The Present War by D. T. Bourdeau

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 14, 1862

The Present War.

By D. T. Bourdeau

I WOULD say to the brethren and sisters that I fully endorse the position that Bro. White has taken in the Review in regard to the present war. For some time past I have thought that we needed more light on the relation that we sustain to earthly governments, and that we should be grateful for the privileges that we enjoy under this government. We must not overlook the goodness of God. The Bible says expressly that "the powers that be are ordained of God," that we should "obey magistrates," and that "the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will." Rom. xiii, 1; Titus iii, 1; Dan. iv, 25.

If we take a glance at the rise and fall of those kingdoms with which God's people have been connected; if we look at the call of Cyrus, Isa. xliv; xlv, and at the blessings that attended the fathers of our country in their attempts to lay the foundation of this government, we shall not fail to see that God has more to do with earthly powers than many are aware. We should not infer that all the laws which are enacted by the different powers of earth are of God, and that we ought to bow to unjust decrees. But there are general laws in civilized nations which are based on the law of God. Such laws should be reverenced, and those who enforce and guard them should be respected and obeyed; for they are "the ministers of God unto thee for good; and whosoever resisteth them, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." Rom. xiii. It is very evident that if it were not for the laws of this country we should be in a deplorable condition. When the Spirit of the Lord has left the earth, and when the rulers of earth are given over to their own ways, we shall fully comprehend the blessings of a good government.

I do not understand that civilized warfare, or capital punishment, are against the sixth commandment. Anciently God commanded his people to wage war against their enemies, and enforced the necessity of inflicting capital punishment; and under this dispensation inspiration says, "If thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he [the magistrate, or ruler] beareth not the sword in vain; for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also; for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing." Rom. xiii, 4-6.

Now God does not under any age give laws conflicting with each other. If God required us to keep laws clashing with each other, it would be impossible for us to obey him: in trying to obey him we should disobey him, and he would be the author of sin. This principle has helped me to harmonize the teachings of Christ, and the laws that regulated the work of priests on the Sabbath, with the fourth commandment, which says, "In it [the seventh day] thou shalt not do any work," and has confirmed me in the belief that the Sabbath is a rest from our own work, to be employed in the nobler work of our Creator.

But what is our duty in reference to the present war? This seems to be the important question with us now; and though we may not understand our whole duty, yet there are certain obligations that are very plain, and if we fulfill these, we shall not be left in the dark.

1. We should cheerfully pay our taxes, and thus help support the government, and render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's.

2. We should move in reference to the shortness of time. If we really believe that we have reached the last generation, that this generation will witness the fall and dissolution of all earthly governments, the seven last plagues, which are to be the winding-sheet of this world's history, and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to reward the saints, and to take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel, we shall not feel disposed to act in every respect like those who think that probationary time will continue for ages to come, and that this nation will yet see a long time of peace and prosperity. We cannot now move as good Christians did in reference to the revolutionary war. We should be constantly reaching after the fifth universal kingdom, which will so soon be established under the whole heaven.

3. We should do all we can to avoid breaking God's holy law. If we do this, we shall not willingly place ourselves where we cannot keep the Sabbath, that we may avoid being drafted, and that we may get greater wages. Bro. White's remarks on the condition of drafted Sabbath-keepers are satisfactory to my mind, and I mean to abide by them till I have reasons to believe that they are not correct.

4. We should, in harmony with the petition of the sealing angel of Rev. vii, pray the Lord to so control the matters of this nation that the work of God may go on, and that the remnant people may be spared in this trying time. The prayer of the righteous availeth much. God loves to hear his people pray, and to answer those prayers that are according to his will; and it is certainly the will of God that his people should be prepared for the coming of Christ.

Brethren, here is a point on which we are all agreed. Let us unitedly take hold of the arm of the Lord. His eyes are upon his people. They are the salt of the earth. If it were not for them, doubtless the Lord would have destroyed the inhabitants of earth before now. He will not suffer the present calamities to go any further than will be necessary to punish this nation for their sins, and to lead his people to seek a preparation for the events that are coming on the earth. I have realized some of the blessing of the Lord while trying to do this duty.

Dear brethren, if we thus pray, we shall not feel so much like complaining and murmuring against those who are trying to move in the counsel and fear of God. It will not do for us to be rash and censorious. We should seek meekness and a teachable spirit. The following extract from Watts on the Mind, p. 155, shows the danger of passing rash judgments, and the necessity of considering surrounding circumstances before deciding in regard to the propriety of certain actions:

"In many things which we do, we ought not only to consider the mere naked action itself, but the persons who act, the persons toward whom, the time when, the place where, the manner how, the end for which, the action is done, together with the effects that must, or that may, follow, and all other surrounding circumstances. These things must necessarily be taken into our view, in order to determine whether the action, indifferent in itself, is either lawful or unlawful, good or evil, wise or foolish, decent or indecent, proper or improper."

"Let us give a plain instance for the illustration of this matter. Mario kills a dog; which considered merely in itself, seems to be an indifferent action. Now the dog was Timon's, and not his own. This makes it look unlawful. But Timon bade him do it. This gives it an appearance of lawfulness again. It was done at church, and in time of divine service. These circumstances added, cast on it an air of irreligion. But the dog flew at Mario, and put him in danger of his life. This relieves the seeming impiety of the action.

But Mario might have escaped by flying thence. Therefore the action appears to be improper. But the dog was known to be mad. This further circumstance makes it almost necessary that the dog should be slain, lest he might attack the assembly, and do much mischief. Yet again, Mario killed him with a pistol, which he happened to have in his pocket since yesterday's journey. Now hereby the whole congregation was terrified and discomposed, and divine service was broken off. This carries in it an appearance of great indecency and impropriety. But after all, when we consider a further circumstance, that Mario, being thus violently assaulted by a mad dog, had no way of escape, and had no other weapon about him, it seems to take away all the color of impropriety, indecency, or unlawfulness, and to allow that the preservation of one or many lives may justify the act as wise and good. Now all these concurrent appendixes of the action ought to be surveyed, in order to pronounce with justice and truth concerning it."

The principle of this extract will apply well to the subject under consideration; and if we divest ourselves of all prejudice and preconceived notions, follow the dictates of sound reason, and earnestly and prayerfully seek for truth, we shall find the knowledge and wisdom of God concerning this matter. The time has come when we must lean wholly on the arm of the Lord, walk by faith, and get an experience for ourselves. The trials that are before us will develop the natural traits of God's people, and shake all that can be shaken. Who shall be able to stand? Who shall rally around the truth, overcome the pollutions of this world, and finally stand on mount Zion with all those who have kept the truth, waded through great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb?

D. T. BOURDEAU.