CHAP.  III.

SECT.  I.

War—­Tenet on war—­Quakers hold it unlawful for Christians to fight—­Scriptural passages, which they produce in support of this tenet—­Arguments which others produce from scriptural authority against it—­Reply of the Quakers to these arguments.

The next of the great tenets which the Quakers hold, is on the subject of war.  They believe it unlawful for Christians to engage in the profession of arms, or indeed to bear arms under any circumstances of hostility whatever.  Hence there is no such character as that of a Quaker soldier.  A Quaker is always able to avoid the regular army, because the circumstance of entering into it is a matter of choice.  But where he has no such choice, as is the case in the militia, he either submits, if he has property, to distraints upon it, or, if he has not, to prison.[4]

[Footnote 4:  The Quakers have been charged with inconsistency in refusing military service, and yet in paying those taxes, which are expressly for the support of wars.  To this charge they reply, that they believe it to be their duty to render to Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and to leave the application of them to Caesar himself, as he judges best for the support of government.  This duty they collect from the example of Jesus Christ, who paid the tribute money himself, and ordered his disciples to do it, and this to a government, not only professedly military, but distinguished for its idolatry and despotism.  Personal service, however, they conceive to militate against a positive command by our Saviour, as will be explained in this chapter.]

The Quakers ground the illicitness of war on several passages, which are to be found in the New Testament.  I shall not quote all the texts they bring forward, but shall make a selection of them on this occasion.

Jesus Christ, in the famous sermon, which he preached upon the Mount, took occasion to mention specifically some of the precepts of the Jewish law, and to inform his hearers, that he expected of those, who were to be his true disciples, that they would carry these to a much higher extent in their practice under the new dispensation, which he was then affording them.  Christianity required a greater perfection of the human character than under the law.  Men were not only not to kill, but not even to cherish the passion of revenge.[5] And “whereas it was said of old, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, I say unto you, says Christ, that ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”  And farther on in the same chapter, he says, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy:  But I say unto you, love your enemies,[6] bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have you? do not even the Publicans the same?  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”  Now the Quakers are of opinion, that no man can receive this doctrine his heart, and assist either offensively or defensively in the operations of war.