Page:Christian Review - War.djvu/3

Rh the dictates of Nature, wills not the destruction of the poorest worm that crawls.

The point established, then, is that while man remained in a state of innocency, he had not in his heart a spirit of destruction. While he regarded the image of God in those who were flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, he could not slay his fellows; but when the Creator's works became mutilated, defaced, and corrupted,—so much so that they did not answer the designs of creation,—for wise purposes, the Almighty destroyed the whole race of man, with the exception of eight souls, by a flood. After the repeoplling of the earth, men soon corrupted themselves, and the Deity permitted one part to take the life of the other; "but from the beginning, it was not so." More, as to the origin of war, at present, would be useless.

The causes of war are numerous, but a few of them must be mentioned. National honor is assigned as the first cause of war. Nations do not wish to be considered cowardly, and think it disgraceful to take an insult; and hence, they are constantly anticipating offences.

The love of conquest is a fruitful source of war; but the love of territory, and plunder, has always had a most powerful bearing on the minds of men. The fame of military chieftains, exerts a vast influence in implanting in the mind of youth, the love of war. An inspired writer says:—"Wars and fightings come of lusts."—James 4:1.—All the causes of war are fleshly;—hence, the idea of "holy wars," is utterly inadmissible.

A few years since, a society in the east made a report upon the causes of war amongst nominal christians, from Constantine to the present, which we give at full length. In that space it seems that there have been 286 important wars, divided into eleven classes, viz:—

44 wars of ambition, to obtain extent of country; 22 for plunder, or tribute; 24 of retaliation, or revenge; 8 to settle some question of honor, or prerogative; 6 from disputed claims to territory; 41 from disputed titles to crowns; 20 under the pretence of assisting an ally; 23 originating from jealousy of rival greatness; 5 have grown out of commerce; 55 civil wars; and 28 on account of religion.

3d. That we may the better see the bearing of war, as well as