20. Universality of Christian obligation But, that the pacific injunctions of the Christian Scriptures do apply to us, under every circumstance of life, whether private or public, appears to be made necessary by the universality of Christian obligation. The language of Christianity upon the obligation of her moral laws is essentially this: “ What I say unto you, I say

21. Dr. Paley’s Moral and Political Philosophy The reputation of Dr. Paley is so great that, as he has devoted a chapter of his Moral Philosophy to “ War and Military Establishments ,” it will perhaps be expected, in an inquiry like the present, that some specific reference should be made to his opinions; and I make this reference willingly.

22. Inconsistent with the usual practice of the author Now, I am compelled to observe that in the discussion of the lawfulness of war, Dr. Paley has neglected his professed principles of decision and his ordinary practice. His professed principles are these: that the discovery of the “ will of God, which is the whole business of morality ,” is

23. Inapplicability of the principles proposed to the purposes of life After the defensibility of war has been proved, or assumed, in the manner that we have exhibited, Dr. Paley states the occasions upon which he determines that wars become justifiable. “ The objects of just wars ,” says he, “ are precaution, defence, or reparation… Every just war supposes

24. Dr. Paley’s Evidences of Christianity I think that Dr. Paley has, in another and a later work, given us stronger arguments in favour of peace than the Moral Philosophy gives in favour of war. In the Evidences of Christianity we find these statements: “The two following positions appear to me to be satisfactorily made out: First , that the

25. Inconsistency with the principles of the Moral Philosophy We have seen that the principle on which Dr. Paley’s Moral Philosophy decides the lawfulness of war is that it is expedient . I know not how this argument accords with some of the statements of the Evidences of Christianity : We are there told that the non-resisting character “ possesses

26. Argument in favour of war from the excess of male births The advocate of war, in the abundance of his topics of defence (or in the penury of them) has had recourse to this: “That, as a greater number of male children are brought into the world than of female, wars are the ordination of Providence to rectify the

27. Argument from the lawfulness of coercion on the part of the civil magistrate The magistrate “ bears not the sword in vain, for he is the minister of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. ” From this acknowledgment of the lawfulness of coercion on the part of the civil magistrate, an argument has been

28. Right of self-defence The lawfulness of defensive war is commonly simplified to The Right of Self-Defence . This is one of the strongholds of the defender of war, the almost final fastness to which he retires: “ The instinct of self-preservation ,” it is said, “ is an instinct of nature; and since this instinct is implanted by God,