NON-RESISTANCE.

MR. EDITOR:-The spirit of Non-Resistance is the highest attainment of the soul. To suffer injury long and still be kind, never to return evil for evil, to love an enemy, a man must attain the entire possession of himself; his appetites and passions must be in complete subjection to his moral sense. A true non-resistant must have the same mind that was in Christ. He must have become a dear child of God.

Jesus gave it as an evidence of the perfection of God, that he causeth his sun to shine upon the evil, sendeth his rain upon the unjust, and is kind to the wicked and unthankful. God is love, and they only are his children, in whose hearts love reigns supremely.

The crowning excellence of Christ, that which made him the dearly beloved Son of God, was that he loved his enemies, loved them without dissimulation, blessed them that cursed him, did good to them that hated him, and prayed for them which despitefully used and persecuted him. That he withheld himself under the highest provocation, from committing any violence upon his foes, or allowing others to do it for him, is the fact, which stands out and above all others in his life, and has awakened more than all the rest that admiration which is felt for him. Jesus was able to defend himself, as he intimated. He could have summoned twelve legions of angels to his rescue. Or he could have roused his disciples, and many thousands more of the Jewish people, who were ready enough to believe him to be their long promised Messiah; and they would have gladly fought to protect him. But suppose he had

done so? Suppose that, animated by that spirit which so many of his professed disciples regard as noble, as the heaven-derived instinct in the soul of man, ay, as the first law written upon his heart by the finger of God-suppose he had defended himself, had smitten to the ground the first one who offered to lay hands upon him, and had encouraged those who were with him to fight; what would have been the effect? Would the name of Jesus have been exalted, as it now is, above every name? No. It might not have survived the generation to which he belonged. Or it would have lived only in the vulgar list of heroes. Who can think, without a shudder, of the holy Jesus raising his hand to strike a blow even in self-defence? Not then the natural sun, but the moral sun, the Sun of Righteousness would have been darkened. Who does not feel that the purpose of his mission would have been defeated? And yet I would fain inquire, what man can be justified, on christian principles, in making self-defence, if the author, and finisher and pattern of our faith would not have been? I submit, whether the fact, that Jesus did not defend himself, nor allow himself to be defended, does not settle the question of non-resistance? No cause, however just and good, no life, however dear or valuable, may on christian principles be defended by violence. This, I am aware, is a hard saying. Few, perhaps, can bear it. But it is the true saying, unless it can be shown, that other lives are more valuable than was the life of the Son of God; or unless it can be made to appear that christians are allowed by their master to act in two opposite characters, to fight for the kingdoms of this world and suffer for the kingdom of Heaven, i. e. to serve Christ and Belial, God and Mammon; unless it can be shown, that they can fight for the body and not harm the soul; or that they can love an enemy while killing him.

Were it not for the illustration of the spirit of non-resistance given us in the life of Jesus, it might be difficult to determine the precise meaning of his precepts. It cannot be denied that the words used in this, as well as in several other instances, require some limitations and qualifications. And, were it not

for what we know of his conduct, we might be at a loss to determine precisely what he intended by these words" resist not evil," "love your enemies." But what he did is the best commentary we could have upon what he said. If it could be proved that Jesus ever did, or if there were sufficient reason to believe he ever would, kill, or maim, or imprison a man for any cause, then might we safely infer, that a follower of Jesus may do likewise for a similar cause. How would the beloved Son of God act in any supposable case of insult, injury or peril? The answer to this question decides how his disciples should act. And must not the same response to this question come from the depths of every soul, that has ever read his biography? I never saw the person, nor heard of him, I do not believe there ever was one, who did not perceive at a glance the glaring incongruity between the character of Jesus and the act of killing a man in self-defence, or knocking him down, or calling upon others to bind him and cast him into prison. We can conceive of Jesus only as rebuking the wrong doer faithfully and affectionately, and meekly enduring all things from him, that he might overcome his evil passions and reconcile him to his Heavenly Father.

Of course those only, who have risen with Christ from the death of sin to the life of righteousness-those who are not conformed to this world, but are transformed by the renewing of their minds-can know what is the good, and acceptable and perfect will of God. Those only can be ready to present their bodies a living sacrifice in his service. Those only will be willing or able to act on the principle of non-resistance. This principle is rejected, despised, hated by worldly minded men, and ever must be. Those only whose affections are set on things in Heaven, and not on things on the earth, can be raised above the temptations to wrath, revenge and murder. Those only, who are persuaded that to die in adherence to a principle would give new and higher life to the soul, can act as if they believed that it were infinitely better for them to be killed under any circumstances than to kill. Those only, who realize what ruin the indulgence of unhallowed passions, envy,

hatred, wrath, works in the human soul, can feel such compassion, such love for an enemy as to lay down their own life for him.

It is idle therefore to expect that men of the world, those who are living for wealth, for honour, for the pride of life or the lusts of the flesh, will embrace the principle of nonresistance. Such men must be converted, and become as little children before they can enter the kingdom of Heaven. use the strong language of Jesus, they must be regenerated, born again, before they will be so Christ-like as to feel no desire to harm those, who harm them.

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Non-Resistance is the primitive doctrine of the Cross. Blessed be God, that it has been so earnestly re-published in our day. But let no one hastily profess it. The disciple of the master who inculcated this doctrine, must deny himself daily, take up the cross and follow him. Until the condition and character of mankind is essentially changed, they may have to suffer much, ay, "endure all things," who are steadfast in their adherence to the principles of the Gospel. But the condition and character of mankind never will be essentially changed, unless christians will be christians indeed, unless the disciples will be like their master. The church has been overlaid with professions. At best these are but leaves. We have had too many of them. We want more of the fruits of the spirit. But none can bring forth these fruits except they abide in the true vine. And they, who do, need not proclaim what they are. By their fruits they shall be known. It is better that a man should be more than he professes, much better than that he should profess more than he is. one take upon him the name, who does not deeply feel the spirit of non-resistance living in his heart. It matters little what we are called; it matters every thing what we are. Christ desires not to give his name or any name to men, but to inspire us with his deep faith, his animating hope, his undying love. Fully as I am convinced of the truth of the doctrine, I hardly dare to call myself a non-resistant. But I acknowledge that I ought to be one. I think every man

Let no

ought to be one; I am sure that Jesus was one; and that every true christian is one.

It will not do to rest the defence of non-resistance upon the ground, that by acting upon that principle we shall always preserve our property, our persons, or even our lives. The preservation of any or all of these is not the main purpose of the Gospel; for it is not the grand concern of the soul. Nay, Jesus said, in the hyperbolic language of the East, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." "Fear not them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do." What are we to understand by coming to Christ, other than embracing his principles? What are we to understand by loving Christ, other than loving his principles? What, by taking his cross, other than enduring loss, persecution and death rather than violate his principles ? Not the gratifications of flesh and sense, but the development of his moral nature, not the perishable riches of time, but the incorruptible treasures of eternity, not the life of the body, but the life of the soul, are earnestly desired and longed for by the christian. Until the larger part of every community have embraced the principles of Christ, those who do embrace, and adhere steadfastly to them, may sometimes be called to suffer loss, persecution and death. But if true, they will like his first disciples, count it joy to endure all things in his cause.

Without doubt they will, (some who read this are ready to say,) if called to suffer in his cause. If required to deny their faith in him, or go to prison or the stake, they will, they ought to rejoice, rather to be shut out forever from the light of the sun, or to endure the horrors of an Inquisition, or to be burned. But what has fidelity to Christ to do with our treatment of a