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and not to his own. So the offence, whether real or supposed, was revenged upon poor Abel, tho he was by no means guilty of any injury towards his vindictive brother ; because the respect shown to Abel's offering, and withheld from Cain's, was from God, and not from Abel. There are probably very few to be found, at the present day, even among the advocates of war, who would attempt to vindicate the spirit and temper of Cain, or to justify his conduct; yet the war he waged against his brother, was doubtless as reasonable, and as necessary, as most of the wars that have been waged by human authority since that period.

After this victory over his brother, we understand that this victorious warrior became a mighty man of renown, and built a city. This was doubtless the first city, and probably the first separate state or empire that was ever founded upon earth. Josephus says, "Cain augmented his household substance with much wealth, by rapine and violence; he excited his acquaintance to procure pleasures and spoils by robbery, and became a great leader of men in wicked courses." [See Jos. Ant. b. i. ch. 2.]

We also learn, that the example of this murderer, this mighty man of renown, became very contagious, and was soon followed by his posterity, who, it appears, were as ambitious to become men of renown, as he had been. It also appears that Lamech, one of Cain's offspring, following his example, made war upon some of his fellow men, and slew one, if no more of them. Tubal-Cain, the son of Lamech, was an artificer in brass and iron, and is said to have been the first inventer of the sword. Josephus says, "he exceeded all men in strength, and was very expert and famous in martial performances." Nay, even while Adam was alive, it came to pass that the posterity of Cain became exceeding wicked, every one successively dying, one after another, more wicked than the former. They were intolerable in war, and vehement in robberies; and if any one were slow to murder people, yet was he bold in his profligate behaviour, in acting unjustly, and doing injuries for gain." [Jos. Ant. b. i. ch. 2.]

It appears evident that the inhabitants of the world were soon divided into separate clans or tribes, which being led on by some of these mighty men of renown, waged war upon each other. And no doubt they thought themselves fully able to justify the violent part they took in these wars, contentions and murders, upon the plea of necessity, to defend themselves and their property; or to re

venge or prevent some real or supposed injury; or to obtain glory and renown; just as modern wars are now justified and rendered popular. Without some such plea of justification, the horrid principles and destructive terrors of war, could never have become so popular as to fill the earth with violence, especially at such an early period.

But with all their wars and violence against each other, were any of them able to save themselves from destruction? Did they not, by these means, bring destruction upon themselves and each other? Were not their wars and violence the very cause of their destruction? Yea, verily: for in consequence of having corrupted the earth, and filled it with violence, they were suddenly arrested in their career, when all the glory of these "mighty men of renown" was swept away with the flood. What then availed their mighty deeds of corruption and violence, but to show that "mighty men shall be mightily punished?"

In the destruction of the old world by a flood of waters, and the cause of that destruction, (as given in the sixth chapter of Genesis,) we have a concise account of the origin of war and its effects. It is there said, "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth.—And God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth."

Hence it is clearly evident that corruption and violence, which have their consummation in war, were the great causes which brought destruction upon the old world. This corruption and violence originated in lust and pride, which produced an ambitious desire to gain distinction among their fellow men. And by indulging these corrupt passions and propensities, they continually grew more corrupt, and increased in acts of violence to such a degree, that Divine Justice could no longer endure their corruption and violence; and hence they were swept from the face of the earth.

Had we the names of those antediluvian heroes, who were the most highly distinguished among those "mighty men of renown," who filled the earth with corruption and violence, together with a particular account of their heroic deeds, we should doubtless find them worthy to be classed with Alexander, Cæsar, Napoleon, and all those mighty madmen, whose deeds of murderous chivalry have been a greater curse to the human race, than all the earthquakes

and volcanic eruptions that ever took place since the creation of the world. The heroic exploits of these antediluvian warriors, had they been left on record, would, in all probability, be as well worth publishing, as examples of military prowess, for the instruction of the youthful mind, in the arts of corruption and violence, as the bloody deeds of any modern heroes who have followed their examples, and walked in the same bloody footsteps. And why should they not? They were led by the same spirit, and actuated by the same passions, and their deeds of corruption and violence were doubtless of a similar kind. And as to the necessity or justice of those ancient wars, there can be no doubt that the warriors of those days were as firmly persuaded on that point, as our modern warriors possibly can be, with regard to the necessity or justice of any of the wars of the present day; otherwise their wars could not have been rendered so popular as to fill the world with violence, at so early a period. The truth is, the war-makers of every age think, or pretend to think, their own wars just and necessary, while they invariably condemn the wars of their

enemies.

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But a just and impartial view of all wars will show that they proceed from the same malignant passions, and are naturally attended with the same destructive consequences, according to their magnitude; and that their ultimate effect has been to corrupt the morals of the people, and bring the judgments of God upon the nation, in some way or other, till in the end they have been swallowed up in ruin. serious investigation of these things will clearly show, that many of those terrible convulsions of nature, which are attended with such destructive and melancholy effects, are, in reality, the just judgments of God upon man, for his corruption and violence; like the flood of Noah, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Hence it must appear reasonable to believe that, if these corrupt passions were once effectually subdued, all wars would cease, and we should no longer have cause to apprehend any danger from those convulsions of nature, which have so often terrified and swept away the inhabitants of the land.

But the great objection against cultivating the spirit of peace, is still of the same nature with that advanced by the Jews of old, against permitting Jesus Christ to preach the gospel of peace unmolested. "If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him, and the Romans will come and take away our place and nation." That is to say, if they

should suffer the principles of peace to prevail, which the doctrine of the Savior inculcated, and should neglect to follow the example of Cain and his fighting posterity, they would soon be overrun by warring nations. This specious and delusive plea is the very prop of war in this day. The prevailing maxim is, "The surest means of preserving peace, is to be prepared for war.-That nation which neglects to prepare for war, invites aggression, and exposes itself to the warlike power of other nations." But an impartial review of the history of all ages, will prove the total fallacy of these maxims.

It is not difficult to prove, if facts can prove any thing, that wars and warlike preparations, instead of protecting or defending a nation, have, in the final event, had a direct tendency to effect its ruin. Every nation, however great or powerful, which has relied on its physical strength and martial policy, and practiced this policy for protection and defence, has been signally marked, in some way or other, with the displeasure of heaven, and eventually fallen a vic-. tim to the policy of war. As evidence of this, we need but examine the history of wars in different ages of the world, and observe their effects upon all warring nations.

WARS AFTER THE FLOOD.

Although the flood of Noah destroyed the ungodly inhabitants who had corrupted the old world; yet it did not destroy those ungodly passions which were the cause of war and violence. It could hardly have been supposed that, so soon after the fatal calamity which befel the old world for its wickedness, the descendants of Noah would so easily have forgotten that awful warning, and again commenced those scenes of violence which had brought destruction upon their ancestors. But so it proved: for they soon "began to be more ungodly than at the first." They soon began to make war and violence an honorable employment.

Shortly after the flood, we find that Nimrod, the greatgrandson of Noah, "began to be a mighty one in the earth. -And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel." Rollin considers him as "the founder of the first Assyrian Empire ;" and says he certainly was a great conqueror. It appears that in the beginning of his career of renown, he was distinguished as "a mighty hunter;" and from his great fame and success in hunting wild beasts, it was natural and easy

* Rollin, b. iii. ch. 1.

for him to obtain followers, and seek to distinguish himself in hunting the human race, and by that means to become a famous conqueror, and a mighty man of renown."

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It appears that this "mighty hunter" was the first who was honored with a statue, and had a temple erected to his memory. Rollin states that Ninus, the son of Nimrod, "out of veneration for his father, was willing that they who had served him as their king, should adore him as their god, and induce other nations to render him the same worship. For it appears plainly that Nimrod is the famous Belus of the Babylonians, the first king whom the people deified for his great actions." Thus it seems that this Belus, also called Bel, was an image or statue erected in honor of Nimrod, that mighty conqueror, that he might be adored after his death, as a god. This then, was the origin of the practice, still in use, of erecting statues to idolize sinful mortals, and perpetuate the deeds of bloody conquerors; and it appears to have been the very beginning of image worship, and was most probably the origin of idolatry.

From the kingdom founded by this great conqueror and "mighty man of renown," national wars and popular acts of violence doubtless took their rise after the flood. Not many ages after Nimrod had founded his empire, it appears that a number of confederate kings of that country extended the ravages of war into the land of Canaan. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, with three other kings of that country, acting upon the principle of self-defence, opposed this invasion of their country. But not being able to defend themselves, they were conquered and brought into bondage. But their pride and ambition soon led them to rebel against their conquerors, and strive for the mastery. Relying on their own valor as warriors, they doubtless expected to gain the victory; but they were disappointed. Their armies were de feated, and their country ravaged. And it is worthy of remark that their wars, which evidently sprung from their pride and ambition, finally produced among them such a corruption of morals and manners, as to bring down the judgment of Heaven upon them, and overwhelm their cities with destruction. The iniquities of the Sodomites are proverbial; but who that is acquainted with the degrading vices common in modern armies, but must admit that they exceed the Sodomites in base crimes?

It appears evident from the account of these postdiluvian wars, that the war principles of Sodom and Gomorrah, se far from defending them from their enemies, or securing

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