May Bear the Office of a Magistrate. And of the Duty of Subjects. The Ninth Sermon
To the right of the sword, which God hath given to the magistrate, doth war belong: for in my last sermon I taught you, that the use of the sword in the magistrate’s hand is twofold, or of two sorts. For either he punisheth offenders therewith; or else repelleth the enemy that spoileth or would spoil his people, or cutteth off the rebellious purposes of his own seditious citizens. it But many make a doubt whether it be lawful for a magistrate to make war or no’. And it is marvel to see them as blind as beetles in a matter of itself as plain as may be. For if the magistrate doth by God’s law punish offenders, thieves, and harmful persons; and that it maketh no matter whether they be few or many in number, as I declared in my yesterday’s sermon; even by the same law may he persecute, repel, and kill rebellious people, seditious citizens, and barbarous soldiers, who, under the pretence of war, do attempt that openly which thieves and robbers are wont to do privily. The prophet, I confess, did among other things prophesy of us Christians, and say: “They shall turn their swords into spades, and their javelins into scythes?:” for Christians have peace with all men, and do altogether abstain from armour; for every one doth that to another which he would wish to have done to himself. But, for because all are not so minded, but that many unruly persons, wicked thieves, and oppressors of the poor, do live and dwell among honest and good-meaning men, as wild beasts among harmless creatures; therefore God from heaven hath given the sword into the magistrate’s hand, to be a defence for harmless people against unruly
[1 Of these doctrines of the Anabaptists, Latimer also makes men-]
[tion, Parker Soc. ed. Vol. 1. pp. 495, 6. See also Bullinger. adv. Ana-]
[baptist. Lib. v. cap. 10.] [2 Tsai. ii. 4.)]
cut-throats. But we read not in any place that we are forbidden to suppress and kill wolves, wild boars, bears, and such other beasts that do annoy and prey upon men or cattle. What let then should there be why we should not, by lawful war begun in a good quarrel, repel the unjust injury of violent robbers, since thieves, robbers, barbarous soldiers, and seditious citizens, do differ little or nothing from wild beasts? The scripture, verily, doth not vouchsafe to call them by any other names than by the names of beasts. Hereunto consenteth the common sense of nature; and herewithal agreeth the doctrine of faith and religion. “If it be possible,” saith the apostle, “as much as lieth in you, live quietly with all men; not revenging yourselves.” See here, “as much as lieth in you,” saith he, and, “if it be possible:” otherwise, he addeth immediately after: The magistrate beareth not the sword in vain,” He meaneth, for them that trouble all things, and do annoy the men which do desire to live at peace. And this is confirmed by the examples of the most, holy and excellent men that have been in the world, which have taken war in hand for the defence of their country and harmless countrymen; as 1 have already declared out of St Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews, when as in the exposition of the fifth precept I shewed what honour every man doth owe to his country.
I will add to these some reasons of St Augustine, uttered contra, Faustum Manichewm, Lib. xxi, cap. 74. Neither let him,” saith he, “marvel or be astonied at the wars made by Moses; for because even in them too he followed God’s commandment, not like a tyrant, but like an obedient servant. Neither did God rage with cruelty, when he commanded those wars; but justly paid home them that deserved it, and terrified those that were worthy of it. For what is blameworthy in war? Is it to be blamed that they do die which once must die, that they which live may rule in peace? To find fault with that is rather a cowardly touch, than the part of a religious Christian. Desire to hurt, cruelty in revenging, an unappeased stomach, bruteness in rebelling, greediness to rule, and whatsoever else is like to these, are the things that in war are worthy to be blamed, and by right of law to be sharply punished. Against the violence of injurious enemies, at the commandment either of God himself or any other lawful [3 Rom. xii. 18; xiii. 4.] [6 See before, p. 277.]
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power, even good men are wont to take war in hand; since their state in the world is such, that politic order doth justly bind the magistrate in such a case to command it, and the subjects to obey it. Otherwise John, when the soldiers came to him to be baptized, saying, And what shall we do?’ would have answered them, and said: Cast off your armour, forsake your soldier’s life, strike, wound, or kill nobody. But, because he knew that while they did so, as soldiers in the war, they were not man-quellers, but ministers of the law, not revengers of their own injuries, bnt defenders of the commonweal, he said unto them, Strike no man, do no man injury; be content with your wages.” But because the Manichees have of use blasphemed or spoken against John, let them hear the Lord Jesus Christ himself commanding to give to Caesar that stipend which John did say the soldier should be content withal. “Give,” saith he, to Caesar that which 15 Casar’s, and to God the things that do belong to God.’ For to this end is tribute paid, that the soldier in the war may have his pay out of hand for his pain. Very well, therefore, when the centurion said, And I am a man set under power, having 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 i1t,’—did the Lord commend his faith, and not command him to forsake his soldiership!.” Hitherto also apper-