- Name:
- David Low Dodge
- Born:
- June 14, 1774, 1805
Brooklyn, Connecticut, U.S. - Died:
- April 23, 1852 (aged 77)
New York City, U.S. - Famous in:
- Philosophy
Non-Violence - Founder of:
- New York Peace Society (1815)
New York Bible Society - Nationality:
- American
- Religion:
- Protestant Christianity
- Teaching:
- Non-Violence
No War - Works:
- Published the first pamphlets in America about the futility of war
1. The Mediator's Kingdom not of this World (1809)
2. War Inconsistent with the Religion of Jesus Christ (1812) - Works Online:
- 1. War Inconsistent with the Religion of Jesus Christ
War Inconsistent
With the Religion of Jesus Christ
by David Low Dodge
(June 14, 1774 – April 23, 1852)
Humanity, wisdom, and goodness at once combine all that can be great and lovely in man.
Inhumanity, folly, and wickedness reverse the picture, and at once represent all that can be odious and hateful.
The former is the spirit of Heaven, and the latter the offspring of hell.
The spirit of the gospel not only breathes “glory to God in the highest, but on earth peace, and good will to men.”
The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated; but the wisdom from beneath is earthly, sensual, and devilish.
It is exceedingly strange
that anyone under the light of the gospel, professing to be guided by its blessed precepts, with the Bible in his hand, while the whole creation around him is so often groaning under the weight and terrors of war,
should have doubts whether any kind of wars under the gospel dispensation, except spiritual warfare, can be the dictate of any kind of wisdom except that from beneath; and much more so, to believe that they are the fruit of the Divine Spirit, which is love, joy, and peace.
An inspired apostle has informed us from whence come wars and fighting:
They come from the lusts of men that war in their members.
Ever since the fall, mankind has had naturally within it a spirit of pride, avarice, and revenge:
The gospel is directly opposed to this spirit. It teaches humility, it inculcates love, it breathes pity and forgiveness even to enemies, and forbids rendering evil for evil to any man.
Believing as I do, after much reflection and, as I trust, prayerful investigation of the subject, that all kinds of carnal warfare are unlawful upon gospel principles,
I shall now endeavour to prove that war is INHUMAN, UNWISE, and CRIMINAL, and then make some general remarks, and state and answer several objections.
In attempting to do this I shall not always confine myself strictly to this order of the subject, but shall occasionally make such remarks as may occur, directly or indirectly, to show that the whole genius of war is contrary to the spirit and precepts of the gospel.
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