Life and diary of Lieut. Col. J. Blackader

CHAP. I. GENEALOGICAL REMARKS. 27
still smarting under the rod of oppression, made an
appeal to the patriotism of every citizen, to take arms
in the common cause,— an appeal which must have
been doubly enforced by the remembrance of past in-
j uries, and the hope of a glorious deliverance. These
considerations laid an imperative command on every
man of public spirit and right feeling, to stand forth,
if not to avenge their common wrongs, at least to
secure their recent victory. In this light, they must
have appeared to Colonel Blackader, who had himself
been a sufferer, and seems to have possessed an abun-
dant share of natural bravery. A sense of duty alone,
at such a juncture, might overcome that scrupulous
reluctance to war and bloodshed, which is a charac-
teristic of every true Christian.
Whatever dislike or aversion may be felt, and every
humane spirit must feel a dislike to engage in civil or
foreign hostilities, yet there are times of necessity
when the public welfare rises paramount to every
other consideration, when backwardness or negligence
would be criminal. Although it is forbidden to pro-
pagate or maintain religion by force, the use of the
sword is nowhere prohibited in defence of the es-
tablished authorities. When the peace and safety of
the state are in danger, the magistrate is not only em-
powered, but obliged to employ arms for the suppres-
sion of anarchy and insubordination. The military
profession, so far from being condemned as unlawful,
is expressly countenanced and sanctioned in Scripture.
The manifest tendency of religion undoubtedly is, to
disincline and restrain men from quarrelings and
fightings ; to abolish war, not by proscribing the use
of carnal weapons, but by rooting out of the heart