“Jesus Christ is my Lord and Master,” says Ballou in one of the articles, in which he arraigns the inconsistency of the Christians who recognize the right of defence and war.
“I have covenanted to forsake all and follow Him, through good and evil report, until death. But I am nevertheless a Democratic Republican citizen of the United States, implicitly sworn to bear true allegiance to my country, and to support its Constitution, if need be, with my life. Jesus Christ requires me to do unto others as I would that others should do unto me. The Constitution of the United States requires me to do unto twenty-seven hundred thousand slaves” (there were slaves then, now we may put the working people in their place) “the very contrary of what I would have them do unto me, viz. , assist to keep them in a grievous bondage. … But I am quite easy. I vote on. I help govern on. I am willing to hold any office I may be elected to under the Constitution. And I am still a Christian. I profess on. I find no difficulty in keeping covenant both with Christ and the Constitution. … > > “Jesus Christ forbids me to resist evildoers by taking ‘eye for eye, tooth for tooth, blood for blood, and life for life.’ My government requires the very reverse, and depends, for its own self-preservation, on the halter, the musket, and the sword, seasonably employed against its domestic and foreign enemies. Accordingly, the land is well furnished with gibbets, prisons, arsenals, train-bands, soldiers, and ships of war. In the maintenance and use of this expensive life-destroying apparatus, we can exemplify the virtues of forgiving our injurers, loving our enemies, blessing them that curse us, and doing good to those that