in their own columns use its contents, in whatever way they may think best, to diffuse as much light as possible on the subject to which it is devoted, and thus help form a public sentiment that shall gradually supersede war by introducing better means for the settlement of national disputes. TO MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL- the Advocate is occasionally sent without charge. We hope it will be welcome, and lead them to examine and advocate the great cause which it pleads. Sent gratis to every member of the Society, to contributors of one dollar or more a year, to every minister who preaches annually on the subfect, and takes up a collection for the cause, and also to the Library or Reading Room of every College and Theological Seminary, to be preserved for permanent use. PUBLICATIONS BY THE SOCIETY THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE, monthly, or a double number in two months, making a volume in two years, at $1 00 in advance for two years. Prize Essays on & Congress of Nations, 8vo., pp. 706. Ladd's Essay on a Congress of Nations, 8vo., pp. 196,. Book of Peace, 12mo., pp. 606. The Society's Tracts, bound, Peace Manual, by Geo. C. Beckwith, 18mo., pp. 252, Manual of Peace, by Prof. T. C. Upham, 18mo., pp. 212,. $3.00 75 100 25 25 20 The Right Way; a Premium Work on Peace, by Rev. Joseph A. Collier. 16 mo., pp. 303. Issued by the Am. Tract Society, as one of its Evangelical Fam. ily Library Volumes..... 12mo., pp. 333, Review of the Mexican War, by Hon. Wm. Jay. The War-System, by Hon. Charles Sumner; with Judge Underwood's Report 20 ...... .... 2 Duty of Ministers to the Cause of Peaace. 8vo., pp. 12, 2 Le Monde; or, In time of Peace prepare for War, by Hon. Amasa Walker......... FORM OF BEQUEST.-I give and bequeath to the American Peace Society, incorporated by the Legislature of Massachusetts, the sum of dollars, to be paid in months after my decease, for the purposes of said Society, and for which the receipt of its Treasurer for the time being shall be a sufficient discharge. Be very careful to give the Society its exact name, and have the Will drawn in the way, and attested by the number of witnesses, required by the laws of your State, or your pur pose will very probably be defeated. POSTAGE.-In Mass. 3 cents a year; elsewhere in U. S. double this. The law allows no more. GEO. C. BECKWITH, CORRESPONDING SECRETARY, to whom may be sent all communications designed for the Society. THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE JULY AND AUGUST, 1860. ADDRESS Delivered before the American Peace Society, at Boston, May 28, 1860, Mr. President, Ladies, Gentlemen, Members of the American Peace Society, These and other questions respecting the terrible custom of war, need still to be pressed with all the earnestness of true philanthropy; yes, with shame be it said, in this latter half of the nineteenth century, need to be pressed upon the so called Christian nations not less than upon others! Not less do I say ? nay more han upon others! The nations called Christian are the most powerful upon earth. They profess the religion which alone prohibits war. With them therefore rests the responsibility for the continuance of this most savage custom. Never, until they have abandoned it, will other nations be persuaded that it can be laid aside. And with what propriety, with what justice to the name and spirit of Jesus, can a nation call itself Christian, so long as it rejects or refuses to obey the peculiar, the distinctive principles of the Great Teacher? When we have pleaded for the abolition of slavery, we have been often rebuffed by the confident assertion, not wholly unwarranted, that neither our Saviour nor his apostles explicitly prohibited that gigantic wrong. But no one will venture a like assertion respecting war. If any thing was spoken of as sinful by Christ and the first preachers of his Gospel,-if any thing was forbidden by them-it was the indulgence of those lusts and passions which impel men to fight,, and which are called into fiercest exercise in war. Need I quote any 66 of their well known words to this effect? Here are a few of them. 'Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God. Love your enemies. Bless them that curse you. Avenge not yourselves. See that none render evil for evil to any man. Lay aside all malice. Have peace one with another. If thine enemy hunger feed him. Overcome evil with good." Thus, in language the most unqualified and comprehensive, is prohibited the whole spirit of war— anger, revenge, retaliation, violence. That Jesus Christ meant to teach, and introduce among men, a new method of treating the injurious and inimical-a new method by which to overthrow the empire of wrong, and establish the kingdom of righteousness on earth-is evident from his own conduct. He did not organize his followers for the protection of his person, or the maintenance of his cause. In the day of his utmost peril, he made no appeal to the common people, who had heard him gladly, and were at times eager to make him their king. He took no advantage of the hatred of their Roman conquerors, which was hardly suppressed in the bosom of the Jewish nation, but was ready at any moment for revolt. dence in the arm of flesh." At no time did he show any confiHe came to inculcate far higher principles than had been taught by the vulgar heroes, who had overthrown tyrants before his advent-or by those who, since then, have followed their example rather than his. If the life, the preaching, the death of Christ has taught us any thing, it is, that no cause however righteous, that no life however valuable, may wisely, safely, effectually be maintained or defended by violence, by bloodshed, by doing any harm to the erring, injurious party. It is love only that can conquer hate. Good only can overcome evil. Right alone can suppress and supplant the wrong. Only so far as this great lesson is learnt and practised is there, can there be, any true Christianity on earth. The apostles of our Lord so understood it. They inculcated the same pacific principles; and manifested the same pacific spirit. Their disciples, and those who were instructed by them-the members of the primitive church-were sons |