PASTOR JAMES HILL'S MARTIAL SERMON, OR IS DEFENSIVE WAR CHRISTLIKE?

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2633, 16 June 1877, Page 4

PASTOR JAMES HILL'S MARTIAL SERMON, OR IS DEFENSIVE WAR CHRISTLIKE?

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.) Sib,—l have seen a couple of letters in your journal by a couple of citizens. These letters do not very highly eulogise the above gentleman, and no wonder. Will you, sir, kindly'allow me, a Scotchman, to give my humble opinion of the sermon Mr Hill preached before the Volunteers previous to his being bowed out of the community by his Masonic and warlike Mends. I fear my letter is a little long, but I am sure it will be read with interest, and I hope with profit, by many of your, readers. . 'For ought! know Mr Hill may be an excellent expositor of Divine revelation in general, but it does puzzleme greatly, and it must, I think, puzzle every real Christian, to find any connection existing between the sermon of Mr Hill and the text he took : " Receive withmeekriess the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.' In what portion of. the text, or context, the preacher found material to weave the warlike tapestry which be placed before his martial hearers on that Sunday morning I cannot conceive. Nevertheless, he did hang up before their mental vision beautiful and alluring pictures of the soldier under discipline-in arms—and ready for the battlefield. Swords, guns, end standards in due order passed m panoramic view before his mind. All the elitter, tinsel and gilding of glorioas war was there in full display. BUT, where was the sound of the battle trumpet, the neighing of the war horse, the clash of arms and garments rolled m j>lood ? Where were all the fierce and^endish passions called into existence and lashed into demoniac fury,by the heart, demoralising and lite exterminating breath ot war? Where were the burning towns, the desolated homes, the murdered millions? Aye! Where was the graphic scene of earth transformed into something worse than: even Pandemonium? Did these come before the preacher s vision i» Where these pourtrayed before his martial hearers ? NO. In the text James speaks of meekness. What has meekness to do with terrible war, offensive or defensive? James, in the next chapter, speaks of the necessity of Christians fulfilling the Royal law of love What has love to.do frith the sword? Doth Mr ' Hill not know that the sword not only fevers the silver cord of life, but also engenders hatred, malice, and all unloveliness, and is as James declares," earthly, sensual', devilish." How, then, can there be any analogy between meekness and war? What a burlesque was that sermon on the word of the Holy Spirit of God! Bit the preacher maintains that tke discipline necessary to make an accomplished soldier has a powerful tendency to elevate Christianity and bring into obedience unto God all the passions of men. A strange and startling doctrine this to place before-the corrupt human heart, which Revelation with emphasis declares to be " deceitful above all things, and. desperately wicked." But, again, the preacher declares tbafc the men who maintain that war in any form is in direct opposition to the revealed will of God are weak, maudlin sentimentalists, living in a hazy undefined world called Utopia. .He, however, acknowledges that they have done some good ; yet, nevertheless, were Very foolish and ridiculous in propounding a scheme that was impossible for the world to carry out, as there would be ever rising up some, ambitious power that would seek to coerce and enslave powers weaker than itself. la the preacher the representative of the world power, or is he the representative of the power of. the truth in Christ? If of the world he is right, if of.Christ he is decidedly wrong. The question is this : Are the premises which the preacher has assumed correct and impregnable ? Are < they based upon the broad and deep foundation of Divine truth? Can he point with triumphant finger to the passage where Jesus ' taught his disciples thus? When men seek to scourge, imprison, and slay you, be not meekminded and cowardly, but rouse within you the mighty spirit of re-, sistance, hesitate not to draw the sword and smite them hip and thigh. Why should you be spoiled of your goods and be cut off from the land of the living ? Or can the preacher call upon us to listen toany such passage as the following from the Epistles ef either Paul, Peter, James, or John, to the Churches ?—Men and brethren, be ye ever prepared for war, bloody war; see to it that ye train up your youths, and your young men to the use of arms, so that they may become efficient soldiers, for it may be God is not able to protect you in the day of trouble; see,.then, that ye be able to protect yourselves. Look to it that ye keep in full vigor the martial spirit among you; to do so more effectually (for ye know your power over men). 'We beseech you, ye pastors, elders and teachers, who have the care of souls, to use your utmost efforts to foster among your flocks a spirit of enthusiasm for arms ; bring them often together, on the Sabbath Day in warlike guise, cause them to inarch to the spiritstirring Bound of fife and drum to the house dedicated to the God of Peace, and there expatiate glowingly upon the duty incumbent upon every Christian to become learned in ihe art of war, sojhat he may be able to withstand the enemy in the day of battle, and forget not to lash with lusty and emphatic words the cowardly men who will not fight against and blood, and therefore deserve to be blotted out from the roll of nations—those we mean who deem themselves soldiers of the cross, and only fight with spiritual weapons against wicked spirits m the heavenlies, and against the carnal lusts of the flesh. When ye have thus preached forget not by way of peroration to point them to the source and essence of love, even to the Lamb of (Sod, who beareth away the sin of "the world ; then doubtless you will be able to shew that he by his suffering and death was a fine illustration of muscular Christianity. If the preacher, Mr Hill, could find any passage akin to the above, either in the Gospels or in the Epistles, he would then be clad in tripel armor of proof, and could triumphantly maintain his position, but unfortunately for him he can find nothing of the kind in either, though he ransack them with a bowie knife. O, ye preachers, ye forget that je

are the ambassadors of the Prince of Peace, whea ye bring into the pulpit, consecrated to that Prince, the warlike ardours of the battle field! Why don't you place in your bonnets the plumage of the Kagle ? Why don't you swath you shoulders in the tartan plaid, and gird the trusty claymore upon your thighs P Then the world will admire you, and acknowledge that you are the bulwarks of the state, and trusty defenders of the faith once delivered to the Saints.

James little thought when he penned the above passage that a Pastor of the Church of Christ, in a house consecrated to the Prince of Peace, would distort it into a war blast, to rouse and strengthen passions in men which are antagonistic to the love manifested in Christ Jesus.

Truly it was a woeful day for the Church when she forsook nor first love aud rushed, a harlot, into the arms of earthly royalty ; when with her hand in earth's teeming treasures she exultingly exclaimed, I am rich, I have all things, and have need of nothing. It was a woeful day for the Church when brandishing aloft the blessed Word of God, she rushed like a fury into the rifts of the battle field, and stained, and draggled her white robes in human gore. And, moreover, does it not foreshadow a coming day of woe when the Church leads, the van in-bringing fuel to kindle the accursed breath of war — when her clarion voice is heard above the shouts ot nations resounding with the cry —prepare ye for for war ; be ye strong — let every man take unto himself his sword and his bow ? Alas for the churches ! Let them seek to hide it as they may, they are all more or less wedded to the earth. The world,knows it and laughs. The world reprobates it and cries shame. Yet they still lie their jewels and their crowns at the feet of the God of Mammon. WHAT! Will nothing rouse them to a i sense of shame and regret for their adultery with the world? In kindness we say it, beware ! lest in the midst of your whoredom He who with the frown of God once drove out of His Father's house the merchantmen and the thieves with a whip of small cords, suddenly come, and with a whip of Kuotted Scorpions scourge you for your prostitution and shut you but of the Kingdom of God. Beware, lor even j now in the midst of your praise of the god of silver and gold the terrible hand is on the wall—its fingers grasp the pen, and ' soon will be written to your consternation and woe the awful and spirit crushing words—"Ye are weighed in the ballances and are found wanting I " We ask you again, does the Gospel of Peace and Good will teach muscular Christianity P Does Christ call upon his followers to take up the sword, even in self-defence? Do the Apostles teach it, either by word or deed? You know they don't. Hear the warning words of our Lord and Saviour to Peter when he was betrayed and assailed by his enemies. Peter drew the sword in defence of his Master and smote off the ear of the High Priest's Servant. "Put up thy sword (said the Master) into its place, for all they who take the sword shall perish by the sword." Hear also St Paul—"-We war not with flesh and blood." Hear again what the angel said to John in the Vision of the Apocalypse—" If any man have an hear j to hear let him hear ! He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity. He that killeth with the sword must (himself) be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the Saints." Who then are the Saints ? Is the preacher one P No, impossible! The Saints are God's '•peculiar people." What are their characteristics P Faith" and patience. What is their designation P Pilgrims and Strangers on the earth, now. What do they seek ? "A Kingdom which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." We find also that the laws which govern this " peculiar people " are diverse from the laws which govern the world's people. The great desire of the " peculiar people " is to attain the Kingdom of Heareu. To become the Sons of the Most High God in that Kingdom. This world is no inheritance for them, so they fight not for it. True they were once of the' earth, earthy, and their desires ran in the wellworn grooves of the world, their trust was then in wealth, and their boast in gold and silver—they thought to establish their houses for ever, and in their well doing and worldly prosperity to gain the praise and envy of the men of the world. But having been called by the Spirit of God to come out of the world they are changed—passed from death unto life— from darkness unto light—from bondage into the glorious liberty of the Sous of God'and can exclaim with the Royal Preacher in reference to the things of time, " Vanity of Vanities.. All is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit." The line of demarcation that separates this " peculiar people " has nothing hazy and indistinct about it—the one by no means runs into the other. And although the Church and the world have shaken hands—smile in each others faces, and have said we be brethren yet, the distinction between the world and the "peculiar people" is as well defined as light and darkness." They are in the world it is true, but they are not of the world as their spirit and actions testify. The atmosphere they live in is very different to that of the world, for their God has given them go where they will on their pilgrimage a Goshen of light and sunshine in the midst, of Egyptian darkness. But, how significant are »the designations "Pilgrims and strangers "of the character and aspirations of this "peculiar people." The Pilgrim on bis journey has no particular resting place but is continually moving on towards the charmed spot for which his heart yearnes and his spirit aspires ; as he presses on he seeks not to be initiated into the manners and customs and habits of the nations and towns through which he may happen to pass ; he claims no citizenship—all that he seeks on the way is food and shelter. He is nothing more than a stranger and a foreigner—the city he seeks is far a^head and he may not loiter by the way to fraternize with community and nationalities. The Gipsy tribes are a fine illustration of Him. So it is with the " peculiar people." The City of which they are citizens is far a-head, it is the New Jerusalem—the City of the Living God. As strangers and foreigners they journey on in the sunlit footsteps of their Redeemer—animated by the Spirit of God with the assurance of immortality; they 1 go from strength to strength every one of them in Sion appeareth before God. The citizen of the world doeS not profess to be a pilgrim, and therefore with him it is far different. He has planted himself in the earth as a tree—his roots of self-interest ramify in every direction—his object is- to

strengthen his : position — - enlarge his influence — increase his riches and give himself a name and fame, at least, in his immediate locality. His all centres in the place of his location, his heart and his treasures are there; and should he make a move it is only with a prospect of increased wealth and influence. In a word, the world and the things of the world are his all in all. Men of this stamp are the men to draw the sword of defence for their interest—their all is at stake, and non-resistance on their part would indeed be cowardice, and they would well deserve the anathema of the preacher, that is, to' be blotted out from roll of nations. Notso with the " peculiar people," their hearts are not set upon the things of time, they neverthless become heroes, and are victorious, not on the bloody battle field of the world, but by following their Great Master through good report and through evil report, and like Him by enduring in the spirit of meekness and patient persecution even unto the martydom of death. Under no condition may the blood of the murdered images of God mark the tread of their footstep. When they swore alliance, to Christ, their King, they beat their swords into ploughshears, and their spears into pruning hooks ; therefore blood, reddens not their path, save it be their own ; but beneath their feet spring up the flowers and fruits of love and knowledge, which smile upon and bless them, and others also in all their piigrimage. These " peculiar people" then can have nothing to do with war, let it assume whatever form, or shape it may. The Sons of God may not touch the worlds carnal weapons of war—to them they are unclean and unholy things—their Master hath so commanded—the spirit within them has endorsed that command, and to obey their Master and follow his teaching is more to them than meat and drink — more than the admiration of the world, yea, more than the winning of-the whole world with all its riches and all its glory. Bellicose Pastors understand not this !

As the spirit that passes throuph the whole of the teachings of' our Divine Redeemer, and also through the whole of the writings of Spirit taught Apostles condemns in toto both aggressive and defensive warfare. We therefore in that spirit of meekness which the preachers text enjoins all Christiaus to receive and cherish, a fact however: which he unfortunately forgot to mention (notwithstanding that the very head and front of his eubject councilled him to snatch from his lips the brazen war trumpet and cast it to the men of the world, it being theirs and theirs only to blow either its aggressive, or defensive note, for the world at present is theirs) and as he professes to be a leader in the army of these "peculiar people," why did he not take up that other trumpet, the silver trumpet, and with no uncertain sound proclaim the rapidly approaching Jubilee—the coming of the King of filings—the Lord Christ J>sus, to reign over all the earth as King of Righteousness and King of Peace ? A. Connon, Grrahamstown.

The above letter is published with a view to spread abroad sound views regarding the teaching of Christ to all his disciples upon the subject of war, and not with the remotest idea of offence to Mr Hill. That gentleman in his public discourse to the Volunteers gave his views on this momentous matter, the: true disciples of the Saviour have therefore the right to give theirs. Students of the New Testament can now judge which of the views is the correct one.