bances might have been expected. But quite the reverse has been the case. No deeds of violence have been offered. No complainings have been heard in our streets. Your conduct has done honour to yourselves, and to those who have the command over you.

All I shall add, then, on this head is, to beseech you, by your hopes of the Gospel-promises, to persevere in the same dutiful inoffensive behaviour towards your fellow-citizens, in all parts of your future conduct. And, as you can never be led to deeds of violence by any authority appointed over you, let it never be said that your own choice or rashness en- . gaged you in them; so as to subject you to the severe and shameful punishments denounced against them, by the laws of your country in this world, and by the Gospel of Christ in the world to come.

Thus I have endeavoured to give the true meaning of the words "do violence to no man." I know there are some who affect to understand them in a more unlimited sense; as containing a general prohibition of all force and arms whatsoever. But, in this, they are neither warranted by scripture nor reason. Nay, the very reverse is evident from the text itself.

The soldiers, whom Saint John addresses, received wages for fighting and bearing arms against the enemies of their country. He expressly enjoins them to be content with those wages. But this he never would have done, if the service, which they performed as the condition of the wages, had been that identical violence, which he so strongly prohibits

tion of guilt would it imply? It would be treachery! It would be ingratitude! Nay, it would be parricide!

As for the tyrants of mankind, let them (belying heaven and pretending an authority from God) lead forth their armed slaves to plunder, to harass and to destroy those to whom they owe protection! Let them fill those lands with violence and blood, which they ought to fill with blessing and joy! "Verily I say unto you they shall have their reward." For, believe me, such actions are odious to heaven, repugnant to the gospel; and God will certainly avenge his own cause!

Happy for us, we rejoice under milder influences! Our gracious Sovereign, through a long and prosperous reign, has never in any instance, offered violence to the rights of his subjects; nor permitted it in his servants. The commanders placed over us, in our present distress, have signalized themselves as patrons of justice and lovers of Liberty. Though appointed over great armies, among a people long accustomed to profound peace, jealous of their privileges, and some of them even unreasonably prejudiced against all force and arms; yet they have happily reconciled jarring interests, and, with all possible care, supported the military, without violating the civil, power.

As a signal instance of the harmony arising from this conduct, it will be but justice to mention you, gentlemen, whom I have now the honour to address. You have been among us for many months. Most of you were at first but a raw unformed corps; and, from the manner of your being quartered out in small parties among the inhabitants of this city, distur

bances might have been expected. But quite the reverse has been the case. No deeds of violence have been offered. No complainings have been heard in our streets. Your conduct has done honour to yourselves, and to those who have the command over you.

All I shall add, then, on this head is, to beseech you, by your hopes of the Gospel-promises, to persevere in the same dutiful inoffensive behaviour towards your fellow-citizens, in all parts of your future conduct. And, as you can never be led to deeds of violence by any authority appointed over you, let it never be said that your own choice or rashness engaged you in them; so as to subject you to the severe and shameful punishments denounced against them, by the laws of your country in this world, and by the Gospel of Christ in the world to come.

Thus I have endeavoured to give the true meaning of the words "do violence to no man." I know there are some who affect to understand them in a more unlimited sense; as containing a general prohibition of all force and arms whatsoever. But, in this, they are neither warranted by scripture nor reason. Nay, the very reverse is evident from the text itself.

The soldiers, whom Saint John addresses, received wages for fighting and bearing arms against the enemies of their country. He expressly enjoins them to be content with those wages. But this he never would have done, if the service, which they performed as the condition of the wages, had been that identical violence, which he so strongly prohibits

in the former part of the verse. They must indeed be very bold, who can charge the Spirit of God with such a contradiction!

But the fact is, that to support justice, to maintain truth, to defend the goods of Providence, to repress the wild fury of lawless invaders, and by main force, if possible, to extirpate oppression and wickedness from the earth, has never been accounted violence in any language or country. On the contrary, it is duty to the public, and mercy to thousands!

If society is of God's appointment, every thing essential to its subsistence must be so too; for he that ordains the end, ordains the means. But how shall society subsist, if we are to submit to the unrighteous encroachments of every restless invader? If we are tamely to be plundered, tortured, massacred and destroyed by those who covet our possessions? Has God given us His Gospel, endowed us with reason, and made us fit for society, only to put us in a worse condition than the roaming savage, or the beast of prey?

We all allow, in common cases, that a public robber may be subdued by force or death, if other means fail. We grant also that those who invade private property may be compelled to restitution at the bar of justice. But if independent states have injured us, to what bar shall we cite them? Who shall constrain them to appear at our summons? Or, if they should appear, who shall oblige them to abide by the sentence? Open force, then, must be the dernier resort. And strange it is that those who are often so litigious in cases of private right, should affect to be the most

passive in what concerns the rights of the community!

In short, if human societies are instituted for any end at all, independent states may not only defend their rights when invaded; but if they are already deprived or defrauded of them, they may demand restitution in the loudest and most importunate manner; even by calling for it in thunder at the very gates of their enemy. This is often the shortest and most merciful method. Nor is it doing violence to our neighbours, but justice to ourselves, and to the cause of Right, Liberty, Virtue, and public Safety; which would otherwise be left unavoidably to suffer.

It were indeed sincerely to be wished, that the Gospel of the blessed Jesus might have such an universal influence on the lives of all men, as to render it no more necessary to learn the art of war. But, alas! this is a degree of perfection not to be hoped for in the present state of things, and only to be looked for in the kingdom of universal righteousness. Were all men arrived to such a degree of goodness as to render force unnecessary, then also the magistracy, the laws, and every thing else belonging to particular societies in this world, would be a needless institution. But as long as particular societies are of any use, so long will force and arms be of use; for the very end of such societies is to unite the force of individuals, for obtaining safety to the whole.

What I have already said will convince every reasonable person, that the words-do violence to no man-were never meant as a general prohibition of all force and arms; so often necessary in this embar