for the Roman Church to fight, to shed human blood, and to gain peace by the sword… For this reason there is a need of soldiers who would go to war for the Holy Church and for Country. According to this (view) warfare among Christians is a good thing and founded on Scriptures… Therefore, when that ‘pillar’ was standing in Rome holding and supporting the Church and providing her with a scripturally sanctioned warfare, some came forth objecting on the basis of Christian discipline; but he accused them of being heretics and their discipline but a foul error.[409] [ Now it is natural that the Church, leaning against the secular power, does everything she can to bolster up that ‘pillar’, lest it fall down with its strange teaching. ]
Now of course, we have to obey the Scripture … but not everything in the Scripture is divine… Some portions do not lead us to follow Christ for (they) were written by some only as an (historical) record, and they were never (intended) to have any power. So, for example, when our Lord Jesus cured the lepers[410] he told them to go to show themselves to the priests and to offer gifts in accordance with the Law of Moses. Therefore, even though this was recorded in the Scripture, later on no apostle ever sent cured lepers to the Jewish priests, nor was any Christian obligated to give thank-offerings in accordance with the Law of Moses. This was written as an (historic) act of the power of Jesus and of a custom of the priests of the Old Testament, but not for an imitation by coming generations of Christians.
The story of John and his soldiers must be understood in a similar manner. He did certain things and spoke in a certain way, which Lord Jesus neither did nor spoke… And we understand that John was sent before Lord Jesus to prepare[411] his way, that is, to move the people to repentance and to an expectation of Lord Jesus, saying that he who will come after him will be greater… Therefore John, who preceded our Lord Jesus in time, was still under the Law of Moses, which he was bound to observe in all his acts and words – excepting baptism and bearing witness to Jesus; this was outside the Law… But John could not have changed the laws (concerning) the (established) order of things.
CHAPTER 41
REFUTATION OF AUGUSTINE’S ARGUMENT (CONCLUSION)
The soldiers who came to John with their question were not of the Christian faith. And John, seeing they were people accustomed to serve commanders and rulers, gave them an answer that was in agreement with the Law of Moses: “Rob no one by violence and be content with your wages.” For those sins come easiest to those who rely on the power of compulsion… John did not dissuade them from soldiering, since the Jews were allowed to perform military service and to conduct defensive wars against enemies… He only tried to restrain them from evils they might easily succumb to in their profession…
John could not have said, “Leave soldiering and follow me.” But Lord Jesus had the authority to say to the ruler, “Sell all that you possess, give it to the poor, and follow me.”[412] He had even power to change
