CHAPTER 81
MILITARY SERVICE AND WAR ARE
CONTRARY TO THE LAW OF CHRIST
In the following I shall show how the military service[497] is contrary to Christ. The authorities think that the best way to get rid of contrary things is through fighting or other forms of revenge and repulsion. Therefore, they rise up against enemies with force, wage war against them, repay evil for evil, and murder them in order to establish peace – this is the whole aim of the military service. And propaganda[498] always runs ahead of the struggle saying, “This is not for our sake, but for God’s sake.” God knows this propaganda, and the people know it too because, were it God’s struggle, they would all be long-suffering, and accept afflictions… But the warriors’ behavior shows that they are lying and that they are serving God falsely when they cannot stand a slander at home, while at the same time they take no thought of blasphemies against God.
But I have said that our Lord Jesus detests this behavior in his followers; he leaves it to the pagans and painted hypocrites in faith. But to his servants he gave a commandment to love their enemies and to do them good for evil deeds: to give them food and drink when they are hungry and thirsty, and to pray for them to God saying, “O Lord God, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” This behavior does not incite enemies to fighting, but it tames their anger and lust for war. [ They who want to live a Christian life must look for an example in Jesus Christ. ] One day when the Samaritans would not receive him, James and John said to him, “Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them as Elijah once did?” But he turned and said to them, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; for the Son of man came not to destroy men’s lives but to save them.[499] [ The follower of Jesus follows this example; the servant of the Emperor lives the old way. ]
The Pope, having received temporal dominion from the Emperor, defends both by the sword, claiming by means of many texts and of sly and cunning reasonings that this is in the service of God. He covers Anti-Christ’s footprints with Caesar’s sword and has the Holy Spirit sitting on this new layer of sand… Laban could not find the household gods because Rachel was sitting down on them.[500] Christ is the way and he who hides it with his sanctimoniousness commits a crime against the people who desire to take his way…
[ Jesus used the way of love even when it seemed to be to his disadvantage. When the Samaritans refused him, he was more concerned about their souls than his personal prestige, and did good to them who thought evil of him. If we are his disciples, we love our enemies, forgive their evils, and pray for them, being more concerned about their souls than our bodily safety. All this is contrary to the way of the sword. The whole test of a Christian comes to this: is he willing to love his enemies? ]
For, if the Christians believed in this commandment of love, and accepted it among themselves, the sword would immediately fall from their hands, all conflicts and wars would cease among them, no one would threaten another with a sword, but gracefully do good for evil; and should they be hurt and oppressed by others, they would not strike back with their sword but patiently suffer all evil, being more worried
