THE NET OF FAITH

by Peter Chelčický

translated by Rev. Enrico Molnár

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 about spiritual than physical harm.  But the world knew not our Savior nor is it accepting his exalted teaching.[501]  For the sword keeps on punishing transgressions…  It kills people in war and otherwise.

Wars and other kinds of murder have their beginning in the hatred of the enemy and in the unwillingness to be patient with evil.  Their root is in intemperate self-love and in immoderate affection for temporal possessions.  And these conflicts are brought into this world because men do not trust the Son of God enough to abide by his commandments.  And so they choose the evil and the bitter; for when true things perish, evil weeds grow in their stead, and the sword is immediately after them with extermination.

CHAPTER 82

MILITARISM CONTRARY TO THE LAW OF CHRIST (CONTINUED)

The sword separates the Christians from God…  They are united to him by following Christ’s perfection.  They have been redeemed together by the blood of Christ, and together they pray,

Our Father who is in heaven, forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.[502]

They profess one common Father and say, “forgive us – as we have forgiven.”  They are one with God and partakers of His goodness.  If they embrace such a brotherly fellowship in the bond of love and peace, who are the old monks of exalted saintliness who want to deduce from this faith war and murder?

The pagans are no partakers of divine graces that the Christians claim, and therefore they are allowed to struggle for temporal things in accordance with their blindness and pride and avarice…  But if the Christians behave thus, they are worse than the pagans.  And they do not resemble even the Jews who were allowed to kill and to war by their Law; but to us killing is forbidden not only by the law but by the wrath of God as well.

CHAPTER 83

MILITARISM CONTRARY TO THE LAW OF CHRIST (CONTINUED)

The second difference between the Jewish wars and the wars conducted by misled Christians consists in this, that they made wars solely against pagans, having been forbidden to fight among themselves.  For when the ten tribes seceded from the throne of David after Solomon’s death,[503] Rehoboam the son of Solomon wanted to go to war against the ten tribes, and a prophet of God said to them:

Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up or fight against your kinsmen.  Return every man to his house.[504]

Therefore, if the Christians war among themselves they transgress not only against the perfect law of Christ but also against the law of the Jews…

The Christians, partaking of the same faith and having been redeemed by the same blood of Christ – thus united to him by the bond of grace – are bound to die one for another; therefore, if they kill they secede from this bond of brotherly grace and from the union of Christ’s blood.  They disgrace the blood of Christ…

The pagans are less evil than the Christians when they make wars among themselves because they have not known God…  There is nothing more abhorrent to the sacrifice of Christ than this: to kill in anger and hatred a brother for whom Christ died in his great love.

CHAPTER 84

MILITARISM CONTRARY TO THE LAW OF CHRIST (CONTINUED)

And if there are some who object saying, “We have nothing to do with spiritual things and we cannot understand religious matters; we are plenty busy with this world and our military calling – how could we understand religious problems and enquire after them?” there is a short answer for them: if one is a Christian and takes interest in the things of this world, he is abandoning Christ and cannot understand the benefits of Christ’s religion.  His faith is of no avail, his baptism is of no use, and his belief in purgatory is in vain…  Therefore, with their shameful sins they deny Jesus Christ.  They add their cruelties to his wounds…

CHAPTER 85

MILITARISM CONTRARY TO THE LAW OF CHRIST (CONCLUSION)

[ Wars among Christians are un-Christian.  They are contrary to the teachings of Christ.  His whole message is based on love and on not resisting evil.  For a Christian to fight is a disgrace and shame since he should not be concerned about personal safety. ]

The Christians who are of the world are also called the Holy Church; and because the Church is of the world, which does not accept (spiritual laws) that would spell death to the mundane (way of living), it is becoming corrupted; its end is not salvation but damnation.

[497] In the Czech original, “služebnost mečová,” i.e. the “servitude of the sword.”

[498] In the original, “nálepec,” “something that is plastered over.”

[499] Luke 9:54-56, RSV.

[500] Genesis 31:34.

[501] John 1:10.

[502] Matthew 6:9,12, RSV.

[503] 1 Kings 12.

[504] 2 Chronicles 11:4.