"And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother. And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot."--Deuteronomy xix. 18, 19, 21.
These are the injunctions of which Jesus speaks.
Noah, Moses, and the prophets taught that he who murders, mutilates, or tortures his neighbor doeth evil. In order to combat and destroy this evil, the evil-doer must be chastised by death, mutilation, or some personal torture. Transgressions are to be avenged by transgressions, murder by murder, torture by torture, evil by evil. Thus taught Noah, Moses, and the prophets. But Christ forbids all this. The gospel says: "I say unto you, resist ye not evil, avenge not one transgression by another, but rather bear a repetition of the offense from the evil-doer." That which has been allowed is now forbidden. Having understood what resistance we have been taught, we know exactly what Christ meant by non-resistance.
_Q._ Did the teaching of the Ancients admit of resisting transgression by transgression?
_A._ Yes; but Christ forbade it. A Christian has no right in any case to take the life of, or to offend against, the evil-doer.
_Q._ May he not kill or wound another in self-defense?
_Q._ May he enter a complaint to the magistrates for the purpose of chastising the offender?
_A._ No. For that which he does through others, he practically does himself.
_Q._ May he fight in the army against foreign or domestic enemies?
_A._ Certainly not. He can take no part in war, or in the preparation therefor. He cannot make use of weapons. He cannot resist one transgression by another, whether he is alone or in company, either personally or through other agents.
_Q._ May he voluntarily select or drill soldiers for the government?
_A._ He cannot do this, if he wishes to be _faithful_ to the law of Christ.
_Q._ May he voluntarily contribute money to assist a government which is supported by military power, executions, and violence in general?
_A._ No; unless the money is to be used for some special purpose, justifiable in itself, where the object and the means employed are good.