2 68 VESTIGES OF THE 



stances, its nntuie being to be univeisal and invariable. 

 The evil is, therefore, only a casual exception from some- 

 thing in the main good. 



The same explanation applies to even the most con- 

 spicuous of the evils which afflict society, War, it may 

 be said, and said truly, is a tremendous example of evil, 

 in the misery, hardship, waste of human life, and mis- 

 spending of human energies, which it occasions. But 

 what is it that produces war? Certain tendencies of 

 human nature, as keen assertion of a supposed right, 

 resentment of supposed injury, acquisitiveness, desire of 

 admiration, combativeness, or mere love of excitement. 

 All of these are tendencies which are every day, in a 

 legitimate extent of action, producing great and indis- 

 pensable benefits to us. Man would be a tame, indolent, 

 unserviceable being without them, and his fate would be 

 starvation. War, then, huge evil though it be, is, after 

 all, but the exceptive case, a casual misdirection of pro- 

 perties and powers essentially good. God has given us 

 the tendencies for a benevolent purpose. lie has' only 

 not laid down any absolute obstruction to our misuse of 

 them. That were an arrangement of a kind which he 

 lias nowhere made. But he has established many laws 

 in our nature which tend to lessen the frequency and 

 destructiveness of these abuses. Our reason comes to 

 see that war is purely an evil, even to the conqueror. 

 Benevolence interposes to make its ravages less mis- 

 chievous to human comfort, and less destructive to 

 human life. Men begin to find that their more active 

 powers can be exercised with equal gratification on 

 legitimate objects; for examjile, in overcoming the 

 natural difficulties of their path through life, or in a 

 generous spirit of emulation in a line of duty beneficial 

 to themselves and their fellow-creatures. Thus, war at 



