The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

142 SERMONS..wirliout knowing wliy, without having any fpecialreafon to do fo. A long and bloody war was notlong ago carried on between Great Britain and France,and, upon a rctrolpe6tive view of it, politicians andhiftorians are it fecms at a lois to- tell what was thecaufe of it. Aukward children, wlien they meet onthe ftreet or in the field, they perhaps for a little lookangrily at one another—then one of them reaches hisneighbour a blow, which is foon returned—each ofthe two is joined by his friends—the clamour rifeson the green—hats fly oiT—the hair is pulled—faces^are Scratched—heads perhaps are broken, and coatsand fliiri^ are torn;—in a while they grow weary ofgiving and receiving blows, and, leaving oiT'the fray,they agree to live in peace. Kings and minifters offlate are juft big grown up children ; they are likethe children I fpeak of, with tliis particular and unhappydifference, that, inftead of fighting out theneedlefs quarrels thrv have raifed,-, betaking themfelvesto places of flieltcr, they hound out their Innocentfubjects to battle, and involve the nation theymifgovern in bloodflied and expence, and perhaps,by levies and by heavv taxes, fi.rft weaken it, and thengradually reduce it to abfolute poverty, to utter ruinand contempt. The rxcxt thing I propofed was,j;. "To mention fome of thofe rules which havebeen agreed upon to mitigate fome of the ills of war.«* From whence come wars and fightings among you.-^"Among you, CItriflians. If you cannot prevent waraltogctlier, is it not in your power to foften its rigourand ferocity, at Icall in fome degree ?Whenfoevcr a war, even a. lawful war, hath commenced,there are many unjuft and cruel things done;done from immemorial practice, fome of which, perhaps,cannot be avoided. In war, it is ufual to confidcrthe prince and his fubjects asperfon, and of courfe to conclude,making only onethat whatever injurythe prince hath done; the fubjecls may be juil:l]f