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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

74.

Quamobrem si iam tandem intellegit humana duritia atque in rebus rectis voluntas prava atque perversa plurimum interesse, utrum aliquid humana cupiditate vel temeritate admittatur, an dei pareatur imperio, p. 671,27 qui novit, quid, quando, quibus permittat aut iubeat, quid cuique facere patique conveniat, nec bella per Moysen gesta miretur aut horreat, quia et in illis divina secutus imperia non saeviens, sed oboediens fuit, nec deus, cum iubebat ista, saeviebat, sed digna dignis retribuebat dignosque terrebat. Quid enim culpatur in bello? An quia moriuntur quandoque morituri, ut domentur in pace victuri? Hoc reprehendere timidorum est non religiosorum. Nocendi cupiditas, ulciscendi crudelitas, impacatus atque inplacabilis animus, feritas rebellandi, libido dominandi et si qua similia, haec sunt, quae in bellis iure culpantur, quae plerumque ut etiam iure puniantur adversus violentiam resistentium sive deo sive aliquo legitimo imperio iubente gerenda ipsa bella suscipiuntur a bonis, p. 672,13 cum in eo rerum humanarum ordine inveniuntur, ubi eos vel iubere tale aliquid vel in talibus oboedire iuste ordo ipse constringit. Alioquin Iohannes, cum ad eum baptizandi milites venirent dicentes: Et nos quid faciemus? responderet eis: arma abicite, militiam istam deserite, neminem percutite, vulnerate, prosternite! Sed quia sciebat eos, cum haec militando facerent, non esse homicidas, sed ministros legis, et non ultores iniuriarum suarum, sed salutis publicae defensores, respondit eis: Neminem concusseritis, nulli calumniam feceritis, sufficiat vobis stipendium vestrum! Sed quia Manichaei Iohannem aperte blasphemare consuerunt, ipsum dominum Iesum Christum audiant hoc stipendium iubentem reddi Caesari, quod Iohannes dicit debere sufficere militi. p. 672,26 Reddite inquit Caesari, quae Caesaris sunt, et deo, quae dei sunt. Et ad hoc enim tributa praestantur, ut propter bella necessario militi stipendium praebeatur. Merito et illius centurionis dicentis: Et ego homo sum sub potestate constitutus habens sub me milites; et dico huic: ‛Vade’ et vadit, et alio: ‛Veni’ et venit, et servo meo: ‛Fac hoc’ et facit, fidem laudavit, non illius militiae desertionem imperavit. Et de iustis quidem iniustique bellis nunc disputare longum est et non necessarium.

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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

74.

Now, if this explanation suffices to satisfy human obstinacy and perverse misinterpretation of right actions of the vast difference between the indulgence of passion and presumption on the part of men, and obedience to the command of God, who knows what to permit or to order, and also the time and the persons, and the due action or suffering in each case, the account of the wars of Moses will not excite surprise or abhorrence, for in wars carried on by divine command, he showed not ferocity but obedience; and God in giving the command, acted not in cruelty, but in righteous retribution, giving to all what they deserved, and warning those who needed warning. What is the evil in war? Is it the death of some who will soon die in any case, that others may live in peaceful subjection? This is mere cowardly dislike, not any religious feeling. The real evils in war are love of violence, revengeful cruelty, fierce and implacable enmity, wild resistance, and the lust of power, and such like; and it is generally to punish these things, when force is required to inflict the punishment, that, in obedience to God or some lawful authority, good men undertake wars, when they find themselves in such a position as regards the conduct of human affairs, that right conduct requires them to act, or to make others act in this way. Otherwise John, when the soldiers who came to be baptized asked, What shall we do? would have replied, Throw away your arms; give up the service; never strike, or wound, or disable any one. But knowing that such actions in battle were not murderous but authorized by law, and that the soldiers did not thus avenge themselves, but defend the public safety, he replied, "Do violence to no man, accuse no man falsely, and be content with your wages." ¹ But as the Manichaeans are in the habit of speaking evil of John, let them hear the Lord Jesus Christ Himself ordering this money to be given to Caesar, which John tells the soldiers to be content with. "Give," He says, "to Caesar the things that are Caesar's." ² For tribute-money is given on purpose to pay the soldiers for war. Again, in the case of the centurion who said, "I am a man under authority, and have soldiers under me: and I say to one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it," Christ gave due praise to his faith; ³ He did not tell him to leave the service. But there is no need here to enter on the long discussion of just and unjust ways.