“ There is a perfect harmony existing between the idea of deprecating the wrath of an enemy and in repelling his ruthless assaults. There is no discrepancy in principle and practice, in that case; our faith and our works harmonize. We evince our implicit belief in the Lord of Sabbaoth, therefore, we pray, and our willingness to provide for our own households, therefore, we protect and defend them. ”

“ And we think we shall not do violence to the truth if we say that man, frail man, is much the same now as he has been in every age since the fall of Adam. We find on looking over historic pages both sacred and profane, that man left to himself invariably violated those sacred principles, of which the whole christian world professes to think so highly, and that it has been a part at least, of the business of inspired men in all ages, when there were any, to urge and enforce upon mankind an adherence to those principles. ”

“ These same principles, have formed the basis of all law, where their brilliancy has been reflected upon the understanding, or their benign influence operated upon the hearts of the children of men. Upon these principles, in all countries denominated christian, are predicated the civil laws and the penal code. The christian world have, therefore, affixed to them their seal of approbation, and as did the God of the Universe when he beheld the world emerge from chaos in obedience to his behest, unhesitatingly, they have pronounced them good. ”

“ As we have had occasion to speak of man's surrendering a part of his natural rights for the better security of the remainder, we will here take the liberty to remark, that he never, without compulsion, surrenders the right of self preservation, and the defence of his own household. ”

“ The principle that will allow of naiional [national] defence will justify a smaller community coeteras paribus in acting on the same principle. And he who objects to the idea that a man has a right to defend his wife, his property and his offspring, will find himself at war with the best feelings of his own heart, with the established rules of all civilized nations, of all communities, and with very few exceptions, the whole professing christian world. ”

“ The apostle whose words we are contemplating, was well acquainted with the history of man, having been brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, a Doctor of the Law, and from the warnings, rebukes, admonitions and exhortations he gives the churches, we are fully sensible he had the same restless disposition in his fellow man with which to contend, that now manifests itself in the day and age of the world in which we live. ”

“ It presupposes that he is a social being, not a solitary, misanthropic recluse, but that from inclination or necessity, or both, men will become members of civil society and have certain rights in common, one with another, "among which are, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." It presupposes laws by which the conduct of men is to be regulated. It presupposes rulers and governors to administer laws. ”

“ Consider for once that God is the same, and we have not disputed the immutability of his laws or his right to govern his subjects. Abraham, the patriarch Abraham—whose very name we venerate as the father of the faithful, and whose praises we sing, armed his domestics and went himself to the slaughter of the kings who had not even set set foot upon his veil, but they had invaded the territory of some of his neighbors, taken his nephew a prisoner and confiscated his goods. ”

“ We have yet no opposition, for we have come in contact with no man's principles. We will here take the liberty to digress a little for the sake of illustrating and enforcing our own ideas. And,
1st. By way of query we ask, if when our Eastern, Western, Northern or Southern border, has been invaded by merciless savages, laying waste the fair portions of our country, if even the most fastidious, does not feel justified in the sight of God and man in meeting force with force and repelling the invading foe? ”

“ We have said the right to defend his wife, his children & his own person from the murderous assaults of ruthless foe, were among his reserved rights, and are never given up to man but by compulsion, nor to God but by express command. ”

“ Their devoted city was to be taken and sacked, their beautiful temple be thrown down, and such calamities come on them as never come upon any people. Thus we see altho' the disciples were not suffered to be the avengers of their own wrongs, even-handed justice ere long overtook that wicked generation. They would not receive those that were sent unto them, and to cap the climax of crime, and fill up the measure of their iniquity, they crucified the Lord of life and glory. ”

“ It is clearly asserted in so many words, that he that provides not for his own household has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. Let us here quere;—Is it reasonable to suppose, that to procure food alone for one's household, covers the whole ground intended to be covered by the sacred writer when he penned this sentence? ”

“ We have abundant testimony to prove that God commanded his servants, anciently to fight their enemies and destroy them. He even commanded Saul, the king of Israel, to go and utterly destroy Amalek, spare him not ”