Page:The Net of Faith.pdf/555

173* (:This story about John and the soldiers:) is not written for the purpose of showing Christians that they need military service for the defense of faith or of faithful people. (:It only asks everyone to be faithful to his profession, to his faith:) And the Christians must be faithful to the teaching of their Jesus who taught them to turn the other cheek if anyone struck them on the right cheek, not to return evil for evil, and to love their enemies.

What will the knights with their sword do about this? That pillar who supports the Church in her bloody business I is afraid lest Christian discipline should hasten condemning war, and (in doing so) he justifies war in the Christian religion on Jewish kings and their law, and even on pagan kings. The Church teaches the Christian kings to defend her by war against external enemies and by exterminating heretics (who are the domestic enemies) by virtue of the example of Jewish kings

Matt. 19:21.

Matt.5, 39 & 44; Lk. 6:29.

E.g., iv:4, xv:5.

Matt.5, 39 & 44; Lk. 6:29.

E.g., iv:4, xv:5.