Page:Bible testimony, on abstinence from the flesh of animals as food.pdf/17

 case, to persuade you, that eating animal food constituted no part of the Divine Economy with the House of Israel.

But it will be said, this law is not commonly looked upon, by the orthodox portion of the community, as having any reference whatever to the subject of our enquiry; that its obvious design was only to prevent the murder of human beings, or to deter man from imbruing his hands in the blood of his brother; and that any interpretation beyond this must be foreign to the intentions of the Author. We will attempt to meet this conclusion by and by; in the meantime we cannot overlook the fact that the history of all nations, in all ages that are gone by, abundantly evinces that this precept has had a very inefficacious effect in regulating and directing the conduct of mankind. Wars have existed between man and man, and between nations of men. Individuals have been, and still are trained up, educated, and supported by the public, for the very purpose of murdering their fellow beings; and wars and desolation, blood and carnage have covered the earth. If we ask of History, where is her Babylon?—If we enquire where is Persepolis, where is Phœnecia, Tyre, Sidon, Jerusalem, Thebes or Athens? We shall be answered they are desolated by the sword. Where the remnants of their glory? Wasted by the ravages of an invading army. The sword has devoured them. Even the very weeds that want only spring up around their ruins, owe their luxuriance to the blood of their murdered citizens. In a state of war, this precept, and indeed every similar institution of ,are entirely superceded by the murderous declarations of man. Theft is no longer stealing. Killing, in such case, is not murder. In national warfare it is declared to be and  to plunder and to kill, and he who proves to be the most barbarous and successful, acquires the greatest share of renown. What then is the influence which the commandment before us has had in staying man from murder?—