god’s view of eebellion. 7 read it again : “Whosoever resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God ; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.” These are the words of inspiration, and bear all the weight of those other words—“ Thou shalt not kill— Thou shalt not steal.” A Christian who cannot see the right and the wrong of this present national contest, certainly does not go to the Bible for his direction .in the matter. He is following prejudices, or indulging in philosophic speculations, or listening to plausible sophistries. The honest applicant to the sacred oracle sees a flood of heavenly light thrown on the whole question of this war. He sees that if it is a nation’s duty to seize the thief and shut him up behind stone and iron, and that the duty does not abate one jot, if the thief gains a thousand helpers and shows fight against the police it is also a nation’s duty to seize and throttle rebellion, whatever be the numerical assistance that it gains. Right and wrong do not go by numbers. Government is established for this very purpose by God—to sustain the right—and not to sustain numbers, even should they form a majority. An administration may be rightfully elected and placed in power by a majority; but when once elected and placed in power, it is to govern by constitution, by law, by right, and not by the majority’s will. The duty of the Government’s opposing rebellion is just as clear if nine-tenths of the people rebel as if
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