plished, enlightened, and virtuous, and give him ideas of philanthropy, benevolence, and affection for his species if they are all to be obliterated by the horrible inconsistency of making him a licensed robber, or a murderer by profession? Such an education ought to tend rather to banish the sentiments of hatred and hostility, and enforce those of peace and bencvotence; for surely these things are not requisite to murder with greater dexterity, or destroy an enemy with a surer and more certain aim. The end of such an education is inconsistent with its principles; and while the profession of a soldier continues in society, let those who are intended for it remain as they ought to be, savage, ignorant, or uncivilized! for while wars 'continue, civilization is not complete!

Materials for Thinking.

THOMAS TRYON,

THE CELEBRATED MYSTIC PHILOSOPHER.

SOME may say, "if we should not fight, and be ready to withstand our enemies, and neighbouring nations, we should quickly be brought into subjection." This is very true, if men should leave of fighting, and yet live such wicked ungodly Irves as they do; but if any nation would repent of the evil of their ways, and enter with

one

one mind into unity, and live in the power and operation of the Love of God, they then should have no occasion to fear or dread any outward enemies, having so perfectly subdued those within, they should rest secure. This the chil dren of Israel did often witness, when they feared the Lord, and refrained from Idols; that is, when they did not set their hearts and affec-. tions upon the creatures, nor live in wantonness: then their enemies were bowed before. them, and the very sight or appearance of ten would make a thousand fly: but when they did forsake the fear of the Lord, and turned the use of natural things into wantonness, they awakened the wrath of God, by which their enemies got many advantages over them, and carried them away captive. The very same is now a-days amongst us; this being a certain truth that will stand for ever against the gainsayers, and evil men, viz. that all oppression, violence and killing, doth proceed from the serpent the betrayer; which I wish all our heroes and fighters, and great martial men would well consider, and turn the eye of their understandings inward, and search themselves, then they would certainly find that it is the fierce Cain like spirit which reigns in them, and excites. them to commit such outrages.

When the soldiers asked John the baptist "what they should do to be saved," he said unto them, "be content with your wages, and do violence to no man." Which is to say they fhould be foldiers no longer; for all soldiers do

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live

live in the spirit of violence and must kill and defroy whenever their commanders please. So likewise Chrift, says to Peter, (than whom certainly never man drew sword in a better quarrel) "put up thy sword, those who take the sword shall perish by the sword; my kingdom is not of this world; that is, "my kingdom consists in love, mercy, meekness, friendliness, peace and good-will unto all men !

Way to health, long life and happiness.

BATISTA ANGELONI.

MEN of letters are tried at a severer tribunal than men of arms; their claim to merit is fixed on more established principles, and a better foundation; and yet, such is the event, the eclat of fire and sword, ruined nations, kings enslaved, and slaughtered millions, are more the admiration of mankind, than the man of study who advances arts and sciences, happiness and health, a public blessing.

There is scarce a more depreciating consideration to human nature, than that the mild arts of peace should meet such little success, and the profeffors of slaughter and destruction, find applause and honorable reception every where: this disposition seems to be inherent in the nature of man.

For myself I confess, when I behold the mo

numents

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numents and tombs of those ravagers, with pompous panegyrics of their military actions, I conceive the greatest abhorrence at their names and characters; I can never esteem that being, whose malicious heart prompts his understanding and his arm by the worst of passions, to the destruction of his own species; he is to my eyes only a robber, more illustrious and pernicious. than the common highwayman; and tho' the world have agreed to honor such men, with all that is to be given in it; yet to me, every monument which preserves the memory of these kind of beings, is but a standing satire against the persons who performed the actions they recount, those who have bestowed on them these superb acknowledgements, all who look on, read and applaud, and perhaps human nature itself.

What is a long list of victories, but a keen invective on human nature ? What are the histories of thousands slain, but a demonstration of our delight in bloodshed? Cities ruined, nations plundered, temples and deities prophaned, are the glories of that being which boasts of humanity, and calls itself Lord of the creation.

If riches crown the event, all terminates well, the author is justified; the barrier of gold is the sacred impassable defence, behind which the violater is secure from all'attacks, unless his conscience sometimes disquiet his enjoyments, and touch that heart with remorse, for its possessor,' which it never felt for others, in the bloody hour of destruction.

G3 Letters on the English Nation. 55.

REV. SAMUEL CLARKE.

THOUGH for war, multitudes of persons are gathered together, yet very few armies have been heard of, whereof the greater part have been men truly religious, and fearing God, but rather impious, licentious, lewd, violent persons, according to that of the poet.

Rara fides, pietafque viris qui caftra fequuntur.‡ Hence these mischiefs.

For war, men use to be furnished with all manner of deadly weapons, whereby soldiers are the more emboldened to all manner of ravages, they count all that they can come by, by right or wrong to be as their own so that the places through which they pass or where they make any stay, suffer much prejudice by them: for the more power any have, the more forward they are to oppress others: and as for justice it useth to sleep in such times.

To maintain war, great treasures are exhausted, subjects oppressed, husbands taken from their wives, parents from their children, masters from their families, and all sorts of persons from their callings. Hereby trading decays, and lands lie often untilled. And of those employed in war, many never return home again, whence it comes to pass that many wives are made widows, children fatherless; old, and impotent parents are left childless, and friends friendless to their utter undong.

In war many are brought into most lamenta

Faith and picty are arely found among men who follow camps.

ble