Annotation LXXXIII

”He who can take [it], let him take [it].” — Matthew 19:12

Whether it is lawful for Christians to wage war.

Origen, in the seventh treatise on Matthew — [of those] which we now have — writes thus: “Jesus answered, ‘He who has not, let him sell his garment and buy a sword.’ If, therefore, anyone, wishing to regard the letter and not understanding the will of the words, should sell [his] bodily garment and buy a sword — such a one, taking [Christ’s] word against the will of Christ, will perish. But of what sword he speaks, it is not [the business] of this place to expound.” Erasmus, in the Annotations on chapter 22 on Luke, quite wrongly maintains that Origen was of the opinion that it is in no way lawful for Christians to wage war; and he says that Origen held this also in the second book Against Celsus. But of these [matters], see below, Annotation 156.