Letters Addressed to Caleb Strong, Esq. . Showing War to Be Inconsistent With the Laws of Christ, and the Good of Mankind Signed Philadelphus

Letters Addressed To Caleb Strong, ESQ.. Showing War To Be Inconsistent With The Laws Of Christ, And The Good Of Mankind Signed Philadelphus — Samuel Whelpley. This collection presents a sustained pacifist argument arguing that war is incompatible with Christian doctrine and the Gospel. Through a sequence of letters (the early 19th-century pamphlet format), the author asserts that Christians should refuse to support or participate in war, reject capital punishment, and advocate for universal peace. Drawing on early Church history, Gospel teachings (such as non-resistance and turning the other cheek), and classical authorities, the letters critique the legitimacy of national declarations of war, the ethics of self-defense, and the civil machinery that sustains bloodshed. The work argues that civil government, if guided by the Gospel, should pursue peace, reform, and the protection of life over vengeance. It envisions a future, peaceable Christian commonwealth and urges rulers and philosophers to champion pacific principles, returning society to what the author views as the primitive character of Christianity.