Revenge, retaliation and war forbidden.

Lev. 19. 18. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord.

Pr. 20. 22. Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.

Pr. 24. 29. Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

Hab. 2. 12. Wo to him that buildeth a town with blood.

Mat. 10. 16. Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Mat. 26. 52. Then said Jesus unto him, put up thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword.

Lk. 3. 14. Do violence to no man.

Rom. 12. 17. Recompense to no man evil for evil. 19. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Rom. 14. 10. Why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.

1 Cor. 4. 5. Judge nothing before the time, until the` Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.

I Th. 5. 14. Be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good.

Heb. 10. 30. We know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people..

Jam. 2. 11. If thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

Jam. 4. 1. From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 12. There is one law-giver

Anger and contention sinful and foolish.

who is able to save, and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

Jam. 3. 16. Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

1 Pet. 3. 8. Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another; love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise, blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

481. Are anger and quarrelsome contention sinful and foolish?

Ps. 37. 8. Cease from anger and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

Pr. 13. 10. Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

Pr. 14. 16. A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth and is confident. He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated. 29. He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

Pr. 15. 28. A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

Pr. 17. 14. The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

Pr. 18. 6. A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.

Pr. 19. 19. A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.

Pr. 20. 3. It is an honor for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

Pr. 26. 17. He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears. 21. As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

Evils of revenge and war.

22.

Pr. 29. 9. If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest. An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.

Ec. 7. 9. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

Rom. 2. 8. But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath; Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil.

1 Cor. 3. 3. Whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

Ep. 4. 31. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you,

with all malice.

1 Jn. 3. 15. Whosever hateth his brother, is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding him.

Rev. 13. 10. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword, must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

482. Have revenge, war and bloodshed been common and ruinous?

Gen. 49. 5. Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce: and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

Ps. 74. 20. The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.

Pr. 12. 6. The words of the wicked are to lie in wait

Expediency of.

for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.

Ezk. 25. 12. Thus saith the Lord God; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them; Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I will also stretch out my hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword. And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeaace, saith the Lord God.

Ezk. 35. 5. Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity

-Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: since thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.

Hos. 4. 2. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore, shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish.

Amos 1. 11. Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof: because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for

ever.

483. Is it expedient to practice the principles of peace? and envy

Job 5. 2. Wrath killeth the foolish man, slayeth the silly one.

8.

Ps. 37. 3. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself any wise to do evil. For evil doers shall be cut off;

in

True and false peace and peace-makers.

11. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Pr. 10. 12. Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

Pr. 15. 1. A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Pr. 16. 7. When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Pr. 18. 24. A man that hath friends must show himself friendly.

Pr. 25. 15. By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone. 21. If thine enemy be hungry give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.

Pr. 29. 8. Wise men turn away wrath.

Pr. 30. 33. The forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife. Is. 48. 18. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river.

Mat. 5. 9. Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Rom. 12. 20. If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

2 Cor. 10. 4. (The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling, down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

484. Are there any false peace-makers?

Jer. 6. 14. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

no

Ezk. 13. 10. Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was peace; and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed