And truly the words are so clear in themselves, that in my judgment, they need no illustration to explain their sense; for it is as easy to reconcile the greatest contradictions, as these laws of our Lord Jesus Christ with the wicked practices of wars; for they are plainly inconsistent. Whoever can reconcile this, Resist not evil, with resist violence by force: again, Give also thy other cheek, with Strike again; also, Love thine enemies, with spoil them, make a prey of them, pursue them with fire and sword; or, Pray for those that persecute you, and those that calumniate you, with persecute them by fines, imprisonments, and death itself; and not only such as do not perseeute you, but who heartily seek and desire your eternal and temporal welfare: whoever, I say, can find a means to reconcile these things, may be supposed also to have found a way to reconcile God with the devil, Christ with Antichrist, light with darkness, and good with evil. But if this be impossible, as indeed it is, so will also the other be impossible; and men do but deceive themselves and others, while they boldly adventure to establish such absurd and impossible things. Nevertheless because some, perhaps through inadvertancy, and by the force of custom and tradition. do transgress this command of Christ, I shall briefly shew how much war doth contradict this precept, and how much they are inconsistent with one another; and consequently, that war is no ways lawful to such as will be the disciples of Christ. For, First, Christ commands, That we should love our enemies, Mat. v. 43, but war, on the contrary, teaches us to hate and destroy them. Secondly, The apostle saith, That "we war not after the flesh," and that we fight not with flesh and blood; Eph. vi. 12. but outward war is according to the flesh, and against flesh and blood; for the shedding of the one, and destroying of the other. Thirdly, The apostle saith, That "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual;" 1 Cor. x. 4. but the weapons of outward warfare are carnal, such as cannon, muskets, spears, swords, &c. of which there is no mention in the armour described by Paul. Fourthly, Because James testifies, That wars and strifes come from the lusts, which war in the members of carnal men; James iv. 1. but Christians, that is, those that are truly saints, "have crucified the flesh, with its affections and lusts;" Gal. v. 24. therefore they cannot indulge them by waging war. Fifthly, Because the prophets Isaiah and Micah have expressly prophesied, That " in the mountain of the house of the Lord, Christ shall judge the nations," and then "they shall beat their swords into plowshares," &c. And the ancient fathers of the first three hundred years after Christ did affirm these prophecies to be fulfilled in the Christians of their times, who were most averse from war; concerning which Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and others may be seen: which need not seem strange to any, since Philo Judæus abundantly testifies of the Essenes, That there was none found among them that would make instruments of war. But how much more did Jesus come, that he might keep his followers from fighting, and might bring them to patience and charity? Sixthly, Because the prophet foretold, That there should none hurt nor destroy in all the holy mountain of the Lord; Isa. lxv. 25. but outward war is appointed for killing and destroying. Seventhly, Because Christ said, That "his kingdom is not of this world," and therefore that his servants shall not fight; John xviii 46. therefore those that fight are not his disciples nor servants. : Eighthly, Because he reproved Peter for the use of the sword, saying, "Put up again thy sword into his place for all they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword." Mat. xxvi. 52. Concerning which Tertullian speaks well, lib. de Idol. "How shall he fight in peace without a sword, which the Lord did take away? For although soldiers came to John, and received a form of observation; if also the centurion believed afterwards, he disarmed every soldier in disarming of Peter. Idem "de Coron, Mil." asketh, "Shall it be lawful to use the sword, the Lord saying, that he that useth the sword shall perish by the sword?" Ninthly, Because the apostle admonisheth Chris "Be tians, That they defend not themselves, neither revenge by rendering evil for evil; but give place unto wrath, because vengeance is the Lord's. not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst give him drink." Rom. xii. 19. But war throughout teacheth and enjoineth quite the contrary. Tenthly, Because Christ calls his children to bear his cross, not to crucify or kill others; to patience, not to revenge; to truth and simplicity, not to fraudulent stratagems of war, or to play the sycophant, which John himself forbids; to flee the glory of this world, not to acquire it by warlike endeavours; Mark viii. 54. therefore war is altogether contrary unto the law and Spirit of Christ. But they object, That it is lawful to war, because Abraham did war before the giving of the law, and the Israelites after the giving of the law. I answer as before, 1. That Abraham offered sacrifices at that time, and circumcised the males; which nevertheless are not lawful for us under the gospel. 2. That neither defensive nor offensive war was lawful to the Israelites of their own will, or by their own counsel or conduct; but they were obliged at all times, if they would be successful, first to enquire of the oracle of God. 3. That their wars against the wicked nations were a figure of the inward war of the true Chris tians against their spiritual enemies, in which we overcome the devil, the world, and the flesh. 4. Something is expressly forbidden by Christ, Mat. v. 38, &c. which was granted to the Jews in their time, because of their hardness; and on the contrary, we are commanded that singular patience and exercise of love which Moses commanded not to his disciples. From whence Tertullian saith well against Marc. Christ truly teacheth a new patience, even forbidding the revenge of an injury which was permitted by the Creator. And lib. de. patien. The law finds more than it lost, by Christ's saying, "Love your enemies." And in the time of Clem. Alex. Christians were so far from wars, that he testified that they had no marks or signs of violence among them, saying, Neither are the faces of idols to be painted, to which, so much as to regard is forbidden: neither sword nor bow to them that follow peace! nor cups to them who are moderate and temperate, as Sylvius Disc. de Rev. Belg. Secondly, They object, That defence is of natural right, and that religion destroys not nature. I answer, be it so; but to obey God, and commend ourselves to him in faith and patience, is not to destroy nature, but to exalt and perfect it; to wit, to elevate it from the natural to the supernatural life, by Christ living therein, and comforting it, that it may do all things, and be rendered more than conqueror. |