in tradition which might
help to explain these passages more satisfactorily, those of the first
and second centuries had advantages again, because they lived nearer to
these traditions, or to the time when they were more pure, than those
Christians did, who succeeded them.

They say thirdly, that, if primitive practice be to be considered as the
best interpreter of the passages in question, then those of the first
and second centuries had their advantages again, because many of them
lived in the times of the Evangelists and the Apostles, and all of them
nearer to those who succeeded the Evangelists and Apostles, than those
in the subsequent ages of the Christian era.

But in direct inference, they conceive, is to be drawn from these
premises, namely, that the opinions of those who lived in the first and
second centuries, relative to the meaning of the passages in question,
are likely to be more correct on these several accounts, than those of
Christians in any of the ages that followed.

And as in the first and second centuries of the church, when
Christianity was purest, there were no Christian soldiers, but as in the
fourth century, when it became corrupt, Christians had lost their
objections to a military life, they conceive the opinions of the former
to be more correct than those of the latter, because the opinions of
real Christians, willing to make any sacrifice for their religion, must
be always less biassed and more pure, than those of persons calling
themselves Christians, but yet submitting to the idolatrous and other
corrupt practices of the world.

And as they conceive this to be true of the opinions of the second
century, when compared with those of the fourth, so they conceive it to
be true of the opinions of the second, when compared with those of the
moderns upon this subject, because, whatever our progress in
Christianity may be, seeing that it is not equal to that of the first
Christians, it is certain, besides the distance of time, that we have
prejudices arising from the practice of fourteen centuries, during all
which time it has been held out, except by a few individuals, as lawful
for Christians to fight.

SECT.V.

_Reflections of the author on the foregoing subject--Case of a superior
being supposed, who should reside in the planet nearest to us, and see
war carried on by men no larger than the race of ants--His enquiry as to
the origin of these wars--their duration--and other circumstan