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should act upon this principle, the empire would be overrun by the barbarians."

But

This was the great objection of the Jews against the pacific doctrines of Jesus Christ; and this has been the common cry of the advocates of war to this day; but its futility is too obvious to escape the notice of the friends of peace. why did the barbarians wish to overrun the empire? For this reason; they had, for a long period of time, suffered the most horrid indignities from the Romans, till their patience was exhausted, and they were driven to madness and revenge against these worse than barbarous enemies, the proud and haughty Romans.

But all the military power and skill of the Romans could not prevent the empire from being overrun by the barbarians. Indeed it was the very cause of that calamity. The barbarians began their ravages to revenge themselves on the Romans, for the injuries they had received from the military devastations of that warring empire; and they never ceased until they had completed the ruin of the empire; and their ravages were attended with the most horrid scenes of barbarity and devastation that, perhaps, were ever witnessed.

For some ages of the early existence of the Roman nation, they were distinguished, in many respects, by noble, generous and virtuous principles. But in proportion as they increased in power and military fame, and were successful in war, their virtuous principles decreased. They lost their character for justice and virtue, and became ambitious, haughty and tyrannical. Finally their luxuries and debaucheries, civil broils and contentions, the genuine fruits of war, ripened them for Divine judgments, and hastened their ruin. Some of their emperors were but monsters in human shape. There was no luxury, no debauchery, no obscenity, no inhuman cruelties, of which they were not guilty. In the indulgence of their pleasures and their passions, they were more like incarnate devils than like human beings.

The common people of that nation were wretched in the extreme. Justice, virtue and innocence found no protection. The world was rendered miserable by the contentions and ravages of a people who delighted in blood and carnage; and the enmity of all nations was excited against them, which could not be appeased short of full revenge. Such was the effect of the principles of war and military power among the Romans. And when the terrible ravages of the barbarians were retaliated upon them, it seemed as tho the elements of heaven and earth had conspired to assist them D

and complete the destruction of the Romans. The most terrible earthquakes, famines, sweeping plagues and pestilence, ever witnessed, were poured in upon them, to destroy those whom the sword had left; and such were the dreadful effects, that it appeared as tho the human race was threatened with extermination.

In the history of the Roman empire, the advocates of war may take a serious and impartial view of all the advantages of war, and see the dire effects of its destructive principles. These principles were carried to their highest pitch by that nation. But where is now the military prowess, and bloodbought glory of that once famed mistress of the world? Have they saved her from destruction? Have they not indeed been the direct cause of her destruction? For many ages, this once haughty people have not existed as a nation. Thus fell the mighty Roman empire; and thus every nation which cultivates the principles of war, and rises high in military fame, must surely fall, unless they abandon those principles before it be too late.

THE SARACEN EMPIRE.

Next to the Roman, the Saracen or Mahometan empire succeeded in military prowess and power. Led on by the principles of Mahomet, their great founder, by war and fanaticism, from small beginnings they became an extensive and mighty empire. The Mahometan principles, like those of a large portion of our modern Christians,* placed the greatest glory of man in the profession and use of arms, and considered a death in battle as the certain road to paradise. Being fatalists in principle, they believed their fate to be decided by the decrees of Heaven; and therefore no dangers to which they might be exposed could shorten their lives. They also believed that God had sent them to reform the world by the sword.

Excited and fired by these principles, they became invincible, and rushed through the world like the destroying locusts, drenching the earth with blood, and wreaking their vengeance on all who would not submit to their power. It is said that Omar, the 2d caliph after Mahomet, during a reign of ten years, reduced thirty-six thousand cities and villages to his obedience. Thus they went on, conquering nations and kingdoms, far and wide, until they established

*We should rather say Antichristians; because the principles of war are entirely opposite to Christianity.

an empire more extensive than that of the Romans, tho perhaps not equal in martial science and power. This they maintained against all opposition, and became the scourges of mankind for a long period of time. Their military power and vast resources were almost beyond calculation. They considered themselves as acting under the authority and patronage of Heaven, and therefore invincible to human power. But their warlike principles, like those of their predecessors in martial fame, corrupted them, and finally proved the cause of their destruction.

The ruin of this empire, tho it was the natural effect of the spirit of war, which produced intestine divisions and treachery, was finally accomplished by the Tartars, who, in addition to their military power, appeared to be providentially favored to effect the downfall of the Saracens. Their great capital, Bagdad, represented by historians to have been, at that period," the richest city in the universe," was taken, pillaged and burnt by Hulaku Khan. It is said that the treasures found in it were immense. So that divine judgments evidently followed their wars and violence, and completed their destruction. Their power was destroyed, and their empire dissolved, so that they have never been able to recover themselves; but have been known for ages, only as a miserable people, existing and wandering in scattered and separate bands. Thus the Saracen empire, which rose by war, fell by the same means. This affords another awful lesson to warring nations.

EMPIRE OF THE TARTARS.

In warlike power and human butchery, the Tartars succeeded the Saracens, under their great conquerors Hulaku Khan, Genghis-Khan and Timur Bek or Tamelane. They poured forth their armies, like destructive torrents, thro' the world, and spread desolation and carnage, wherever they pursued their course, to a more shocking extent than was ever known. Millions of the human race were butchered in their bloody and horrible wars and devastations,* by which they conquered the greatest portion of the then known world, and raised an empire far more extensive than that of the Romans, even in the height of their glory, and, for a time, more terrible in power.

But after a comparatively short career, in rendering the world miserable by wars, their principles of military pride

* It is said that Genghis Khan destroyed 14 millions of people in 21 years.

and ambition by which they rose to power, became the very cause of their ruin. Domestic discord and internal dissensions, feuds and animosities, the natural consequences of military principles, generated the flames of sanguinary wars among themselves, which overthrew the empire, and completed the destruction of the nation.

fell

Thus the empire of the Tartars, which rose by war, by the same means; so that at the present day, the Tartars are known only as a miserable and divided race of savage beings; another consequence of the fatal tendency of the war-policy.

THE TURKISH EMPIRE.

Cotemporary with the Tartars rose the Turks, who were also of Tartar origin, tho they rose from another quarter, and founded a separate empire. The Turks were originally known as bands or tribes of warlike robbers, who subsisted by rapine and violence. War and human butchery being their principal occupation, they served for hire, in the armies of different feudal and warring princes, in the manner still practised by some professed Christian nations, particularly the Swiss and Germans.

Here it may be proper to remark, that this degrading practice, among professed Christian nations, of selling themselves, or of being sold by their rulers, for the purpose of human butchery, to the shame and disgrace of the Christian name, seems to have been borrowed from Pagans and Turks; nations whom professed orthodox Christians have dooined to eternal damnation. And here we would seriously ask, why is it that these orthodox Christians, have always been so ready to adopt the worst principles and practices of Pagans and Mahometans, while they rarely, if ever, embrace any of their virtues? The principles of war and bloodshed, among professed Christian nations, were evidently first borrowed from the Pagan world: for they never originated from Jesus Christ; nor are they sanctioned by any principle of his religion, nor by any example of the primitive Christians. He was the Messenger of "peace on earth, and good will to man;" consequently his mission must, of necessity, be totally opposite to the principles of war and violence.

But these professed Christian nations would have acted much more consistently with the principles of the Christian religion, had they, in lieu of the principles of war, adopted the integrity and good faith, in their dealings and commer

cial intercourse, in which these infidel Turks, so called, have shamed the whole Christian world. The Turks and the Mahometans, generally, have ever been more tolerant, in matters of conscience, than the professed orthodox Christians: for it does not appear that they ever persecuted any people for their faith, who would submit to their power, until they were led or rather driven into it, by the horrid persecuting practices of an orthodox hierarchy. So that these persecuting Christians adopted some of the worst of the Mahometan principles, and in return, taught the Mahometans worse principles than they before professed. This it was that favored the rapid extension of the more mild and tolerant religion of Mahomet, and gave such extensive success to the conquering arms of his followers.

The Turks, by their wonderful success in the wars of others, grew proud and ambitious, and began to unite in a body, under their distinguished military chiefs. Favored by the forementioned circumstances, and by the dissentions of Christian powers, which had been generated by war-principles, these new-formed armies made very rapid conquests, and extended their power far and wide. So great was their success that, in a few years, they formed a gigantic empire, which, for a long time, threatened to overturn the Christian world.

But pursuing the course of all other warring nations, their military successes, and unrestrained war passions, led them at length into luxury and debauchery, which produced their natural effects, in corrupting and effeminating even the mighty and warlike Turks. In addition to this, their military pride and ambition, by which their empire rose to such greatness, produced civil dissensions and domestic broils among themselves, which so weakened their power, that they declined as rapidly as they had risen. Their ferocious and destructive wars and conquests had so exasperated the conquered nations, and excited them to avenge their sufferings, that powerful combinations were formed against them, which have long been sapping the foundations of their power, and weakening the energies of their military prowess. These, together with their own domestic divisions and jealousies, are continually rendering them still more miserable, and hastening their downfall. And their late war with Russia, appears to have struck the fatal stroke to their power, and dissolved the charm of Mahometan invincibility. So that the Ottoman empire, which rose by war, like all their

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