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An inquiry on the duty of Christians with respect to war
An inquiry on the duty of Christians with respect to war Author:John Sheppard Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 33 LETTER III. Remarks Oh some characteristics of our Saviour's teachings, which warrant and confirm the more usual interpretation of the precepts in quest... more »ion.—-JVo command or distinct ' permission requisite to justify the use of force. It will, 1 doubt not, be said by those who maintain the absolute unlawfulness of war; " If you reject our interpretation of the precepts of non- resistance, it behoves you, instead of telling us, vaguely, that they require limitation, to assign to them some other consistent practical sense; and the difficulty of doing so, without a most unchristian compromise of pacific principles, will perhaps convince you of your error." I admit, that it is my duty to attempt this ; and, so long as we consider the scripture " profitable for instruction in righteousness," it cannot be doubted, that a sincere inquirer may judge, by attending to the spirit and objects, style and occasion, of our Lord's teachings, what was their primary import, and what is their proper application to ourselves. In order to this judgment, two leading characteristics must be borne in mind, which are clearly apparent, on tne view of Christ's discourses. One of these is, that he often used, especially in his preceptive teachings, not only the figurative or parabolical, but also what we may term the abbreviative style, which is the most forcible and comprehensive, but must frequently appear paradoxical, if taken literally, because it omits limitations which the hearer or reader is to supply. No one, for example, can rationally doubt, that the precepts,—" If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off," and, " Let a man take up his cross daily," are figurative; and it is equally certain, that the declaration,—" He that believeth on me shall never die," and the combined precept an...« less