1. Luke iii. 14.
164 ST. AUGUSTINE military duties in behalf of the peace and safety of the community. 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." ^ But as the Manichaeans (who blame Moses for his wars) are in the habit of running down 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." ^ For tribute-money is given on purpose to pay the soldiers required for war. Again, in the case of the centurion who said, "I c. Contra Faustum, XXII, 74-79.
1. Luke iii. 14.
2. Matt. xxii. 21.