War is Unwise | 1
1. Because, Instead Of Preventing, They Provoke Insult and Mischief
The maxim, that in order to preserve peace, mankind must be prepared for war, has become so common, and sanctioned by such high authority, that few question its wisdom or policy;
but if stripped of its specious garb,
it may appear to proceed not from that wisdom which came down from above, which is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy”;
- and if it is not the wisdom from above, then it must be the wisdom from beneath.
Are not pride, avarice, and revenge the seeds of all kinds of carnal warfare?
From these grow all the quarrelling among children, the discord among families, the bickering, law suits, and broils among neighbours, the boxing among bullies, the duelling among modern gentlemen, and wars among nations. They all originate from one and the same spirit.
Is the mild, meek, and peaceable man, unarmed, more liable to inspire jealousy in others that he is about to insult and abuse them than the high-toned duellist who constantly carries with him deadly weapons?
Does he, in fact, so often get into difficulty, quarrelling and fighting?
The respectable Society of Friends (Quakers) stands a living monument to answer the question.
On the principles of self-defence, as they are styled,
if one man suspects an injury from another, unless he is naturally a more powerful man, he must take a cane, as the principles of self-defence require a superior power in your own hand, either by art or muscular strength.
When the other learns the suspicions and sees the preparation, he in his turn must take a bludgeon to preserve the balance of power and proclaim a threatening to awe his antagonist, who must now take a sword and return a threatening in order to maintain his dignity;
for it will not do for men of honour to retract, however much they may be in the wrong.
The other, again, must take a deadly weapon for his defence, and nothing is now wanting but an unhappy meeting to set each other’s blood a flowing.
Much in the same way, nations often get into desperate warfare:
One nation is busily increasing its military strength on the plausible maxim of preserving peace and maintaining its rights.
Another nation views the preparations with a jealous eye, and also goes to work on the same principle to make formidable preparations.
All the nations around take the alarm and on the same principle begin active preparations, all vying with each other to become the most formidable.
If one sends an ambassador to inquire into the cause of the great preparations, the answer always is, let the motive be what it may, for their own defence.
Then the other makes new exertions and begins to fortify towns on the confines of his neighbour, who must not only do the same, but also march a large army for the defence of his frontier; and the other must do likewise.
By this time, if no old quarrel remained unsettled, perhaps one charges the other with encroachment on territory; the other denies the charge, and contends sharply for his pretended rights.
Ministers may be interchanged, and while negotiations are pending a high tone must be taken by both parties, for this is an essential principle in the doctrine of self-defence; the contrary would betray weakness and fear.
Newspapers must be ushered forth with flaming pieces to rouse, as it is called, the spirit of the countries,
so as to impress upon the populace the idea that the approaching war is just and necessary, for all wars must be just and necessary on both sides.
In the meantime extraordinary envoys may be sent to other powers by each party to enlist their aid – most of whom are already prepared for war – and each one selects his side according to his interests and feelings.
At length the ultimatum is given and refused, and the dreadful conflict commences.
Few wars, however, begin in this slow and progressive mode; a trifling aggression is sufficient to blow up the flame with nations already prepared.
Thus, we see, nations resemble bulldogs that happen to meet:
They will first raise their hairs, show their teeth, then growl, and then seize upon each other with all their strength and fury; and bulldogs have something of the same kind of honour, for they scorn to retreat.
Hence we see that the acknowledged principles of defensive war are the vital springs of most of the wars that agitate and desolate our world.
The pretended distinction between offensive and defensive war is but a name:
All parties engaged in war proclaim to the world that they only are fighting in defence of their rights, and that their enemies are the aggressors; while it may be impossible for man to decide which most in the wrong are.
The popular maxim of being prepared for war in order to be at peace may be seen to be erroneous in fact, for the history of nations abundantly shows that few nations ever made great preparations for war and remained long in peace.
When nations prepare for war they actually go to war, and tell the world that their preparations were not a mere show.
Thus we may see that the principles and preparations of war actually engender war instead of promoting peace; and of course they are unwise, and, if unwise, then it is folly for Christians to engage in them.