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fpreads through the whole of the Civil, as that doth of the Animal Conftitution; and furnishes Vigour and Pleasure to every Part, without being distinctly perceived in one more than ánother for which Reafon we are apt to overlook the Felicity of both, till the Lofs of them for a time renews our Senfe of their Value; and even fuch Experience usually doth not long preserve it in our Memory. There fore to difcern fufficiently the Advantages of Peace, we must recollect the Miseries of War.

To these we seldom attend farther, than we immediately feel them. And the Generality feel only the Expence: which indeed is a fore Evil, and hath been for many Years past, and muft be for many to come, a heavy Burthen to us. Perfons of low Degree are fadly straitned by it in their Enjoyment of the common Comforts and Neceffaries of Life. Their Superiors, it is true, need only undergo a Retrenchment of their Superfluities: which they might bear, if they would, without much Uneafinefs, or any Harm. But as too many of them are pleased to reckon their Grandeur and Luxury, their Follies and their Vices, the most infeparable

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War

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infeparable Privileges of their Rank; they muft, by retaining thefe, be diftreffed equally with others, when the Demands of the State are larger than ordinary. And as their usual Refource is the very bad one, of supplying a Fund for Extravagance and Immorality, by refusing Acts of Piety, Charity, and Justice; they force Multitudes round them to suffer with them and for them. Frequently indeed the Load of Taxes may not be the Cause of this difhonourable Behaviour: but even then it is a plaufible Pretence and Excufe for it, Nor doth the Mischief ftop at particular Perfons: but the Public, exhaufted by Payments, and funk under Debts, becomes incapable of exerting itself, even for its own Preservation, when future Occafions require.

Yet, melancholy as thefe Things are, an Article much more fhocking, and which ought to be the first in our Thoughts, is that of the various and continual Toils and Hardships, that must be endured. by fuch Numbers of poor Creatures, expofing themselves in Defence of others, through fo long a Course of Time: the Lofs of fo many Thousands of Lives by Sickness and in Battle; the Grief of fo many Relations and Friends, the Miseries of fo many deftitute

deftitute Families: Part of thefe, our Fellow fubjects; not a few of them poffibly very dear to one or other of us; a fecond Part, our Allies; the rest, called indeed Enemies: but of them in Fault for that

it may be fcarce any Enmity, how much foever their Rulers are; and all of them, in Truth, our Brethren; of the fame Blood, and, in Effentials, the fame Faith, though taught them with a Mixture of dangerous Errors.

Further ftill: War not only weakens and afflicts a Community in these Respects, but interrupts the Freedom of Commerce, retards the Propagation of Knowlege, prevents useful Improvements, takes off the public Attention from domeftic Concerns, furnishes Occafion for Abuses, obftructs the Remedy of Inconveniencies, till they grow inveterate and hard to cure; in fhort, disorders and unhinges the whole System of Civil Affairs. Then besides, which is a vastly more alarming Confideration yet, all the Time that Hoftilities last, who can tell how they may end? And had ours ended, as they eafily might, in our being abfolutely. overcome, and obliged to accept the Victors Terms, what would they have been!

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But War is alfo a State of no lefs Wicked

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ness, than Calamity and Terror. Whenever it breaks out; one Side, at least, must have acted grievously contrary to Humanity and Juftice; contrary too, in all Likelihood, to folemn Treaties: and that from no better Motives, than little Refentments, groundless or diftant Fears, Eagerness of gaining unneceffary Advantages, restless Ambition, falfe Glory, or Wantonnefs of Power. To fuch detestable Idols are whole Armies and Nations deliberately facrificed: though every Suffering, thus caused, is a heinous Crime; and every Death, a Murder. Nor will the Side, which at fift is more innocent, fail in the Progrefs to be guilty of many fhocking Tranfgreffions, in common with the other. The whole Body of a People are apt to grow uncharitable, unpitying, implacable: and the Soldiery will plunge of course into Cruelty, Rapine, Profaneness, Lewdnefs, Intemperance: not to add, that when the poor Wretches have once changed the ordinary Employments of Life for this, they will be in great Danger of never fettling honeftly and foberly to them again. Some of thefe Things, to worldly

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or inconfiderate Minds, may appear fmall Matters. But every benevolent, or merely prudent Perfon, will efteem them very great ones and every pious Heart will most feriously mourn, that the worthy Name, by which we are called, is blafphemed among the Gentiles * through the Sins, and peculiarly the Enmities, of those who profess the Gofpel; instead of its producing that Glory to God, Peace on Earth, and Good-will amongst Men, which Angels proclaimed at our Saviour's Birth †.

Still this dreadful Evil, big with so many more, becomes, by the obftinate Iniquity of Men, fometimes unavoidable. It must be the Will of the common Father of All, that Societies, as well as fingle Perfons, be restrained, from committing material Injuries: elfe deftructive ones would be committed perpetually. Now certainly amicable Methods are to be tried in the first Place: but often the only effectual Method of Reftraint is by Arms: and then, the Minifter of God, the fupreme Power, must not bear the Sword in vain §. Often again, Treaties made to support Allies,

* James ii. 7. Rom. ii. 24.
Rom. xiii. 4.

† Luke ii. 14,

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