opinion may

    be entertained of the extent to which he carries his pacific principles , his perseverance in advocating a cause so closely connected with benevolent and Christian feeling , however little encouraged by popularity or the sympathy of the public , cannot but be admired and applauded . The hearts of all benevolent Christians

    must go with the man , if their understandings are not carried along with him the whole length of his opinions . The present volume contains in addition to the six letters which were noticed in a former Number of the Repository , nine others , the subjects of which we shall briefly introduce to our readers .

    The 7 th and 8 th letters are occupied with animadversions upon the sentiments of Bishop Porteus and Dr . Paley respecting war and the military profession . The Bishop lays stress upon the favourable light in which the characters of military men appear , and the commendation with which their conduct , on some occasions , is mentioned in the New Testament :

    but Mr . Thrush shews that the Bishop's extensive inferences in favour of their profession are unauthorized by the language of Scripture , and contrasts his opinions with those of the mild and pacific Erasmus . After answering some of the most popular , but certainly very weak , arguments drawn from Scripture , he

    laments , and in our opinion with great reason , the lax remarks of Dr . Paley on the justifying causes o war ; observing , that " on his principles every war must be a just and defensive war . " A spirited postscript is affixed to this letter , ad - dressed to the Editor of the Monthly Magazine , on his review of the first part of these Letters .

    The writer then passes to the practice of the early Christians relating to war , and shews , in opposition to Dr . Horslcy , that there is no well authenticated instance upon record of a Christian enter-

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    ing into the army for nearly the whole of the first two centuries . There can he no doubt that they did decline the military profession as unlawful . In the 10 th letter the interesting case of Maximilian is introduced , who suffered death rather than compromise his duty as a Christian by entering into the army . He then traces through the

    subsequent history of Christianity the curreut of opinion respecting the lawfulness of war , and shews that in every age , however corrupt the practice of the major part of the community , there have been bright examples of individuals and sects cultivating the pacific principles and character in their full extent , and altogether denouncing war .

    The two succeeding letters contain observations on the inaccordauce even of natural religion and many parts of the Old Testament with the profession of

    arms . Letter 14 th contains remarks on " an Inquiry on the Duty of Christians with respect to War , by J . Sheppard . " In this work Mr . S . condemns unlimited military service , but thinks defensive war admissible . We do not think Mr . Thrush happy in his attempts to shew that the precept , " Resist not evil , " must be received without limitation . It is evident

    that there are various seuses in which evil ought to be resisted . It is the duty of man to offer , at any rate , a moral resistance to it . Although , therefore , it may appear strange to Mr . Thrush to say , ( p . 236 , ) " Resist not evil , from the impulse of any bad passion , as revenge or pride , in order that you may shew yourselves to be merciful , as your Father in heaven is mercifu l ; " yet , because " it is certain that God cannot resist evil from

    the impulse of any bad passion , for such passions dwell not with him "—and , we may add , because God sees fit in his benevolence to resist and counteract evil with good—Mr . Sheppard ' s limitation on the text , " Resist not evil , from the impulse of any bad passion , " appears exceedingly judicious , aud agreeable to reason and the context . Mr . Thrush is , indeed , sensible of the value of this moral resistance for which we contend . He sees a distinction , and a just one , which

    Critical Notices.

    CRITICAL NOTICES .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1829, page 197, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2570/page/45/