such a trial, the
Quakers say, has been made. It was made by the first Christians, and
they affirm, that these interpreted the passages, which have been
mentioned, differently from those of most of the Christians of the
present age; for that both their opinions and their practice spoke
loudly against the lawfulness of war.

Upon this new subject I shall enter next. And I confess I shall enter
upon it willingly. First, because I know of none that is more important.
Secondly, because, though controversy may have thrown some light upon
it, much remains to be added. And, thirdly, because the assertions of
the Quakers on this point are disputed by many at the present day. With
respect to the opinions of the early Quakers, which I shall notice
first, it must be premised, that such of them as have written books,
have not all of them entered on this subject. Some of them have not had
even occasion to mention it. But where they have, and where they have
expressed an opinion, I believe that this will be found unfavourable to
the continuance of war.

Justin the Martyr, one of the earliest writers in the second century,
considers war as unlawful. He makes also the devil "the author of all
war." No severer sentence could have been passed upon it than this, when
we consider it as coming from the lips of an early Christian. The
sentiment too was contrary to the prevailing sentiments of the times,
when, of all professions, that of war was most honourable, and was the
only one that was considered to lead to glory. It resulted, therefore,
in all probablity, from the new views, which Justin had acquired by a
perusal of such of the scriptures, as had then fallen into his hands.

Tatian, who was the disciple of Justin, in his oration to the Greeks,
speaks precisely in the same terms on the same subject.

From the different expressions of Clemens of Alexandria, a contemporary
of the latter, we collect his opinion to be decisive against the
lawfulness of war.

Tertullian, who may be mentioned next in order of time, strongly
condemned the practice of bearing arms, as it related to Christians. I
shall give one or two extracts from him on this subject. In his
dissertation on the worship of idols, he says, "Though the soldiers came
to John, and received a certain form to be observed, and though the
centurion believed, yet Jesus Christ, by disarming Peter, disarmed every
soldier afterwards: for custom never sanctions an illicit act." And in