Quod occidere hominem non semper criminosum sit
The Heart Behind the Act
Killing is not always criminal; the moral weight lies in the intention and the heart that counsels wrongly, as Augustine teaches in On the City of God.
Killing a person isn't always a criminal act, but killing out of malice, not by law, is criminal — because in such cases it's not the act itself, since sometimes it's even done rightly, but the heart that counsels wrongly that is condemned; Augustine demonstrates this in his book On the City of God, saying: "If anyone thinks that what is evil is good, and does it thinking so, he certainly sins, and all such sins are sins of ignorance, when someone thinks that what is done wrongly is being done rightly."
The Sword Given for Others
Killing may be tolerated only when done through public office or military duty for the common good, and even coercive restraint can serve as a form of benefit.
As for killing people — so that no one might be killed by them — I don't approve of the idea, unless perhaps the person is a soldier, or is bound by a public duty, so that he doesn't do this for himself, but for others, or for the city where he himself also holds legitimate authority, if it's appropriate to his office. But those who are restrained by some threat from doing wrong are perhaps even offered something beneficial in return.
Resisting Evil Without Revenge
Christ's teaching not to resist evil forbids vengeful delight in another's harm, yet does not neglect the duty of correction.
Hence the saying, We do not resist evil (Matt. V, 39), so that revenge — which feeds on another person's harm — doesn't delight us, and this not so that we neglect correcting people. »
Read the original Latin
Quod occidere hominem non semper criminosum sit, sed malitia non legibus occidere criminosum sit, quia non factum in talibus, quoniam interdum et recte fit, sed animus male consulens damnetur, Augustinus in libro de Civitate Dei demonstrat, dicens: « Si quis bonum putaverit esse quod malum est, et fecerit hoc putando, utique peccat, et ea sunt omnia peccata ignorantiae, quando quisque bene fieri putat quod male fit. De occidendis hominibus, ne ab eis quisquam occidatur, non mihi placet consilium, nisi forte sit miles, aut publica functione teneatur, ut non pro se hoc faciat, sed pro aliis, vel pro civitate, ubi etiam ipse est, accepta legitima potestate, si ejus congruit personae. Qui vero repelluntur aliquo terrore ne male faciant, etiam ipsis aliquid fortasse praestatur. Hinc autem dictum est, Non resistamus malo (Matth. V, 39), ne nos vindicta delectet, quae alieno malo animum pascit, non ut correctionem hominum negligamus. »
On the Person and Ministry of the King (De regis persona et regio ministerio) companion
Keep the examination going after day 7
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