THE CHRISTIAN CHuitCH AND WAR.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."] Biz—The question of " No more war " is, in its essence, an individual one; "to fight or not to fight" rests not with Governments but with the man himself, so that it is possible for war to cease for the individual at once and for ever, if he so wills. The Society of Friends is an instance in point. So far back as 1660, in a declaration to Charles II. when he came to the throne, their testimony was :- " We utterly deny all outward war and strife, and fightings with outward weapons for any end or under any pretettce what- ever : this is our testimony to the whole world. The Spirit of Christ, by which we are guided, is not changeable, so as to com- mand us from a thing as evil, and again to move unto it, and we certainly know and testify to the world that the Spirit of Christ, which leads us into all truth, will never move us to fight and war against any man with outsiand weapons neither for the Kingdom of Christ, nor for the kingdoms of this world."
From then until now, over 250 years, the Quakers, tested at times to the uttermost, have been at peace with all the world, and in refusing to participate in war they have but followed in the footsteps of the early Christians, whose te-eimony was, "I am a Christian and therefore I cannot fight."
The key to the whole position is to be found in the Christian Church, for there will be no more war, on any large scale, when the Church lays down her arms, Governments being well aware that it would be impossible to carry on war with the Christian Church in absolute opposition to it. Her responsi- bility for its continuance is therefore a heavy one.—I am, Sir,
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