traditions or remembrances are preserved of an interesting dream, in which Dr. Belknap imagined that his friend appeared to him, on a visit from the heavenly world; and that he had eagerly inquired of him as to the nature of his employments and the felicity he was enjoying. The curiosity, if thus expressed, was soon to be gratified. They who were thus pleasant in their lives were separated in their deaths by the interval of only a few short weeks, and permitted together to behold God's face in righteousness, and to enter upon a service for which their earthly ministries were but imperfect preparations.

In this brief and inadequate view we have taken of a distinguished scholar and divine, we cannot but "remember the way " through which it pleased the Great Disposer to conduct him to his eminent usefulness and honor. We have adverted to the spiritual conflicts and humility of heart with which he entered upon his ministry. We have seen that for many years of the most important period of his life he was no stranger to poverty and the depressing cares which it involves. The very works which are the monuments of his genius and the security of his fame did nothing to supply his needs. But now, after a few years have passed, New Hampshire, that witnessed his struggles while he was penning her history, claims him as one of her most honored sons. A county within her borders is called after him. The descendants of the people to whom he ministered, though too young to have known him, cherish his memory; and the stranger in Dover cannot pass through its streets or survey its buildings without seeing inscribed upon them the name of Belknap.

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6. Hudson

ART. VI. NON-RESISTANCE.*

F. P.

THE present is emphatically an age of excitement. Inquiry is abroad in the community. Investigations, not only

down, your bones are whole; though your beds are hard, your sleep is sound; though your fare is coarse, your hunger is allayed; and though you part with your money, you keep your spirits." p. 234.

* Christian Non-Resistance, in all its important Bearings, illustrated and defended. By ADIN BALLOU. Philadelphia. 1846. 12mo. pp. 240.

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manly and bold, but daring and reckless, are going on in the midst of us. In a country like ours, where men of all opinions and of no opinions are equally tolerated, we may naturally expect the freest inquiry, the boldest investigation, and the most extravagant theories. But while we are left free

to confront error with truth, and to combat extravagance with reason, we have no occasion for alarm. Still, while we have entire confidence in the power of truth, we ought not to relax our efforts in exposing error. The great power of truth lies in the very fact, that it will so commend itself to intelligent minds, that they will make every effort to inculcate and defend it. Whenever or wherever error is advanced, it must be met by argument and be put down, not by the arm of the law, but by the power of truth. Even when the error is an old, exploded one, if it be brought forward anew, the battle must be fought over again; for many of our modern heroes will consider themselves invincible, if they are left in the quiet possession of any field. The task may be an unpleasant and a laborious one; but the advocate of truth must be willing to buckle on his armor whenever the foe appears; he must act as a minute-man, and at the same time enlist during the war; he must assail error and expose folly wherever they may appear, or whoever may be their advocates.

We have been led to these remarks by the perusal of the work before us. Mr. Ballou is one of that class of professed Christians who find little or nothing to approve either in Church or State. He is so opposed to the present organization of society, that he and a few others have in a manner withdrawn from the world, and formed themselves into a community, where their property to a certain extent is held in common. They have no fellowship with any sect in religion, no sympathy with any party in politics; but renounce all communion with the Church, and abjure all allegiance to human governments. They are, to a certain extent, Comeouters, with reference both to religion and to politics, garding Church and State, as at present organized, as so corrupt and corrupting, that it is the duty of all good men to come out from them. They seem entirely to overlook the important fact, that the evils in the world arise, not so much from the organization of society as from the imperfections and vices of the individuals who compose it.

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The temper of the work before us is generally good,

though the author has sometimes been betrayed into that severity and uncharitableness which are too common with those who style themselves "reformers." We will give one extract as a specimen of this severity, which is hardly consistent in one who calls himself "a Christian Non-Resistant," and who virtually tells us in his preface that he is half a century in advance of the age.

"We must," says he, "listen again to the scoffs of skepticism, the growls of frowning bigotry, and the jargon of Babylon the great. We must hear those who make the sword, the gibbet, and the dungeon their gods, denounce the doctrine of mercy, and extol the efficacy of cruelty."

The book, in the main, is written with marked ability, though it contains some things not worthy of the author's acknowledged talents. His divisions and subdivisions are a little too artificial; and if the "hand of Joab" is not in the work, there is frequently paraded on his page an index or hand, pointing to some word or sentence, which we think in bad taste. But these are minor faults, on which we have no disposition to dwell.

Mr. Ballou defines his doctrine as follows:

"It is not non-resistance to animals and inanimate things, nor to Satan, but only to human beings. Nor is it moral non-resistance to human beings, but chiefly physical. Nor is it physical non-resistance to all human beings under all circumstances, but only so far as to abstain totally from the infliction of personal injury as a means of resistance. It is simply non-resistance of injury with injury, evil with evil." - p. 11.

Mr. Ballou holds that it is wrong in all cases to inflict any punishment of a character injurious to the individual; and that no injustice may be done to his views, we will let him define his own position, and explain his use of the term injury.

"I use the term in a somewhat peculiar sense, to signify any moral influence or physical force exerted by one human being upon another, the legitimate effect of which is to destroy or impair life, to destroy or impair the physical faculties, to destroy or impair the intellectual powers, to destroy, impair, or pervert the moral and religious sentiments, or to destroy or impair the absolute welfare, all things considered, of the person on whom such influence or force is exerted; whether that person be inno

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cent or guilty, harmless or offensive, injurious or uninjurious, sane or insane, compos mentis or non compos mentis, adult or infant. Some of the lexicographers define an 'injury' to be 'hurt, harm, or mischief unjustly done to a person,' thereby implying that any hurt, harm, or mischief done to one who deserves nothing better, or can be considered as justly liable to it, is no injury at all. I reject entirely every such qualification of the term. I hold an injury to be an injury, whether deserved or undeserved, whether intended or unintended, whether well-meant or illmeant, determining the fact in accordance with the foregoing definition."― pp. 15, 16.

We will next present the reader with Mr. Ballou's opinion of the governments under which we live, both state and national.

"The governments now under notice are radically, fundamentally, anti-Christian. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint.' Military and injurious penal power is their very life-blood, the stamina of their existence. They are as repugnant to non-resistance as pride is to humility, wrath to meekness, vengeance to forgiveness, death to life, destruction to salvation.' p. 220.

"If I accept any office of distinction, I must swear or affirm to support the Constitution, not in parts, but entire. In fact, I cannot vote, without either actually taking such an oath or af firmation, or, at least, virtually acknowledging myself to be under the highest obligations of allegiance. Government, in this country, is vested in the voters. They are leagued together by their common declaration of sentiments and mutual covenant the Constitution - to conduct the government in a certain way, and to maintain its authority by military force. It seems to

have been universally taken for granted that military force would be indispensable. It is therefore a gross fraud and imposition for any man to appear at the ballot-box as a voter, who is at heart false to the Constitution, who does not mean in good faith to abide by and support it, and just as it is, till it can be constitutionally amended. This is what a non-resistant cannot do without treason to the Divine government; without trampling under foot the precepts of Jesus Christ.. I will hold office on

no such conditions. I will not be a voter on such conditions. I will join no church or state who hold such a creed, or prescribe such a covenant for the subscription of their members." pp. 221, 222.

These citations put us in possession of Mr. Ballou's sentiments. On the practical workings of such a theory we

need not enlarge. We have no disposition to call Mr. Ballou's sincerity in question; for we have long been satisfied that men may be sincere in error, as well as in truth. Men of strong feelings and ardent temperament may brood over a single subject, till its importance is so magnified in their estimation, that they can hardly perceive any thing else. Nor does strength of intellect always guard such men from error. We often see men of strong mental powers, whose minds appear to run in a groove; and they seem to have almost as little disposition or ability to hearken to reason, or turn from their favorite path, as a locomotive has to quit the track of a railroad. But, while we accord to such men sincerity and a becoming zeal, we cannot allow them to be sure guides to truth. Our author is undoubtedly sincere; but we are still of the opinion, that his doctrines are subversive of all order, and fatal to the peace and well-being of society.

We are aware that he attempts to sustain his positions by the Scriptures, and appeals to the teachings and example of Christ. But, after a careful examination of his arguments, we must say that they are not satisfactory to us. We revere the teaching of Christ; we bow submissively to the revealed will of God. But, at the same time, we know that men may err in their interpretation of Christ's discourses. We have but little confidence in that system of interpretation which relies upon the mere sound of a passage or a phrase. We have too much regard for the revelations of the Most High to adopt a system of exegesis thus narrow and arbitrary. We are far from believing that every truth of God is contained in his written revelation. There are great and fundamental truths taught by the Creator in his works, which lie behind all written revelation. Among these we may mention the existence of God, and the moral, intellectual, and social nature of man. These are divine truths, and exist independently of the Bible. They were known before the sacred books were written, and are as binding, as divine, as any thing contained in the written volume. Nay, they constitute the basis of all written revelations, and furnish a standard by which these must be interpreted. This is self-evident. For, if there were no God, there could be no revelation from him; and if man were not an intellectual, moral, and social being, such revelations as the Bible contains would be entirely useless. The intellectual, moral, and social nature of man not only precedes the teachings of