had persuaded him. "I am a Christian," he added, "and it is not lawful for me to wear such a mark about my neck, when I have received the saving mark of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, whom thou knowest not, who died to give us life, and whom God gave for our sins. Him all we Christians obey."

"Take thy arms," said the proconsul," and receive the mark, or thou shalt suffer a miserable death." "But I shall not perish," answered the Christian. "My name is already enrolled with Christ. I cannot fight. My arms are with the Lord. I cannot fight for any earthly consideration. I am now a Christian." Dion said, "Among the life guards of our masters, Dioclesian, and Maximinian, and Constantius, and Maximus, there are Christian soldiers, and they fight." The young man answered, "They know best what is expedient for them; but I am a Christian, and it is unlawful to do evil." On being condemned to die by the sword, he replied, "Thanks be to God!"

He was only twenty years of age, and yet when led to the place of execution, he displayed the same undaunted resolution in obeying the will of his Lord. "My dear brethren," he exclaimed, "endeavour with all your might that it may be your portion to see the Lord, and that he may give you such a crown;" and then he calmly said to his father, "Give the executioner the soldier's

coat thou hast got for me; and when I shall receive thee in the company of the blessed martyrs, we may rejoice together with the Lord." After this he suffered. We should remark, that the unlawfulness of fighting was principally urged by Maximilian, as a reason for not entering the army, while his repugnance is not stated to have so strongly arisen even from the idolatry connected with the military service.

The same principle of the unlawfulness of fighting under the Christian dispensation was chiefly pleaded by Marcellus, who was a centurion during the reign of Galerius, and being converted, immediately quitted his profession. On a festival given in honour of the Emperor's birthday, this soldier threw down his belt, and in the face of the standards, declared with a loud voice, that he would no longer serve in the army, for that he had become a Christian. "I hold in detestation," said he to the soldiers, "the worship of your gods; gods which are made of wood and stone; gods which are deaf and dumb." So far Marcellus seems to have been influenced by the idolatrous portion of a soldier's duties, but he added: It is not lawful for a Christian, who is the servant of Christ the Lord, to bear arms for any earthly consideration." He was put to death, and almost immediately after his execution, Cassian, who was the notary to the same legion, refused to serve

any longer, and declared that the sentence of Marcellus was unjust. He is described in the record preserved by Ruinart, to have avowed the same sentiments as Marcellus; and like him to have suffered death.

We are informed by Sulpitius Severus that when the Roman Emperor Julian was engaged in bestowing upon his troops a largess with a view to some approaching battle, his bounty was refused by Martin, a soldier in his army, who had been previously converted to Christianity. "Hitherto," said he to Cæsar, "I have fought for thee; permit me now to fight for my God. Let those who are about to engage in war, accept the donative; I am the soldier of Christ; for me the combat is unlawful." So another soldier, Tarachus, was examined at Tarsus in Cilicia. To the questions put to him, he replied: "I have led a military life and am a Roman. I was born at Claudiopolis, and because I am a Christian I have abandoned my profession of a soldier.”

And here we may say, with Clarkson,-" The proposition. with which we set out, we presume, has been sufficiently proved. It has been made to appear that while the lamp of Christianity burnt pure and bright, not only the Fathers of the Church held it unlawful for Christians to bear arms, but those who came within the pale of it, abstained from the use of them, and this to the certain loss of

their lives; and that it was not till Christianity became corrupted, that its followers became soldiers. This is a most awful fact for those, who profess the Christian religion, but who sanction war at the present day. The consideration of it ought to make them tremble as to the ground of their opinions on this subject. It ought to make them fly to the Divine Writings, and inquire with an anxiety proportioned to the magnitude of the case, what scope the latter afforded them for a construction of the precepts therein contained, so injurious both to the morals and to the happiness of mankind."

We have now endeavoured to trace the pacific principles of Jesus, as first unfolded to the view of man by his great Teacher, and then gradually developed in the conduct of his followers for three centuries.

And here the history of peace, as far as it regards the great mass of Christians, ceases. Since that period, the whole earth has been deluged in human blood. Man has uplifted his impious hand against man, brother against brother, but, alas! what is still more wonderful, Christian against Christian! The Angel of Peace visited this world with Jesus; but shortly after his departure, she, like the dove from the ark, not finding a place of rest on earth, now an ocean of blood, ascended once more to her dwelling in the heavens!

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CHAPTER X.

SECTION 1.-Summary and Review.

LET us take a brief review of the important subject we have been discussing :

First, no argument in opposition to peace can be deduced from the Jewish dispensation, as the cases cannot be rendered parallel, and as the laws of the Israelites in this respect have been totally and expressly changed by a more perfect system.

Secondly, the prophecies relating to Jesus foretell universal and permanent peace as an essential attribute to his religion; the same notion prevailed in the heathen world; the same intelligence was given by the angels immediately preceding his appearance.

Thirdly, our Lord came, and taught, and lived, and died, as the Prince of Peace. Precept and example were equally directed to the establishment of principles, which invite us to love God and to love mankind; to promote an universal brotherhood; to endure and forgive injuries; to bless our enemies, and to return good for evil.

Fourthly, in this pacific and enduring sense was the Gospel understood, obeyed, and preached by the disciples in this sense was the example of Jesus followed by the primitive Christians, while the religion itself was pure and inviolate.