there are many persons in the United

  States who refuse to fight on grounds of conscience.  They are
  called the 'defenseless,' or 'non-resistant' Christians.  These
  Christians refuse to defend their country, to bear arms, or at
  the call of government to make war on its enemies.  Till lately
  this religious scruple seemed a valid excuse to the government,
  and those who urged it were let off service.  But at the
  beginning of our Civil War public opinion was agitated on this
  subject.  It was natural that persons who considered it their
  duty to bear all the hardships and dangers of war in defense of
  their country should feel resentment against those persons who
  had for long shared with them the advantages of the protection
  of government, and who now in time of need and danger would not
  share in bearing the labors and dangers of its defense.  It was
  even natural that they should declare the attitude of such men
  monstrous, irrational, and suspicious."

A host of orators and writers, our author tells us, arose to oppose this attitude, and tried to prove the sinfulness of non- resistance, both from Scripture and on common-sense grounds. And this was perfectly natural, and in many cases the authors were right--right, that is, in regard to persons who did not renounce the benefits they received from the government and tried to avoid the hardships of military service, but not right in regard to the principle of non-resistance itself. Above all, our author proves the binding nature of the rule of non-resistance for a Christian, pointing out that this command is perfectly clear, and is enjoined upon every Christian by Christ without possibility of misinterpretation. "Bethink yourselves whether it is righteous to obey man more than God," said Peter and John. And this is precisely what ought to be the attitude to every man who wishes to be Christian to the claim on him for military service, when Christ has said, "Resist not evil by force." As for the question of the principle itself,